Chapter
Four: How Great Trust in God was
Exhibited by All the Saints
I WILL not speak of Abraham, who trusting in God "against hope,
believed in hope. In the promise also of God he staggered not by
distrust; but was strengthened in
faith, giving glory to God; most fully knowing that whatsoever He has
promised He is able also to perform." [Rom. IV. 18-21] He it was who
refused not to offer up his only son as a sacrifice to God, and who
with three hundred and eighteen servants attacked and vanquished four
kings through his surpassing Trust in God. [Gen. XIV. 14-16] Neither
will I speak of Joseph, the governor of Egypt, who, though so often
brought to extremity, yet did not lose his courage, for his heart
trusted in the Lord. What miracles did not Moses, who trusted in God,
perform? He enclosed all the hosts of Egypt in one vast sepulchre in
the sea. In the war with Amalec he held a rod in his hand, instead of
any weapon such as generals use, and thus he addressed the captain of
the host:-----"Choose out men: and go out and fight
against Amalec;
tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill having the rod of God in
my hand." [Exodus XVII. 9] Wonderful indeed! Moses, standing like an
idle spectator, lays whole armies in the dust. His panoply was the rod
of God, and Trust in Him. Josue, too, the leader of the hosts of
Israel, prevailing through his incredible Trust in God, dared to
command the sun, and say,-----"Move not, O Sun, toward
Gabaon, nor
thou, O Moon, to ward the valley of Ajalon. So the sun stood still in
the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down the space of one day.
There was not before nor after so long a day, the Lord obeying the
voice of man, and fighting for
Israel." [Jos. X. 12-14] And so, in a short time, all the kings of
Chanaan were conquered. And what is the lesson from this? To admonish
all those who exercise authority over others that they place their
trust in God alone, Who directs the hearts of men, and commands alike
the highest and the lowest to stand still in mid-career. Or why should
I speak of Caleb, who had such Trust in God, that, when so many hundred
thousand men were tumultuously gathered together he alone resisted
them, and exclaimed,-----"Be not rebellious against the
Lord: and fear ye
not the people of this land, for we are able to eat them up as bread.
All aid is gone from them: the Lord is with us, fear ye not." [Num.
XIV. 9] And how great was the trust of Gedeon, who was educated rather
for agriculture than warfare, and who with three hundred men [Judges
VII. 8] dared to attack so many thousands of the enemy, and overcame
them. King Ezechias, too, abounding in Trust in God, not merely
obtained the addition of fifteen years to his life, but, as a pledge of
it, was permitted to recall the shadow of the sun ten degrees. [lsai.
XXXVIII. 8] As, therefore, Josue caused the sun to stand still, so
Ezechias made it go back over an immense part of its orbit. And thus,
in good truth, the soul which trusts in God impels Him to disturb
the course of the world, and to change the order of nature. Ezechias,
then, was able to work this miracle by his Trust in God., which when
Sennacherib was threatening Jerusalem, induced him to put on,
sackcloth, rather than armour; clad in which he, first of all, entered
the temple, and exhorted the people to prayer, and to renew their Trust
in God, saying,-----"Behave like men and take courage:
be not afraid nor
dismayed for the king of the Assyrians, nor for all the multitude that
is with him: for there are many more with us than with him. For with
him is an arm of flesh: with us the Lord our God, Who is our helper,
and fighteth for us." [2 Par. XXXII. 7, 8] How full of Trust in God was
this exhortation! But how did it happen that the wretched Zedecias did
not do the like, when all the while his army was larger than that of
Ezechias? It was this which ruined that king; he trusted too much in
his own strength, and perished, trusting "upon this broken staff of a
reed: upon which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce
it." [Isai. XXXVI. 6]
2. The same thing also caused the ruin of that most excellent King Asa.
For thirty-six years he lived an admirable life, and was on this
account beloved of God; but at length he forfeited all the favour which
he had acquired on account of this one sin, that he trusted in human
strength. But although this was the conduct of Asa yet, if it is
measured by the rule of human reason, it may seem little deserving of
condemnation; for what was the nature of his sin? He surrendered his
gold to Benadad, King of Syria, and alleged, as a reason for the
act,-----"There is a league between me and thee, as
there was between my
father and thy father, wherefore I have sent the silver and gold, that
thou mayst break thy league with Baasa, King of Israel, and make him
depart from me." [2 Par. XVI. 3] And what was there wrong here, I would
ask? Nevertheless Hanani the Seer severely rebuked Asa, and
said,-----"Because thou hast had confidence in the King
of Syria, and not
in the Lord thy God, therefore hath the army of the King of Syria
escaped out of thy hand. For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth,
and give strength to those who with a perfect heart trust in Him.
Wherefore thou hast done foolishly, and for this cause from this time
wars shall arise against thee." [2 Par. XVI. 7-9]
And so Job says,-----"If
I beheld the sun when it shined, and the moon
going in brightness: and my heart in secret hath rejoiced, and I have
kissed my hand with my mouth." [Job xxx. 26, 27] "The good," says S.
Gregory, "which he did he thus relates, that he may ascribe it all to
God. Job was not wont to praise his own diligence, or to kiss his
hands; for not in himself, and in his own power, but in God did he
place all his trust. Thus, too, the Emperor Charles V, who was really
'pious' and truly 'happy,' was accustomed to say,-----'I
came, I saw, but
God conquered.' "
Jonas, when enclosed in the belly of the whale, and now reduced to the
last extremity, was still able to betake himself to prayer, as though
he were in perfect safety in a ship, and never, and in no place, could
he better exercise the virtue of Trust in God;-----"And
Jonas prayed to
the Lord his God out of the belly of the fish." [Jonas II. 2]
Everywhere there is place for prayer and vows. And what was his
prayer?-----"The waters compassed me about even to the
soul: the deep hath
closed me around about, the sea hath covered my head. When my soul was
in distress, within me, I remembered the Lord: that my prayer may come
to Thee, unto Thy holy Temple." [Ver. 6, 8] See his great Trust in God!
And so, too, Daniel in the midst of the hungry lions, and the three
Hebrew Children in the flames at Babylon, dispatched as ambassadors to
God prayers full of Trust in Him.
And how greatly
did Paul
of Tarsus excel in this virtue, who, though
often burying himself, as it were, could yet say,-----"I
know Whom I have
believed, and I am certain,that He is able to keep that which I have
committed unto Him against that day." [2 Tim. 1, 12] And armed with
this Trust in God he feared no labour or danger, but hurried through
showers of stones, and swords, and darts, and flames, relying on the
Divine Aid, and by the help of his God he often passed over even walls
of iron.
3. Among women
Judith
excelled most admirably in this virtue, daring to
do a deed which had never been heard of before. For when she had
conceived the design of killing Holofernes, she inflamed her Trust in
God with fervent prayer, and said,-----"Assist, I
beseech thee, O Lord
God, me a widow. For Thou hast done the things of old, and hast devised
one thing after another: and what Thou hast designed hath been done.
For all Thy ways are prepared, and in Thy providence Thou hast placed
Thy judgments. For Thy power, O Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is Thy
pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the
proud been acceptable to Thee: but the prayer of the humble and the
meek hath always pleased Thee." [Judith IX. 3, and fol.] And through
the same amazing Trust in God she replied to Holofernes,-----"As
thy soul
liveth, my Lord, Thy handmaid shall not spend all these things till God
do by my hand that which I have purposed." [Chap. XII. 4] And when she
was now standing by the bed of Holofernes in his drunkenness, she said,
while she silently poured forth tears and prayers,-----"Strengthen
me, O
Lord God of Israel." [Chap. XIII. 7] With great success did she perform
her design, and when received again within the gates of Bethulia, these
were the first words with which she burst forth,-----"Praise
ye the Lord
our God, Who hath not forsaken them that hope in Him. And by me His
handmaid He hath fulfilled His mercy, which He promised to the house of
Israel: and He hath killed the enemy of His people by my hand this
night." [Chap. XIII. 17, 18]
And to her
Susanna may be
justly added, a noble example of Modesty and
Trustfulness. When she was being led away to be put to death, "she
weeping looked up to Heaven: for her heart had confidence in the Lord."
[Dan. XIII. 35] Nor did she trust in vain, for by the unanimous voice
of all, Daniel acting as her judge, she was acquitted of every charge.
<><>Nor was
Esther
inferior to
her, for she in like manner undertook a task
of great danger through her Trust in God. It was a law in the palace of
Assuerus that if anyone came into the presence of the king without
being summoned he should be put to death, unless the king should
stretch out his golden sceptre as a sign of clemency. [Esther IV. 11]
But when Mardochai on the one side was urging Esther with constant
entreaties to approach the king, and on the other the law stood in the
way and terrified her, she at length determined upon this plan. All the
Jews were bidden to give themselves to prayer and fasting for three
whole days, and Esther with her maidens did the like. And when three
days had been spent in this way, the queen, conceiving within herself
unbounded Trust in God, entered into the king's presence to beg his
favour for her people. And everything turned out according to her
desire.
4. It may be
affirmed
generally of all men and women who have
been remarkable for saintliness of life, that their heart had
confidence in the Lord. This was singularly
the case with S. Catherine of Siena. Although at all other times she
was exceedingly sparing of her words, yet, whenever she engaged in
conversation about Trust in God, she could scarcely find any limit for
her speaking, or, if she heard others talking of this virtue, she never
could hear enough. S. Bernard, when he was affiicted with a grievous
disease, and was
almost drawing his last breath, thought that he was standing before the
Judgment-seat of God. Satan, too, was there as an adversary, and
assailed him with shameful accusations. When the accuser had finished,
and Bernard had now to speak for himself, he thus began his address
with great confidence:-----"I confess that Heaven is due
neither to myself,
nor to my actions. Of so great a reward I am utterly unworthy. But my
Lord has obtained it for me by a twofold right-by inheritance from His
Father, and by the suffering of the Cross. 
Through
this gift I am
confident that I too shall be an heir of that kingdom." At these words
the adversary was put to shame, and, the conference ending, Bernard
came to himself. S. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, a man of the greatest
integrity, was one
night haunted with grievous anxieties, and when he could not shake them
off, he began to be disturbed in mind; but with early morning he came
to himself, and sighing deeply said,-----"Alas! I have
greatly sinned,
because I have not, as becomes a Christian man, cast all my care upon
the Lord, according to the command of the prophet!"
Frederick II,
Duke of
Saxony, surnamed "the Placid," died in the year
1464. Several years before his death this prince stirred up a quarrel
with Frederick, Bishop of Magdeburg, and from that proceeded to war.
And that he might carry it on with the greater prudence, and in order
to secure success, he sent a spy to gain full information about the
preparations and plans of the enemy. This was done; and when an
examination had been made at all points, word was brought back to
Frederick that there were no preparations at all for war, and that not
even a single soldier had been called out, and furthermore that the
Bishop had said that he should commend his cause to God, Who would take
up arms for His servant. As soon as the Elector heard this he
said,-----"Let some one else show his madness, if he
will, and wage war
against a man who is confident of gaining the victory through the help
of God." And here the bishop is worthy of praise for relying on the
protection of God, and so, too, is the prince for laying aside his
arms, and fearing to have God as an Adversary.
5. And this is
the counsel
of the wise man,-----"Have confidence in the
Lord with all thy heart." [Prov. III. 5] But they who are destitute of
such Trust look at human things alone, and measure all things by human
strength. And it often happens that God forsakes such people as these
in the execution of their devices, so that fruitlessly and with vain
endeavours they look for great results, and drag along their
languishing mind in a wretched state of expectation, and often close
these human thoughts of theirs by some untoward event. But, on the
other hand, our Trust in God most effectually conciliates on our behalf
the Divine Beneficence. God rejoices to confer benefits, and showers
the gifts of His munificence on those especially who elevate themselves
to great Trust in Him. But if He keeps His bounteous Hand fast closed,
and does not spread out the cloud of His Liberality, or only causes it
to rain down upon us with very gentle drops, let us silently reflect
Who it is that has dried up that heavenly cloud, which hangs suspended
in the air, ever ready to descend in showers, and has caused it to
cease from falling; let each person, I say, reflect on this, and accuse
his sins, his lukewarmness and languor, and specially his want of Trust
in God, and let him rouse himself to fresh Trust and hope for showers
instead of drops. For when hindrances have been removed these clouds
are ever ready to rain, and not merely now with such showers as were
expected, but whole rivers and seas will, as it were, be cast down from
Heaven that they may overwhelm in the waters of their abundance the
heart which pants after them, and is strong in Trust. For God is not so
rich in promises as in deeds. He has promised that even mountains may
be removed. and the dead raised to life again.
"Blessed
be the man
that trusteth in the Lord, and the Lord shall be
his confidence." [Jer. XVII. 7] None
ever trusted in the Lord, and was
confounded.
