The Sermons of Johannes Tauler · 115 of 124

Second Sermon for the Feast of All Saints

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. — Matt. vf 8.

Dear children, be assured of this: all who would be well pleasing to God, must be free from every spot and blemish, or God will not accept them, rather does He leave them to their devious wanderings. A man should aspire not only to be quit of his sins, but to lead a life of detachment from creatures, and this with the purpose of giving Himself wholly to God’s service. This cleanness of heart is indispensable if one would hearken to God’s loving inspirations in his soul. Now, if this be needful for the present life, so is it for a high place of glory in the next life.

To have us clean of heart in this sense is the end God has in view in giving us His graces. The first effect of these is to set one to examining his conscience diligently, and then to the banishing from his life every sinful thing by means of earnest mortification of the outer senses and the inner weaknesses. And what is meant by a good conscience? It is a very peaceful spirit, making little of self, humbly devoted to God’s will, eager for His honor. It causes one to stand indifferent as to all giving and getting, quite without choice, except that the soul craves to enjoy that beatific state in which God’s will shall be done in it without resistance.

Insight

What is a good conscience? A very peaceful spirit, making little of self, humbly devoted to God's will, eager for His honor. It causes one to stand indifferent as to all giving and getting, quite without choice. Tauler offers a working definition that cuts past the surface meaning. Conscience in his sense isn't the inner voice that scolds you about specific acts. It's a stable quality of the whole inner field — a peaceful spirit, free of self-reference, that no longer cares much whether things go one way or another. The Stoics arrived at the same destination from another angle and called it apatheia. The reality both traditions are after is something like a soul whose inner weather has finally settled.Tauler ch115 ¶2 — conscience as steady inner climate; Marcus Aurelius, Meditations IX.31 on the well-ordered mind.

But ere the soul arrives at this state of freedom and of peaceful detachment, it must be heavily oppressed with sorrow, and hence God scourges it with inward pain. First comes a burning knowledge of the malice of its mortal sins. It bewails them with deep sincerity and great pain, and hates and avoids all wickedness with steadfast courage, including all dangerous occasions of sin. During all this the soul eagerly yearns to be clean of heart, and never again wilfully to transof John Tauler, the IUuminated Doctor gress God’s law. After that the soul begins to practice works of penance, setting itself relentlessly to mortify sensuality in every way, refraining itself even from lawful pleasures, as in eating and drinking, visiting and conversing, rest and work. All this it does to advance in perfection, following the gospel counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. In due time a great change is seen. Whereas once the soul found its joy in self indulgence, the very thought of such things now causes it pain. Thus it is that the heart is made clean of the least stains of venial sin, while formerly it thought it sufficient to guard against gross mortal sins.

And now the spirit would conquer the body, and the lower nature resents that, for it means a heavy bodily discipline and the retrenchment of its accustomed pleasures. The brutish nature of a man repines at this, and may not easily and patiently yield to reason’s sway: the perverted lower spirit revolts. Naturally one does not brook restraint in his indulgence of the life of the senses. He craves to idly gossip and chatter with his friends and hates holy silence; he would have liberty to complain; he must have leave to boast. Whatsoever he does not like, he resents accepting. If he has aversion for anyone he insults him; the instant he is pained he flies into a passion; he follows his prejudices blindly; what is sweet to him is good, what is bitter is bad; if he praises anyone, all must echo him; and if he condemns anyone, none dare praise him.

Now against all this one strives manfully, if he would become clean of heart. First he studies it all over very carefully, playing well the part of self-observation. He would know above all else what sort of a man he is, and what power he has over his natural forces. But the cleansing of his heart he finds to be a heavy task. Oppression of spirit he will not endure, nor inward shame: he must force these upon himself violently. But one thing he has: much contrition and real humility before God; and even to his fellows he owns his miserable weakness. Yet, thus far he has hardly learned the real meaning of Christian mortification; and he may easily make a misstep, for in his nature’s depths his evil propensities still lie hidden. They drive him towards outward sins, which he can hardly keep away from. And now his greatest need is the practice of the outward virtues, following the pattern of our Lord Jesus Christ; and ever and everywhere to shun the dangerous occasions of sin.

Insight

The spirit would conquer the body, and the lower nature resents it. The brutish nature repines, may not easily yield to reason. One craves to gossip, hates holy silence, wants liberty to complain, must have leave to boast. Tauler's catalog is uncomfortable because anyone can recognize themselves in it. He's not asking you to despise these impulses; he's asking you to notice how reliably they show up the moment you try to live differently. The early monastic tradition called these patterns the logismoi — the eight thought-patterns Evagrius mapped that always rise against the seeker. You can't bypass them, and you don't have to defeat them. You only have to recognize them as the foreseeable weather of becoming serious.Tauler ch115 ¶5 — the resistance of the lower nature; Evagrius, Praktikos 6-14 on the eight logismoi.

After some progress has been made in this heavy fight against the

He begins more easily to accept pains and miseries and contradictions and disgrace, as being a fit offering to God in atonement for his wickedness. Love soon begins to take the ruling place, and with it comes the virtue of detachment from created things, together with firmer faith and more lively hope in Christ Jesus. He will now have nothing of his own, lest the sense of ownership should stain the purity of his motives in the least degree. Self hatred often quite posesses him, and by that humble condition of soul he is hindered from judging others. The instant he is conscious of temptation, he shuts and locks all his senses; he avoids every danger lest he should give the enemy the least advantage.

Soon he begins to cleave to God with all his heart, and would think of nothing else. Come what may against him, he is ready with holy patience, and waits meekly till God comes to his relief, for he will by no means loosen himself from the cross by seeking either mental or bodily solace. Along with this there comes to him much docility of spirit. He seeks and easily follows good counsel; and he obeys his superiors because he is submissive to God. He looks straight at the duty of the moment; is it to do some good work? He straightway does it. Is it to patiently resist temptation? He resolutely does so. And he thanks God for all that comes and goes. If he suffers want, he learns to utter no complaint except, perhaps, very humbly to God. He boasts of nothing, is self complacent over nothing — God and God alone is his joy, and that above all things To Him he offers thanks for sweet and bitter gifts with equal fervor. As to his imperfect brethren, he has no pride over them, but much kind heartednes for their weakness. He shuns outward silliness, and puts a rein on his tendency to excessive merriment.

He dreads a spirit of routine in performing spiritual exercises, and hates lukewarmness of spirit. Nor will he gluttonize in the sweetness of sensible devotion. With him, that alone is good which is close to God. Watch and ward is his motto in dealing with himself. It comes at last to this: he cannot help belittling himself in his own mind. If he advises against any defect, he leads the way in shunning imitation of Christ’s life and passion — This involves daily meditation on His ivords and deeds — The need of an interior spirit in this exercise — The second rule is rigid fidelity to the routine of a pious life — This must be based on principle — Peace and joy resulting therefrom.