Richard Sibbes :: The First Sermon - Isaiah 25:6

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THE GLORIOUS FEAST OF THE GOSPEL
The Marriage Feast
Between
Christ and His Church

The First Sermon - Isaiah 25:6

In this mountain shall the LORD of Hosts make unto all people a Feast of fat things, a Feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined.

The connection of the text:

In the former chapter the holy prophet having spoken of the miseries, and desolation of the Church, in many heavy, sad, and doleful expressions, as the Vine languishes, the earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the Laws, changed the Ordinance and broken the everlasting Covenant. Therefore the earth shall be accursed and they that dwell therein shall not drink wine with a song. Here you see all sweetness and rejoicing of heart is departed from them; yet even in the midst of all these miseries, God (the God of comforts) makes sweet and gracious promises to his Church, to raise it out of its mournful estate and condition. And therefore the prophet in the former part of this chapter speaks of blessing God for the destruction of his enemies, and for his great love to his Church.

And when he had spoken of the ruin of the enemy, he presently breaks out with thanksgiving, breathing forth abundant praises to his God, as it is the custom of holy men (guided by the motion of the blessed Spirit of God, upon all occasions, but especially for benefits to his Church) to praise his Name, not out of ill affection at the destruction of the adversaries, but at the execution of Divine Justice for the fulfilling of the truth of his promise. As in the first verse of this chapter, O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name, for thou hast done wonderful things, thy counsels of old are faithfulness, and truth (Isaiah 25:1). When the things that were promised of old were brought to pass, the Church was ever ready to give God the glory of his Truth. Therefore rejoice not when thine enemies fall; but when the enemies of the Lord are brought to desolation, then we may, nay, we ought to sing Hallelujah to him that lives forever and ever.

I will now fall upon the very words of my text: In this Mountain shall the LORD of Hosts make unto all people a Feast of fat things, et cetera. These words they are prophetical and cannot have a perfect performance all at once; but they shall be performed gradually. The promise of a new heaven and a new earth shall be performed. The conversion of the Jews, and the bringing in of the fullness of the Gentiles shall gradually be brought to pass. All the promises that ever God hath made, before the second coming of Christ to Judgment, shall be accomplished. God hath made his peace with us in the Gospel of peace, and when all these promises shall be fulfilled, then all imperfection shall be done away, and we shall never be removed from our Rock, but our joy shall then be full. Nay even in this life we have some degrees of perfection, we have grace and the means of grace, the Ordinances of Christ, and a testimony of everlasting glory.

In this Mountain will the LORD of Hosts make a Feast.

In these words ye have let down a glorious and royal Feast and the place where this Feast is to be kept is Mount Zion. The Feast-maker is the LORD of Hosts. The parties invited are all people. The issues of and the provision for the Feast are fat things, and wine of the best, a Feast of the best of the best, a Feast of the fat, and of the marrow, a Feast of wine on the lees well refined.

Here you may see that God doth veil heavenly things under earthly things, and condescends so low as to enter into the inward man by the outward man. For our apprehensions are so weak and narrow that we cannot be acquainted with spiritual things, but by the inward working of the Spirit of the Almighty.

The Church the most excellent of all societies

This Mountain is the place where this Feast is made, even Mount Zion, which is a type and figure of the Church, called in Scripture, the holy Mountain. For as mountains are raised high above the earth, so the Church of God is raised in excellency and dignity above all the sorts of mankind. As much as men above beasts, so much is the Church raised above all men. This Mountain is above all mountains, the Mountain of the Lord is above all other mountains whatsoever; Thou O Mountain shalt stand immoveable, when all other mountains shall smoke, if they are but touched (Psalm 144:5).

The Church is a Mountain

This is the Mountain of mountains. The Church of God is most excellent in glory and dignity, as ye may see in the latter end of the former chapter, how the glory of the Church puts down all other glories whatsoever. The Moon, saith the Prophet, shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed when the LORD of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his Ancients gloriously (Isaiah 24:23). So that the brightness of the Church shall put down the glory of the sun and of the moon, thus you see the Church of God is a Mountain.

The Church built upon the strongest foundation

First Reason: Because God hath established it upon a stronger Foundation than all the world besides. It is founded upon the goodness, and power, and truth of God, mountains of brass and iron are not so firm as this Mountain. For what sustains the Church but the Word of God? And being built upon his Word and Truth, it may very well be called a Mountain, for it shall be as Mount Zion, which shall never be removed. It may be moved but never removed; thus in regard of the firmness, and stability thereof, it may rightly be termed a Mountain.

Of the visibility of the Church

Again, we may here speak in some sort of the visibility of the Church; but here will arise a quarrel for the Papists, who when they hear of this Mount, they presently allude it to their Church. “Their Church,” say they, “is a Mount, so saith the Scripture.” I answer: We confess in some sort their Church to be a Mount (though not this Mount) for Babylon is built on seven hills, but if this prove her a Church, it is the Antichristian Church. Secondly, that the Catholic Protestantial Church had always a being, though sometimes invisible. The Apostle writing to the Romans, exhorts them, not to be high-minded, but fear, for saith he, if God hath broken off the natural branches, perhaps he will break you also (Romans 11:18-21). And indeed for their pride and haughtiness of mind they are at this day broken off. Christ that walks between the seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:13), did never say that the Church of Smyrna or Ephesus should always remain a visible Church to the eyes of the world, neither were they. For to this very day, they lie under bondage and slavery to the Turks.

The Mount hath been always visible, though not always alike gloriously visible; for there will be a time when the Church shall fly into the wilderness, where then shall be the glorious visibility of the Church? There is a time when all shall follow the beast; the Papists themselves confess that in Antichrist’s time the Church shall scarce be visible. The essence of a thing and the quality of a thing may differ. The Church is a church, and visible but not always equally and alike gloriously visible. Yet those that had spiritual eyes, and did look upon things with the spectacles of the Scripture, they could always declare the Church was visible. For from the beginning of the world the Church had always lustre enough sufficient to delight and draw the elect, and so shall have to the end of the world. Though sometimes the Church may have a mist before it, as Augustine speaks, “It is no wonder that thou canst not see a mountain, for thou hast no eyes.” But the Papists have seen this mountain, as they have always been bloody persecutors of the Church, they have seen enough to confound them. For we have nothing in our Church, but they have the fame; only ours is refined and freed from idolatry. We have two Sacraments, they have seven. We have Scripture, they have traditions which they equal with it. We have Scriptures pure, they corrupt; so that our Church was in the midst of theirs, as a sound and more uncorrupt part in a corrupt body.

The Mountain is the Church

This Mountain is the Church (Revelation 14:1). The Lamb stands upon Mount Zion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads Church. Christ stands in the Church, and standing in Mount Zion, he is accompanied with those that his Father hath given to him, before the world was; therefore those that belong to this holy Mountain, they are Christ’s.

God makes a Feast for his people

And in this Mountain shall the LORD of Hosts make a Feast for all people. And this Feast is a royal Feast, a marriage Feast, wherein the joy and comfort of God’s people are let down by that which is most comfortable among men.

The Lord of Hosts the founder of the Feast

The founder of the Feast is the LORD of Hosts. It is only he that is able to prepare a table in the wilderness, that is mighty and of ability to Feast his Church with a spiritual and holy banquet. We all live at his table for the feeding of our bodies, but much more in regard of our souls. He can make a Feast for the whole man, for he is Lord of the conscience and he is to spread a table for the whole world. Nay more (if there were so many) he can furnish a table for ten thousand worlds. He is the God of all spiritual comforts and the God of all consolation. He is infinite and can never be drawn dry, for he is the fountain eternal life. All graces and comforts in the Scripture are called the comforts and graces of the Holy Spirit because God is the giver of them by his Spirit. Who can take away the wound of a guilty conscience, but he that hath set the conscience in the hearts of men? He (if he pleases) can take away the burden of a grieved conscience and supply it, instead thereof, with new and solid comforts. He knows all the windings and turnings of the soul, where all the pain and grief lies, and he cannot but know it because he only is above the soul. He is therefore the fittest to make the soul a Feast, he only can do it, and he will do it.

In this Mountain shall the LORD of Hosts make a Feast.

Why is he called the LORD of Hosts?

It is an usual term to set forth the glory of God, to make his power and the greatness of his Majesty known amongst the children of men (Psalm 145:10).

He shall make a Feast for all people.

This Feast is for all people

Those that are invited to this glorious Feast are all people, none excepted, none excluded that will come in to Christ, some of all sorts, of all nations, of all languages; this hath relation to the time of the Gospel. The Church at first had its being in particular families, but afterwards more enlarged. The Church at the first was of the daughters of men, and the sons of God. The children of the Church mingled with a generation of corrupt persons that would keep in no bounds, but after Abraham’s time there was another generation of the Church that so it was a little more enlarged. Then there was a third generation, a divided generation, consisting of Jews, and Gentiles.

So that when Christ came into the world, the bounds of the Church began to enlarge themselves more and more, so that now it is in this happy condition: Come ye all unto me, all that are heavy laden (Mathew 11:28). Both Jews and Gentiles, all are invited whosoever they are nothing is now unclean (Acts 10:15). Christ is come and hath made to all people a Feast of fat things. It must be a Feast and of fat things, for all the world shall be the better for it. The Jews shall be converted and the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in. And yet it is no prejudice to any particular man because the things ye are to taste of are spiritual. Go to all the good things in the world. The more one hath of them, the less another must have because they are earthly and so are finite. But in spiritual things, all may have the whole and every man in particular.

Every man enjoys the light of the sun in particular and all enjoy it too. So the whole Church and only the Church enjoys the benefit and comfort of this Feast. But under the name of this Church come all the elect, both Jews and Gentiles; and therefore it must be the LORD of Hosts that can make such a Feast as this is, a Feast for all people. No other is able to do it.

Christ the chief dish in the Feast

This Feast is a Feast of fat things full of marrow and of wine on the lees well refined, the best that can be imagined, the best of the best. A Feast is promised, a spiritual Feast. The special graces and favours of God are compared to a Feast made up of the best things, full of all varieties and excellencies. And the chief dish (that is all in all) is Christ and all the gracious benefits we, by promise, can in any wise expect from him. All other favours and blessings whatsoever they are, are but Christ dished out (as I may so speak) in several offices and attributes. He is the original of comfort, the principle of grace and holiness; all is included in Christ. Ask of him and ye shall obtain, even the forgiveness of your sins, peace of conscience, and communion of Saints. Ask of Christ as of one invested with all privileges for the good of others, but yet this is by his death. He is the Feast itself, he is dished out into promises. Have you a promise of the pardon of sins, it is from Christ. Would you have peace of conscience, it is from Christ; justification and redemption, it is from Christ. The love of God is derived to us by Christ, yea, and all that we have that is good is but Christ parceled out.

Why Christ with his benefits is compared to a Feast; Because the favours we have by Christ are choice ones

Now I will show why Christ with his benefits, prerogatives, graces, and comforts, is compared to a Feast.

First, in regard of the choice of the things: In a Feast all things are of the best, so are the things we have in Christ. Whatsoever favours we have by Christ, they are choice ones, they are the best of everything; pardon for sin is a pardon of pardon; the title we have for heaven through him is a sure title; the joy we have by him is the joy of all joys; the liberty and freedom from sin, which he purchased for us by his death, is perfect freedom; the riches of grace we have by him are the only lasting and durable riches. Take anything that you can, if we have it by Christ it is of the best. All worldly excellencies and honours are but mere shadows to the high excellencies and honour we have in Christ. No joy, no comfort, no peace, no riches, no inheritance to be compared with the joy, peace, and inheritance which we have in Christ. Whatsoever we have by him we have it in a glorious manner. And therefore he is compared to fat, to fat things full of marrow; to wine, to wine on the lees that preserves the freshness of it; the best wine of all that is not changed from vessel to vessel, but keeps its strength. And indeed the strength and vigour of all flows from Jesus Christ in Covenant with us.

The love of Christ is the best love and he himself incomparably the best, and hath favours and blessings of the choicest.

There is variety of favours in Christ

Again, as in a Feast, besides choice, there is variety. So in Christ there is variety answerable to all our wants. Are we foolish, he is wisdom. Have we guilt in our consciences, he is righteousness and this righteousness is imputed unto us. Are we defiled, he is sanctification. Are we in misery, he is our redemption. If there be a thousand kinds of evils in us, there is a thousand ways to remedy them by Jesus Christ. Therefore the good things we have by Christ are compared to all the benefits we have in this world, in Christ is choice and variety. Are we weak, he is meat to feed us that we may be strong, he will refresh us, he is the best of meats, he is marrow; so are our spirits faint, he is wine. Thus we have in Christ to supply all our wants, he is variety.

Christ, like the Indian plant Coquus, good for all things

There is a plant among the Indians called by the name of Coquus. The fruit thereof serves for meat and drink, to comfort and refresh the body. It yields that whereof the people make apparel to cloth themselves withal, and also that which is physical, very good against the distempers of the body. And if God will infuse so much virtue into a poor plant, what virtue may we expect to be in Christ himself? He feeds our souls to all eternity, puts upon us the robes of righteousness, and heals the distempers of our souls. There is variety in him for all our wants whatsoever; he is food, physic, and apparel to clothe us. And when we are clothed with him, we may with boldness stand before the Majesty of God. He is all in all, He is variety and all. There is something in Christ answerable to all the necessities of God’s people and not only so, but to their full content in everything.

There is sufficiency and fullness in Christ

Again, as there is variety in a feast so there is sufficiency, full sufficiency. We beheld the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). And being full of grace, He is wise and able to furnish this heavenly banquet with enough of all sorts of provisions fit for the soul to feed upon. There’s abundance of grace and excellency and sufficiency in Christ and it must needs be because he is a Saviour of God’s own sending. Labour not therefore for the meat that perishes, but for the meat that the Son of God shall give you, for him hath God the Father sealed (John 6:27). That is, sent forth for this purpose to feed the Church of God. As there is an all-sufficiency in God, so in Christ, who by the sacrificing of himself was able to give satisfaction to divine justice. Therefore (saith he) My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed (John 6:55). That is, spiritually to the soul he is food indeed and can satisfy God’s justice. If we consider him as God alone, he is a consuming fire; or as man alone, he can do nothing. But considered as God-man, he is meat indeed and drink indeed. And now the soul is content with that, which Divine justice is contented with all; though our consciences be large, yet God is larger and above our consciences. Therefore as there is variety of excellency, so is there sufficiency and fullness in Christ; what he did, he did to the full. He is a Saviour and he fills up that name to the full. His pardon for sin is a full pardon. His merits for us are full merits. His satisfaction to divine justice, a full satisfaction. His redemption of our souls and bodies, a full redemption; thus all he did was full.

As a Feast for many, so Christ is a feast for the community of Saints

A Feast is for company, it is convivium; there is converse at it. So Cicero prefers the name of convivium among the Latins, before the Greek name symposion. And this Feast is not for one, we are all invited to it. The excellency of Christ’s Feast consists in the Communion of Saints; for whosoever takes part of it, their spirits must agree one with another. Love is the best and chiefest dish in this Feast; the more we partake of the sweetness of Christ, the more we love one another. Christ by his Spirit so works in the hearts of the children of men that bring a thousand together of a thousand several nations, and within a little while you shall have them all acquainted one with another. If they be good, there is agreement of the spirit and a sympathy between them; there is a kindred in Christ.

He is the true Isaac. The death of Christ and the blood of Christ is the ground of all union and joy and comfort whatsoever. The blood of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience, will procure that peace of conscience that shall be a continual Feast unto the soul. This Feast must needs be wonderfully comfortable, for we do not Feast with those that are like ourselves, but we Feast with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, procured by the death of Christ. The angels at this Feast attend us, therefore it must needs be joyful, no joy comparable to the joy of a Feast. This is not every Feast, this is a marriage Feast, at which we are contracted to Christ. Now of all Feasts, marriage Feasts are most sumptuous. This is a marriage Feast for the King’s Son, for Christ himself, and therefore of necessity it must be full of all choice varieties, and of the sweetest of things, of the most excellent of things, and of the quintessence of things. Here is all joy that belongs to a Feast. Here it is to be had with Christ. What acquaintance can be more glorious than that which is to be had between Jesus Christ and a Christian soul? When we have hope of better things to come, then we find the sweetness of this communion. No harmony in the world can be so sweet as the harmony maintained between Christ and the soul. When we have this and are made one with God in Christ, our joy must needs then be unspeakable. When the contract is once made between the soul and Christ, there cannot but be abundant joy. When the soul is joined with Christ by faith, it cannot but solace itself in a perpetual jubilee, and a perpetual Feast in some degrees.

Because we have the glorious attire of Christ, as men put on choice garments at feasts

Again, for a Feast ye have the choicest garments, as at the marriage of the Lamb, white and fine linen (Revelation 19:8), which is the righteousness of the Saints. When God sees these robes upon us, and the Spirit of Christ in us, then there is a robe of righteousness imputed, and a garment of sanctity whereby our souls are clothed. So this is a Feast that must have wonderful, glorious attire. And when this marriage shall be consummated, we are sure to have a garment of glory put upon us.

Because he was resembled by the Paschal Lamb, which was chosen four days before out of the flock

This was signified in old time by the Jews in the Feast of the Passover, not to name all resemblances, but only one or two. The Lamb for the Passover (you know) was chosen out of the flock from amongst the rest, four days before the time appointed for that Feast. So Christ is the true Paschal Lamb, chosen of God, before the foundation of the world was laid, to be slain for us.

By Manna, to which Christ answers in many particulars

Again, Manna was a type of Christ, it came from Heaven to feed the hungry bodies of the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:35). Even so came Christ, sent from God the Father to be the eternal food and upholder of the souls and bodies of every one of us. Manna was white and sweet; so is Christ, white in righteousness and holiness and also sweet to delight the soul. Manna fell upon the tents in the night and Christ came when darkness was spread over all the world. God gave Manna freely from Heaven; so Christ was a free gift, and he freely gave himself to death, even to the cursed death of the cross for us. All, both poor and rich, they gathered Manna. Christ is a common food for King and subject; all take part of Christ. Neither Jew nor Gentile are exempt, but all may come, and buy freely without money (Isaiah 55:1). Of this Manna, he that had least had enough. So here, he that hath least of Christ, though he take him with a trembling hand, yet he shall have enough, for Christ is his. Whosoever hath the least grace, if it be true and sound, hath grace enough to bring him to eternal life. The Jews wondered at the Manna, saying “what thing is this”? So it is one of Christ’s names to be called wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). Grace and favour from Christ is true spiritual Manna to the soul. Manna fell in the wilderness, even so must we remain in the wilderness of this wretched world until we come to Heaven. Christ is Manna to us, and very sweet in the conveyance of his Word and Sacraments. When the Israelites came into the Land of Canaan, the Manna ceased, not before. So when we come to Heaven (the Elect’s purchased possession) we shall have another kind of Manna for our souls; we shall not there feed on Christ, as in the Sacrament. No, but we shall see him face to face, and know as we are known (1 Corinthians 13:12). In the wilderness of this world it is fit God should convey this Heavenly Manna to the soul whatsoever way he pleases. Manna could not fall until the Israelites had spent all the provision they brought with them out of Egypt. And we cannot taste of that heavenly Manna of our Father until our souls are drawn away from all worldly dependencies and carnal delights, then indeed Manna will be sweet and precious.

Surely those that are spiritual taste Christ

What is this heavenly Manna, what is Christ and his Father, what is the Word and Sacraments, to a depraved vicious heart stuffed full with earthly vanities? Alas, it loathes all these. As none tasted of Manna, but those that came out of Egypt; so none shall taste of Christ but those that are not of the world, that are come out of Egypt, out of sin and darkness. Manna fell only about the tents of Israel and in no other part of the world but only there, that none might have the privilege to eat of it but God’s peculiar chosen ones. Christ falls upon the tents of the righteous and none shall taste of this blessed spiritual food but such as are the Israel of God, such as are of the Church, such as feel the burden of sin and groan under it. O the very taste of this heavenly Manna is sweet to their souls and to none but them. Thus ye see the Feast that Christ makes for us in Mount Zion, and that this Manna doth typify Christ with all his benefits.

By the rock in the wilderness

Again the hard rock in the wilderness, when it was strucken with the rod of Moses, presently water gushed out in abundance (Numbers 20:11), which preserved life to the Israelites. So Christ the Rock of our Salvation, the strength of his Church, the rock and fortress of all his Saints, when his precious side was gored with the bloody lance upon the cross, that the blood gushed out (John 19:34) and in such a manner and such abundance, that by the shedding thereof our souls are preserved alive. He is both Manna and the Rock of water. Manna had all in it, so had the rock and all necessities are plentifully supplied by Christ. The Church of God hath always had bread to satisfy spiritual hunger, it never wanted necessary comforts. It is said, When the Church fled into the wilderness, God fed her there (Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14); alluding to the children of Israel fed by Manna. The Jews did not want in the wilderness, nor the Church of God never wanted comfort, though in the midst of the persecution and oppression of all her enemies. When Elias was in the wilderness he was fed. The Church of God shall not only be fed in her body but in her soul, for Christ hath hidden Manna for his Elect. This doth typify the exceeding joy of the Church, the hidden Manna that, neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard of, neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive of those joys that the Church of God shall have when the marriage shall be consummated (Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9). Joy in the Holy Ghost and peace of conscience, they are hid from the world and sometimes from God’s people themselves, though they shall enjoy them hereafter.

By all the Jewish festivals

All the former Feasts in times past were but types of this. The Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of the Passover, the spiritual Manna, and all other holy Feasts, were but to signify and to show forth this Feast by Christ. But there is this difference between the type and the thing signified. By the type, the Passover Lamb was quite eaten up, but this Passover Christ, that was slain for sin can never be eaten up. We feed upon him with our souls, he cannot be consumed as the Passover Lamb, nor as Manna which was gone when the sun arose. Yea that Manna that was laid up for a remembrance before the ark (Hebrews 9:4), became nothing, but Christ is in heaven for evermore for the soul to feed upon. Though these were resemblances, yet these failed as it is fit resemblances should fail; that is, come short of the body of the thing itself. Thus you see the spiritual comforts of a Christian may well and fitly be compared to a Feast.

By the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Thus you see God provides a Feast and invites all. In the Sacrament you have a Feast, a Feast of varieties not only bread, but wine to show the variety and fullness of comfort in Christ. He intends full comfort. As for our Adversaries the Papists, they have dry Feasts, they give the people the bread, but the wine they keep for themselves. But God in Christ intends us full comfort; whatsoever Christ did, it was full, his merits are complete and his joy was full. He is fullness itself and therefore whatsoever comes from him, must needs be as he himself is, both full and sweet. He intends us full consolation.

Be prepared for this Feast

Therefore we ought to be prepared to partake of this Feast in such a manner as that we may have full joy and full comfort. For there is in Christ enough to satisfy all the hungry souls in the world, he himself being present at this heavenly banquet. All fullness dwells in him, from which we have all received, and grace for grace (John 1:16).

Labour for large hearts to receive much

Therefore let us labour to have large hearts, for as our faith grows more and more, so we shall carry more comfort, and more strength from this holy Feast. As the poor widow if her vessels had not failed, the oil had not ceased; if there had been more vessels, there had been more oil. Our souls are as these vessels (1 Kings 17:14-16); let us therefore labour and make it our great business to have large souls, souls capable to drink in this spiritual oil of gladness. For as much faith as we bring to Christ, so much comfort we shall carry from him. The favours of God in Christ being infinite, the more we fetch from him, the more glory we give unto him. But if they were finite, we should offend his bounty, he might soon be drawn dry, and so send us away with an uncomfortable answer that he was not able to relieve us. But Christ is infinite and the more we have from him, the more we may have; to him that hath shall be given (Matthew 13:12). The oftener we go to Christ, the more honour and glory we bring unto him; this is a banquet to the full.

We are now come to the banquet and Christ is the founder of it; nay, he is the Feast itself. He is the Author of it, and he it is that we feed upon.

Labour for spiritual appetite

Let us labour not to be straight receivers of the Sacrament, but suck in abundance from Christ with a great deal of delight; that we may come together not for the worse but the better, considering what a great deal of strength and grace is required as very necessary for the maintaining of spiritual life.