Volume II, Treatise I, Chapter XX

Another Means to Render the Exercise of Mortification Sweet and Easy, Which Ts the Hope of Future Recompense

THe third means whereby we may render the exercise of mortification sweet and easy, is the greatness of the recompense we expect. Job comforted himself hereby, and encouraged himself to undergo the greatest sufferings, when he said: “who will be so kind to me, as to write down what I say? who will grant my request, by engraving it upon a plate of lead, or upon flint?”— (Job 19:23, &c.) Why do you think he so earnestly desired that his words might remain and be left to posterity? It was nothing else but that those that should come after him, might receive in their afflictions the same comfort he received in his, And what are these words, that are, he says, so full of comfort. They are these: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last day I shall be raised from dust, and shall be again clothed with this my skin, and that I shall see God in my flesh; that I myself shall see him, and shall behold him with these very eyes. This is the hope that I preserve in my heart.” It is from this endless treasure of consolation that I continually get comfort in my sufferings. By this hope God encouraged Abraham, when he appeared to him, and assured him that his recompense was abundantly great. By this hope, Moses renounced all the riches and grandeurs of Pharaoh. “Moses,” says St. Paul, “being grown up, and having a lively faith, could pass no longer for the son of Pharaoh’s

daughter, choosing rather to be afflicted with God’s people, than to enjoy for a short time any happiness that sin could procure him; believing that the ignominy of Jesus Christ, was a far greater treasure, and more to be esteemed, than whatsoever Egypt could bestow upon him, because he considered the recompense to come.” (Hebrews 11:24),.&c.) By this hope, the royal prophet exercised himself continually, in the observance of God’s Jaw and commandments, as he himself tells us: ‘I was resolved to persevere in the observance of your precepts, whilst I beheld the recompense I thereby expected.” (Psalms 118:112) °‘ You will perhaps object,” says St. Austin, “that here is a great deal todo. But consider on the other hand the promises made you; for there is no pain, though ever so great, which will not become light, when you think upon the recompense annexed thereunto; for the hope of a recompense is of great comfort in our labours.”—(Ep. cxliii. ad Vir. Dem): as we daily see and experience in merchants, labourers, and soldiers. The merchant is not discouraged by tempests and shipwrecks; bad weather does not keep the labourer from his work; neither are the continual labours, wounds, nor even death, though it presents itself every moment, able to affright the soldier; because they all have continually before their eyes the temporal gain which awaits them. How comes it then to pass, that a Christian, whose hopes and inheritance are in heaven, should shudder and be afraid of mortifications and sufferings upon earth, since they are the best means whereby to gain the possession of what he hopes for? Shall those persons expose themselves to inconveniencies and dangers “for a fading corruptible crown; and shall we who expect an immortal one,” (1 Corinthians 9:25), stand looking on and do nothing? Did we but consider the vast reward which will infallibly follow the performance of what is required of us, we should presently be convinced that our labour is trifling, and that to get to heaven at such an easy rate, is to purchase it for nothing. It is not sufficient to know the price, but the true value also of a thing, before we can judge whether it be dear or cheap. For should I ask you, do you think it dear to give a hundred crowns for a thing? you would answer me, that is according to the value of the thing which is thereby purchased, since perhaps it may not be worth one, and perhaps it may be worth a thousand crowns, For if it be a diamond of an extraordinary size, if it be an estate of very great extent, it is to have it for nothing. Would you therefore know whether God asks much or little of you, take notice what it is you buy of him; see what he gives you in exchange for the price you give him: “JI myself,’ says he, “will be your recompense.” (Genesis 15:1) It is nothing less than himself that God gives you. It is therefore a very cheap purchase, and what he asks for it is nothing; since what he desires of you is only the renouncing your will, and the mortifying your senses. ‘ He will save his servants for nothing,” (Psal. lv. 8), says the Psalmist; and can you purchase any thing at a cheaper rate? ‘ Make haste therefore, you that have no money, come and buy wine and milk without it, or without giving any thing in exchange for it:” (Isaias 55:1) run, make haste, and lose not the advantage of so good a market.

- St. Basil also most strongly recommends this means unto us; let your heart,” says he, “be continually employed in thinking upon the heavenly promises, that they may encourage you to advance in the way of virtue. It was by this St. Anthony likewise excited his disciples to persevere continually in the severity of a religious course; and sometimes, astonished at God’s liberality, he says, there is a great equality in the traffics that men make in the world,. each one gives as much as he receives; and what is sold, is worth the price given for it; but as for eternal glory, it is given for a small price, since holy writ tells us, that “the ordinary course and life of man lasts only for sixty years; and that even the strongest scarce arrive to fourscore; and the years above this age abound only in pain and misery. (Psalm Ixxxix. 10, 11.) Wherefore, though we should have served God for fourscore or an hundred years, or more, he does not recompense us only with so many years of glory, but our recompense will have no end; we shall reign. eternally in glory, as long as God shall be God. ‘ Wherefore, my beloved children,” says St. Paul, “be not weary in fighting against your enemy, nor let the ambition of vain-glory flatter and deceive you. For all the sufferings of this life have no proportion with that future glory, that shall be revealed in us. These short and light afflictions produce in us an inconceivable and eternal weight of glory.” (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17) St. Bernard makes use of a very fit comparison. There is no farmer, though ever so stupid, says he, that complains that the seed-time lasts too long; because he knows for certain, that “the less time he spends in sowing, the less plentiful will be his harvest.” That of a Christian ought to be the same; the sufferings and mortifications of this life ought not to seem long, because now it is our seed-time, and the more we labour and sow at present, the greater will be our crop hereafter. And we cannot increase our sowing, though it be ever so little, adds the saint, but it will always produce a greater abundance of grain, when the time of harvest is come. When the farmer sees that for a bushel of wheat he sowed, he reaps twenty or thirty, he could wish that he had sown a greater quantity.

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