Sermon 20B
SERMON 20/B The sermon of St. Augustine setting forth the heterodox opinions of Jovinian concerning virginity. 1. The entire religion of Christians, most beloved brethren, consists in resisting the world. Lest by its allurements it draw us into its snares, and make us forget what we have professed before the holy altar. “I renounce thee, Satan,” because thou suggestest falsely; I renounce the world, because it is full of fraud; I renounce the delights of the flesh, because they drag me to hell. Therefore we renounce all that would seduce us; and take up what would profit us. Because “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof,” that we may love nothing in it save Him who made it. 2. Virginity is better than marriage, but marriage is good: by this is established only what the apostle says, that virginity is better (1 Cor. 7:38). Because though a brief time remains for us in this life, yet there is an eternity for which we prepare. And this preparation, since no one is confident in his own merits, is anxiety lest perchance we take in the deceit of judging. 3. And yet shall we say ‘virginity is not lawful, marriage is not lawful’? But we compare the good together, and show that virginity is to be chosen before marriage. So when we affirm good to be better than good, we do not condemn good, but we prefer the better. 4. The apostle said not, “He who gives his virgin in marriage does evil,” but “he does well; and he which gives her not in marriage does better” (1 Cor. 7:38). Here he shows the difference between the two goods which are praised: the one who grants, the other who withholds. And he who marries is called a doer of good, but the one who does not marry is called a doer of better.
Regarding the response to the psalm:
Give us help from tribulation,
and the vain salvation of man
God has mercy if sometimes He does not hear us.
I cannot thank the Lord God and your love enough towards Him, for this joy that I see flowing from the source of affection. For this is, brothers, what refreshes us, what consoles us: pure and sincere love, which helps me before the Lord who deigned to return our voice to your ears. Nor should you be surprised that we suffer such things in this body. For it is necessary that we suffer, and the will of the Lord cannot be unjust in any way: because we are sinners, we must be scourged, and if we were just, we should be tested. For he who wishes for the health of the body in which the soul, the inhabitant of the body, does not profit, wishes for something vain. But God does not consider what the error of the one who wishes requests, but what His mercy in liberating grants. For the Apostle says that we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself, he says, intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. For sometimes we wish for what God knows to be harmful to us; and then He has mercy, if He does not hear, or rather it is said more truly in a certain way: then He hears, if He seems not to hear.
God was present with Paul even when He did not answer his request.
Who among us, brothers, could be equated with the merits of the apostle Paul, whose praises there is no need for us to speak? For he who is read daily, it would be in vain to be praised by anyone. Because neither did he ever want to be praised himself, when he would speak of his own conversion, what the churches in Christ from the Jews, that is, who had believed in Christ, would hear and marvel that he had been converted, he did not say: "They magnified me," but: "In me, they magnified the Lord." Likewise, when he spoke much of his own effectiveness, he said: "It is not I, but the grace of God with me." Who then can be equated either to his humility, or to his piety or doctrine or labors or tribulations or merits or crown? He therefore twice asked the Lord that the thorn of the flesh be removed from him, and it was not removed; and yet the Lord says to the soul that serves well: "While you are still speaking, I will say: Behold, I am here," so that He would grant what was sought. Who among us dares to promise himself what was denied to Paul? What then do we say, because God was not present, when the Apostle says: "There was given to me a thorn of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me"—so that he would not be exalted; for which I thrice besought the Lord, that it might depart from me: and He said to me: "My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness"? Was He then not present? Did He not say: "Behold, I am here," when He taught why it should not be given?
God hears one seeking eternal salvation.
God always hears, beloved brothers - know this so that you may pray with certainty -, God hears when He does not grant what we ask. God hears, and if we unknowingly ask for something harmful, He hears us more by not granting it, just as He does not hear more some by granting them something for punishment. This we say. Sometimes the faithful person prays to God, as it is pious to pray to the Lord, but he does not receive specifically what he asks for; instead, he receives what he asks for, in view of that. Sometimes a wicked person, a perverse man, a criminal asks for something, and it is given to him, because he was worthy of punishment, not of being heard. So we have the example of the Apostle Paul, for he asked, and it was not given to him, but it was shown to him that what he asked for was given in view of that. For whatever a Christian and faithful person asks for, he ought to ask for it for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, for the sake of eternal life, for the sake of what God has promised and will give after this world; for that reason, he should ask for it, who asks for something, for the sake of that perfect health which we will also have in the resurrection of the body. For then there will be perfect health, when death is swallowed up in victory. Now then, since we have mentioned health and eternal salvation for which one ought to ask, whoever asks for anything even temporally <...>, let us take daily examples from this physician.
The health of the sick person is dear to the wise doctor.
When a sick person requests from a doctor what pleases them for the moment - and they have summoned the doctor for the purpose that health may be restored to them through him. For there was no other reason for summoning the doctor, except to obtain health. And therefore, if perhaps fruits please them, if cold things please them, they choose to request from the doctor rather than from their servant. For hiding it from the doctor and requesting from the servant can result in the ruin of their health: indeed, a servant obeys a commanding master more to fulfill domination than for the remedy of health. But a prudent sick person, who loves and expects their health, chooses to request from the doctor what pleases them for the moment, so that, by the doctor denying, they do not receive something according to their will, but rather believe the doctor for their health. You see, therefore, that even when the doctor does not give something to the one requesting, he does not give for the purpose of giving. For he does not grant excessive desires so as to provide useful health. Therefore, by not giving, he gives, and provides more that for which he was summoned, that is, health. If, therefore, by not giving to this one he gives, to another who importunately extorts, by giving he does not give; often he also gives what is requested to one who is desperate. Sometimes he gives in such a manner that through the pangs of pain the sick person becomes more corrected and learns to trust the doctor; sometimes despairing of the patient's health, as doctors are accustomed to say: "Now give him whatever he requests: for there is no hope for his health." Therefore, for these three kinds of petitioners, let us find examples in the Scriptures.
"Leave it to the doctor: he knows what to apply."
Someone asks and does not receive what they ask for. Let us find the example of the apostle Paul. For the physician says to him, why he does not give: Virtue, he says, is perfected in weakness. Be assured that what he does not give you: he wants to heal you. Trust the physician: he knows what to apply, what to withdraw, so that he may lead to health, and this is why he does it. The Apostle asks the Lord three times. He was already being heard, but he did not think he was heard unless the physician was present in such a way as to also say: Virtue is perfected in weakness, so that even he himself might safely say: When I am weak, then I am strong. Therefore, we have him asking for something useless, and not receiving it, so that he may receive what he asked for, that is, for eternal salvation.
"The patience of God leads to repentance."
Let's now see whether men receive something as a warning so that, having suffered some tribulations, they may sometimes turn back to healing because they are sick. Hence the Lord said: "Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but those who are sick." Therefore, he comes to the sick and finds men given to their desires. For this reason, the Apostle says, "God handed them over to the desires of their hearts, to do what is not convenient." They desired what was not convenient, and it was granted to them to do so; from there, they reached greater pains and disturbances, which all unjust and all unrighteous necessarily suffer: fear, greed, error, pain, affliction, anxiety. Never security, never rest, never a friend. They rest a little in their conscience, seeking another consoler outside, having inside themselves the torturer. It is necessary for the unjust to suffer justly, but, while they suffer, they live. God, who permits these things to seek healing, watches so that, having suffered the afflictions and entanglements of their desires, they learn what to ask for. For it was said to them: "Do you not know that the patience of God leads you to repentance?" He handed them over to the desires of their hearts, and they did what they wanted; and yet he spared them, so that he would not take them from this life, where there is still a place for repentance, and he always invited them to repentance, as he does even now, and he will never cease to do this with the human race until the last day of judgment.
God sometimes hears the devil asking.
Let us find, therefore, also that one to whom it is granted because he is already desperate, and this from the Scriptures. What is more desperate than the devil? Yet he asks to tempt Job, and it is not denied to him. Great mysteries, indeed great things, and very worthy of consideration. The Apostle asks that the thorn in the flesh be taken away from him, and it is not granted; the devil asks to tempt the just man, and it is granted. But that the just man is conceded to be tempted by the devil neither harmed the just man nor benefited the devil, for the former was proven and the latter tormented.
God tests man for salvation.
Certainly hold on to this, brothers, which we have often said to your holiness, that the cares of the world should not take from your hearts what you have heard: when God permits the just to be tempted, so that they may be tested, or to be chastised, if He wishes to correct them for the sins that remain, if He permits them to be chastised for sins, it benefits them; but if it is so that they may be made manifest, because they were unknown, it benefits those who come to know them, so that they may imitate them. For God knows His servants well, but sometimes they are unknown to others and cannot be made manifest to them except through some temptations. Sometimes also a man is unknown to himself and completely unaware of what he is capable of: either he thinks he is capable of more and it is shown to him that he cannot yet, or he despairs and thinks he cannot endure something, and it is shown to him that he can; when he is excessively uplifted, let him be brought down to humility, and when he is broken in lowly state, let him be raised from despair.
The Lord knows what, when, and to whom to give the salvation which we seek.
Therefore, let us understand in the very psalm that we were singing, because many seek salvation, and sometimes it does not benefit them. For someone may be healthy and misuse their health for sin. It would be better for them to be sick and rest, than to be healthy and restless. Sometimes, however, through the scourge of tribulation, when what was not desired happens, they turn to God. For they will be more cautious, more chaste, more modest, more humble, and rightly sing: "Give us help from trouble, and vain is the salvation of man." He sought help, but from where? He says to the Lord: "Give us help from trouble, so that, troubled, we may be corrected, humbled, and turn back to You, not lifting our necks against You. For when you give us help from trouble, we will understand that the salvation which a foolish man often desired, and when received, uses not for the joy of peace but as an occasion for his own restlessness, is vain." Often a man was about to proceed in anger and unjust indignation, to harm one who perhaps had done him no wrong; suddenly he begins to fall ill: what was useful to him? To proceed and commit iniquity, or to fall ill and pray for salvation? For the salvation of God is not vain, but the salvation of man is vain, which a man thinks is greatly necessary for him. Therefore, God's salvation is not vain, but man's salvation is vain. It is a false salvation and rightly called man's if it is thought to be the only one by man. For there, where "man’s" is not added, it is said: "Salvation belongs to the Lord." What does "Salvation belongs to the Lord" mean? The Lord gives salvation, who knows what to give, when, and to whom. As often as people, in despair of salvation, seek salvation, the Lord Himself gives it. It follows in the psalm: "And your blessing be upon your people," that is, have mercy on your people, and give them the salvation you give to those who are not of your people, even the one your people themselves are unaware of. For you know what to give; they do not know what they receive until they have received it. For, brothers, what is it that you should know these things that you are about to receive, what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him? What do you think He has prepared? Surely eternal salvation, which cannot even enter our hearts, which no eye can see nor ear hear; and yet He prepares these for those who love Him, and when we receive them, we will see what true salvation is and how vain were the things we considered great.
The holy martyrs despised the safety of men.
For if the martyrs had desired and esteemed highly this health, that is, the health of man, they would not say from the heart: And I did not covet the day of man, you know. What is said in the psalm? Therefore, those desiring this health and holding it in high regard would have lost that eternal health. But now understanding what it is: Give us help from trouble, they choose rather to be led to eternal health than to find this chosen health of man to their ruin and to consent to the persecutors. For immediately the persecutor would give health. The martyr was bound, oppressed in prison, wasting away even with his wounds: had he yielded to the persecutor, he would immediately have health; but the health of man is vain. Indeed, the persecutors promised health, which they immediately gave. And what kind did they give? The kind they knew, and before they were in those tribulations, but they aspired to that which neither eye has seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man. What the persecutor promises seems evident, and what he promises is uncertain and brief and slight. Even if it were the eternal health of the flesh, it would still be carnal, such as the eye has seen and the ear heard, and has entered into the heart of man. If that greater health does not seem so, but it surely promises to follow and cannot deceive, let us maintain ourselves under His discipline, let us not murmur under His scourge, let us willingly endure the one caring for us, and we will rejoice healthy before God, already knowing what He has given us and saying: Where is your strife, O death? Where is your sting, O death?
Augustine, being ill, concludes the sermon.
{I know, brothers, your eagerness, but it is necessary that you also spare our weakness. For we do not wish to deny any kind of our voice and ministry to your holiness, so that we might serve the Lord, who has renewed us. However, the more recent scar, perhaps not yet perfectly healed and closed, must still be spared. May the Lord guide us in His will, fitting us for the salvation of all of us and the service of His holy Church.} Let us turn to the Lord and ask: He will look upon us and perfect us in His saving Word, and grant us to rejoice according to Him and to live according to Him. Let Him turn away from us carnal prudence; may He subject the enemy under our feet, not by our strength, but by His holy name, in which we have been cleansed through Jesus Christ our Lord.