breast, with you I ask for pardon, with you I hope that God will be merciful. But peradventure
the Holy Apostles, those first and highest leaders4039 of the flock, shepherds, members of
The Shepherd, these peradventure had no sin. Yes, indeed, even they had, they had indeed;
they are not angry at this, for they confess it. I should not dare. First hear the Lord Himself
saying to the Apostles, “In this manner pray ye.”4040 As those other priests were convicted
by the sacrifices, so these by prayer. And amongst the other things which He commanded
them to pray for, He appointed this also, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our
debtors.”4041 What do the Apostles say? Every day they pray for their debts to be forgiven
them. They come in debtors, they go out absolved, and return debtors to prayer. This life
is not without sin, that as often as prayer is made, so often should sins be forgiven.
8. But what shall I say? Peradventure when they learnt the prayer, they were still weak.
Some one, perhaps, will say this. When the Lord Jesus taught them that prayer, they were
yet babes, weak, carnal; they were not yet spiritual, who have no sin. What then, Brethren?
When they became spiritual, did they cease to pray? Then Christ ought to have said, “Pray
in such wise now;” and to have given them, when spiritual, another prayer. It is one and the
same. He who gave it is One and the Same; use it then in prayer in the Church. But we will
take away all controversy, when you say the Holy Apostles were spiritual, up to the time of
the Lord’s Passion they were carnal; this you must say. And indeed, the truth is, as He was
hanging, they were in alarm, and the Apostles then despaired when the robber believed.
Peter dared to follow, when the Lord was led to suffering, he dared to follow, who came to
the house, and was wearied in the palace, and stood at the fire, and was cold; he stood at the
fire, he was frozen with a chilling fear. Being questioned by the maid-servant, he denied
Christ once; being questioned a second time, he denied Him; being questioned a third time,
he denied Him.4042 God be thanked, that the questioning ceased; if the questioning had not
ceased, long would the denial have been repeated. So then after He rose again, then He
confirmed them, then did they become spiritual. Had they at that time then no sin? The
Apostles spiritual, wrote spiritual epistles, they sent them to the Churches; “they had no
sin.” This you say. I do not believe you, I ask themselves. Tell us, O holy Apostles, after the
Lord rose again, and confirmed you with the Holy Ghost sent from heaven; did ye cease to
have sin? Tell us, I pray you. Let us hear, that sinners may not despair, that they may not
leave off to pray to God, because they are not without sin. Tell us. One of them saith. And
who? He whom the Lord loved the most, and who lay on the Lord’s Breast,4043 and drank
4039 Arietes.
4040 Matt. vi. 9.
4041 Matt. vi. 12.
4042 Matt. xxvi. 69, etc.
4043 John xiii. 23.
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On the words of the Gospel, John ix. 4 and 31, ‘We must work the works of…