The Divine Lamp

Here is the very first of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman’s famous Parochial and Plain Sermons.
“Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14)

In this text it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit to convey a chief truth of religion in a few words. It is this circumstance which makes it especially impressive; for the truth itself is declared in one form or another in every part of Scripture. It is told us again and again, that to make sinful creatures holy was the great end which our Lord had in view in taking upon him our nature, and thus none but the holy will be accepted for his sake at the last day. The whole history of redemption, the covenant of mercy in all its parts and provisions, attests the necessity of holiness in order fro salvation, as indeed even our natural conscience bears witness also. but in the text what is elsewhere implied in history, and enjoined by precept, is stated doctrinally, as a momentous and necessary fact, the result of some awful irreversible law in the nature of things, and the inscrutable determination of the divine will.

Now some may ask, “Why is it that holiness is a necessary qualification for our being received into heaven? Why is it that the Bible enjoins on us so strictly to love, fear and obey God, to be just, honest, meek, pure in heart, forgiving, heavenly-minded, self-denying, humble, and resigned? Man is confessedly weak and corrupt; why then is he enjoined to be so religious, so unearthly? Why is he required (in the strong language of Scripture) to become “a new creature”? Since he is by nature what he is, would it not be an act of greater mercy in God to save him altogether without this holiness, which it is so difficult, yet (as it appears) so necessary for him to possess?

Now we have no right to ask this question. Surely it is quite enough for a sinner to know, that a way has been opened through God’s grace for his salvation, without being informed why that way, and not another way, was chosen by the divine wisdom. Eternal life is “the gift of God.” Undoubtably he may prescribe the terms on which he will give it; and if he has determined holiness to be the way of life, it is enough; it is not for us to inquire why he has so determined it.

Yet the question may be asked reverently, and with a view to enlarge our insight into our own condition and prospects; and in that case the attempt to answer it will be profitable, if it be made soberly. I proceed, therefore, to state one of the reasons, assigned in Scripture, why present holiness is necessary, as the text declares to us, for future happiness.

To be holy, is, in our Church’s words, to have “the true circumcision of the Spirit;” that is, to be separate from sin, to hate the works of the world, the flesh, and the Devil; to take pleasure in keeping God’s commandments; to do things as he would have us do them; to live habitually as if in sight of the world to come, as if we had broken the ties of this life, and were dead already. Why cannot we be saved without possessing such a frame and temper of mind?

I answer as follows: That, supposing even a man of unholy life were suffered to enter heaven, he would not be happy their; so that it would be no mercy to permit him to enter.

We are apt to deceive ourselves, and to consider heaven a place like this earth; I mean, a place where everyone may chose and take his own pleasures. We see that in this world, active men have their own enjoyments, and domestic men have theirs; men of literature, of science; of political talent, have their respective pursuits and pleasures. Hence we are led to act as if it will be the same in another world. The only difference we put between this world and the next, is that here, (as we know well,) men are not always sure, but there, we suppose they will always be sure of obtaining what they seek after. And accordingly we conclude, that any man, whatever his habits, tastes, or manner of life, if once admitted into heaven, would be happy there. Not that we altogether deny, that some preparation is necessary for the next world; but we do not estimate its real extent and importance. We think that we can reconcile ourselves to God when we will; as if nothing were required in the case of men in general, but some temporary attention, more than ordinary, to our religious duties,- some strictness, during our last sickness, or in our service to the Church, -as men of business arrange their letters and papers on taking a journey or balancing an account. But an opinion like this, though commonly acted on, is refuted as soon as it is put into words. For heaven, it is plain from Scirpture, is not a place where many different and discordant pursuits can be carried on at once, as is the case in this world. Here every man can do his own pleasure, but there he must do God’s pleasure. It would be presumption to attempt to determine the employments of that eternal life which good men are to pass in God’s presence, or to deny that state which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor mind conceived, may comprise an infinite variety of pursuits and occupations. Still so far as we are distinctly told, that future will be spent in God’s presence, in a sense that does not apply to our present life; so that it may be best described as an endless and uninterrupted worship of the Eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. “They serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them…the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them into living fountains of water.” Again, “The city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.” These passages from St John are sufficient to remind us of many others.

Heaven then is not like this world; I will say what it is much more like,-a church. For in a place of public worship no language of this world is heard; there are no schemes brought forward for temporal objects, great or small; no information how to strengthen our wordly interests, extend our influence or establish our credit. These thing indeed might be right in their way, so that we do not set our hearts upon them; still (I repeat), it is certain that we hear nothing of them in a church. Here we hear solely and entirely of God. We praise him, worship him, sing to him, thank him, confess to him, give ourselves up to him, and ask his blessing. And therefore a church is like heaven; because in both one and the other, there is one single sovereign subject-religion-brought before us.

Supposing then, instead of it being said that no irreligious man could serve and attend on God in heaven ( or see him, as the text expresses it), we were told that no irreligious man could worship, or spiritually see him in church; should we not at once perceive the meaning of the doctrine? viz. that, were a man to come hither, who had suffered its mind to grow up in its own way, as nature or chance determined, without any deliberate habitual effort after truth and purity, he would find no real pleasure here, but would soon get weary of the place; because, in this house of God, he would hear only of that one subject which he cared little or nothing about, and nothing at all of those things which excited his hopes and fears, his sympathies and energies. If then a man without religion, (supposing it possible) were admitted into heaven, doubtless he would sustain a great disappointment. Before, indeed, he fancied that he could be happy there; but when he arrived there, he would find no discourse but that which he had shunned on earth, no pursuits but those that he disliked or despised, nothing which bound him to ought else in the universe, and made him feel at home, nothing which he could enter into and rest upon. He would perceive himself to be an isolated being, cut away by supreme power from those objects which were entwined around his heart. Nya, he would be in the presence of that supreme power, whom he could never on earth bring himself steadily to think upon, and whom now he regarded only as a destroyer of all that was precious and dear to him. Ah! He could not bear the face of the Living God; the holy God would be no object of joy to him. “Let us alone! What have we to do with thee?” is the soul thought and desire of unclean souls, even while they acknowledge his majesty. None but the holy can look upon the Holy One; without holiness no man can endure to see the Lord

When, then, we think to take part in the joys of heaven without holiness, we are as inconsiderate as if we supposed we could take an interest in the worship of Christians here below without possessing it in our measure. A careless, a sensual, an unbelieving mind destitute of the love and fear of God, with narrow views and earthly aims, a low standard of duty, and a benighted conscience, a mind contented with itself, and unresigned to God’s will, would feel as little pleasure, at the last day, at the words, “Enter into the joy of thy Lord,” as it does now at the words, “Let us pray.” Nay, much less, because, while we are within church, we may turn our thoughts to other subjects, and contrive to forget that God is looking on us; but that will not be possible in heaven.
We see, then, that holiness, or inward separation from the world, is necessary to our admission into heaven, because heaven is not heaven, is not a place of happiness except to the holy. There are bodily indispositions which affect the taste, so that the sweetest flavors become ungrateful to the palate; and indispositions which impair the sight, tinting the fair face of nature with some sickly hue. In like manner, there is a moral malady which disorders the inward sight and taste; and no man laboring under it is in a position to enjoy what Scripture calls “the fullness of joy in God’s presence, and pleasures at his right hand fr evermore.”
Nay, I will venture to say more than this;-it is fearful, but it is right to say it;-that if we wished to imagine a punishment for an unholy, reprobate soul, we perhaps could not fancy a greater than to summon it to heaven, Heaven would be hell to an irreligious man. We know how unhappy we are apt to feel at the present, when alone in the midst of strangers, or of men of different tastes and habits from ourselves. How miserable, for example, would it be to ave to live in a foreign land, among people whose faces we never saw before, and whose language we could not learn. And this is but the faint illustration of the loneliness of a man of earthly dispositions and tastes, thrust into the society of saints and angels. How forlorn would he wander through the courts of heaven! He would find no one like himself; he would see in every direction the marks of God’s holiness, and these would make him shudder. He could no longer turn his thoughts another way, as he does not now, even when conscience reproaches him. He would know that the eternal eye was ever upon him; and that eye of holiness, which is joy and life to holy creatures, would seem to him and eye of wrath and punishment. God cannot change his nature. Holy he must ever be. But while he is holy, no unholy soul can be happy in heaven. Fire does not inflame iron, but it inflames straw. It would cease to be fire if it did not. And so heaven itself would be fire to those, who would fain escape across the great gulf from the torments of hell. The finger of Lazarus would but increase their thirst. The very “heaven that is over their head” would be “brass” to them.
And now I have partly explained why it is that holiness is prescribed to us as a condition on our part for our admission into heaven. It seems to be necessary from the very nature of things. We do not see how it could be otherwise. Now then I will mention two truths which seem to follow from what has been said.
1. If a certain character of mind, a certain state of the heart and affections, be necessary for entering heaven, our actions will avail for our salvation, chiefly as they tend to produce or evidence this state of mind. Good works (as they are called) are required, not as if they had anything of merit in them, not as if they in themselves could turn away God’s anger for our sins, or purchase heaven for us, but because they are the means, under God’s grace, of strengthening and showing forth the holy principle which God implants in the heart, and without which (as the text tells us) we cannot see him. The more numerous our acts of charity, self-denial, and forbearance, of course the more our minds will be schooled into charitable, self-denying and forbearing temper. The more frequent our prayers, the more humble, patient, and religious are our daily deeds, this communion with God, these holy works, will be the means of making our hearts holy, and of preparing us for the future presence of God. Outward acts, done on principle, create inward habits. I repeat, seperate acts of obeidance to the will of God, good works as they are called, are of service to us,as gradually severing us from this world of sense, and impressing our heart with a heavenly character.
It is plain, then, what works of service are not to our salvation;-all of those which have no effect upon the heart to change it, or which have a bad effect. What then must be said of those who thin it an easy thing to please God, and to recommend themselves to him; who do a few scanty services, call these the walk of faith, and are satisfied with them? Such men, it is too evident, instead of being themselves profited by their acts, such as they are, of benevolence, honesty, or justice, may be (I might say) injured by them. For these very acts, even though good in themselves, are made to foster in these persons a bad spirit, a corrupt state of heart; viz. self-love, self-conceit, self-reliance, instead of tending to turn them from this world to the Father of spirits. In like manner, the more outward acts of coming to church, and saying prayers, which are, of course, duties imperative upon us all, are really serviceable to those only who do them in a heavenward spirit. Because such men only use these good deeds to the improvement of the heart; whereas even the most exact outward devotion avails not a man, if it does not improve it.
2. But observe what follows from this, If holiness be not merely the doing a certain number of good actions, but is an inward character which follows, under God’s grace, from doing them, how far distant from that holiness are the vast multitude of men! They are not even obedient in outward deeds, which is the first step towards possesing it. They have even to learn to practice good works, as the means of changing their hearts, which is the end. It follows at once, even though Scripture did not plainly tell us so, that no one is able to prepare himself for heaven, that is, make himslef holy, in a short time;-at least we do not see how it is possible; and this, viewed merely as a deduction of the reason, is a serious though Yet, alas! as there are persons who think to be saved by a few scanty performances, so there are others who supppose they may be saved all at once by a sudden and easlity aquired faith. Most men who are living in neglect of God, silence their consciences, when troublesome, with the promise of repenting some future day. How often are they thus led on until death surprises them! But we will suppose they do repent when the future day comes. Nay, we will even suppose that almighty God were to forgive them, and to admit them into his holy heaven. Well, but is nothing more requisite? are they in a fit state to do service in heave? Is this not the very point I have been so insisting on, that they are not in a fit state? Has it not been shown that, even if admitted there without a change of heart, they would find no pleasure in heaven? And is a change of heart wrought in a day? Which of our tastes or likings can we change at our will in a moment? Not the most superficial. Can we then at a word change the whole character and frame of our minds? Is not holiness the result of many patient, repeated efforts after obedience, gradually working on us, and first modifying and then changing our hearts? We dare not, of course, set bounds to Gods mercy and power in cases of repentance late in life, even where he has revealed to us the general rule of his moral governance; yet, surely, it is our duty ever to keep steadily before us, and act upon, those general truths which his Holy Word has declared. His Holy Word in various ways warns us, that, as no one will find happiness in heaven, who is not holy, so no one can learn to be so, in a short time, and when he will. It implies it in the text, which names a qualification, which we know in a matter of fact does ordinarily take time to gain. It propounds it clearly, though in figure, in the parable of the wedding garment, in which inward sanctification is made a condition distinct from our acceptance of the proffer of mercy, and not negligently to be passed over in our thought as if a necessary consequence of it; and in that of the ten virgins, which so us that we must meet the bridegroom with the oil of holiness, and that it takes time to procure it. And it solemnly assures us in St Paul’s Epistles, that it is possible to presume on Divine grace, as to let slip the accpeted time, and be sealed even before the end of life to a reprobate mind.
I wish to peak to you my brethren, not as if aliens from God’s mercies, but as partakers in his gracious covenant in Christ; and for this reason in especial peril, since only those can incur the sin of makeing void his covenant, who have the privelge of it. Yet neither on the other hand do I speak to you as willful and obstiante sinners, exposed to the imminent risk of forfeiting, or the chance of having forfieted, your hope of heaven. But I fear that there are those who, if the dealt faithfully with their consciences, would be obliged to own that they had not made that service to God their first great concern; there obeidence, so to call it, has been a matter of course, in which the heart has had no part; that they have acted uprightly in worldly matters cheifly for the sake of their worldly interests. I fear there are those, who, whatever their sense of religion, still have such misgivings about themselves, as lead them to make resolve to obey God more exactly some futre day, such misgivings as convict them of sin, though not so much as to bring home to them the heinousness of its peril. Such men are trifling with the appointed season of mercy. To obtain the gift of holiness is the work of a life. No man will ever be perfect here, so sinful is our nature. Thus, in putting of the day of repentance, these men are reserving for a few chance years, when strength and vigor are gone, the work for which a whole life would not be enough. That work is great and ardous beyond expression. There is much sin remaining even in the best of men, and “if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?” Their doom may be fixed any minute; and though this thought should not make a man despair today, yet it should make him tremble for tomorrow.
Perhaps, however, others may say:-”We know something of the power of religion-we love it in a measure-we have many right thoughts-we come to church to pray; this is a proof that we are prepared for heaven:-we are safe, and what has been said does not apply to us.” But be not you, my brethren, in the number of these. One principle test of our being true servants of God is our wishing to serve him better; and be quite sure that a man who is contented with his own sufficiency in Christian holiness, is at best in a dark state, or rather in great peril. If we are really imbued with the grace of holiness, which shall abhor sin as something base, irrational, polluting. Many men, it is true, are content with partial and indistinct views of religion, and mixed motives. Be content with notheing short of perfection; exert yourselff day by day to grow in knowledge and grace; that, if so be, you may at length attain to the presence of Almighty God.
Lastly; while we thus labor to mold our hearts after the pattern of the holiness of our Heavenly Father, it is our comfort to know, wat I have already implied, that we are not left to ourselves, but that the Holy Ghost is graciously present with us, and enables us to triumph over, and change our minds. It is a comfort and encouragement, while it is an anxious and awful thing to know that God works in and through us. We are instruments, but we are only the instruments, of our own salvation. Let no one say that I discourage him, and propose a task to him beyond his strength. All of us have the gift of grace pledged to us from our youth up. We know this well; but we do not use our privilege. We form mean ideas of the difficulty, and in consequence never enter into the greatness of the gifts given us to meet it. Then afterwards, if perchance we gain a deeper insight into the work we have to do, we think God a hard master who commands much from a sinful race. Narrow, indeed, is the way to life, but infinite is his love and power who is with the Church, in Christ’s place, to guide us along it. -John Henry Cardinal Newman Parochial and Plain Sermons.