Sermon #28, 2nd Sunday in Lent, from Middle English Sermons, ed. W.O.Ross. EETS o.s. 209. Oxford, 1960. Trans. FG)

"Miserere mei, Fili David." (Matthew 15:22)

A glorious miracle the gospel of this day tells us, which is this. Our Lord came upon a time into the country of these two cities, Tyre and Sidon. And there came out a woman who was nourished in Canaan, and she followed him with a great cry, and said the words that I said at the beginning, "Have mercy on me, Son of David, for my daughter is greatly vexed by a fiend." Jesus answered no word, but his disciples said to him, "Leave her, Lord, because of her cry." And he answered them and said, "I am only sent for the sheep of Israel that have gone astray." But this woman came and worshipped Christ, and besought help of him. Then he said to her, "It is not good to take bread from the children and cast it to hounds." And she said, "Yes, Lord, for the whelps eat of the crumbs that fall from the lord's table, while they sit at the feast." And Jesus answered and said, "Woman, thy belief is great. As thou will, so be it." And her daughter at that same time was made whole. Great is this miracle.

This woman betokens holy church, that bids and prays for all those that the fiend deceives. The daughter betokens man's soul, in which he dwells through sin and reigns in those who are damnable. And as the woman prayed for her daughter, that the Lord should deliver her from the fiend, right so prays holy church day and night that God deliver each sinful man and woman from the power of the fiend, that dwells in them through sin, for that is great sorrow to holy church. . .For as often as God inspires a sinful man's heart to do good and to repent for his sin and to come to amendment through shrift of mouth, so often he casts the fiend out of man.

Understand that this woman was likened to a hound, and she granted it with a good will and besought help of him, and therefore her prayer was fulfilled. See how soon he shall have forgiveness who meekly shrives himself and acknowledges his trespass.

Jesus said unto the woman, "Ah, woman, great is your faith. As you will, so be it." Be it that we may well know that he who shrives himself who has no hope of forgiveness, it avails him not. To illustrate which I find a tale according thereto.

There was a knight that because of his wit and his cunning was chosen to be of the council of the king of the land. This knight thus chosen reigned in great falseness: he was a great swearer, and maintained false quarrels, and untrue justice, and false judgments, and disinherited many true heirs. He took no heed of God or holy church or man, but only that he might please the king. Yet he displeased him because of his wicked conversation and rule, so that the king reproved him and counseled him to leave his falsehood and to shrive himself and to amend him, so that death did not suddenly take him. And he said so he would, when he saw his time.

Soon after, he fell sick and lay long sorrowing in his bed. The king came to him and visited him often, and bade him shrive himself of his sickness and repent. And he said that he would do so when he was whole, and betake himself then to God, and said that he would never be such a coward to amend himself in his sickness for dread of death.

And the king came another time unto him and again counseled him as he did before. And he answered and said that it was too late for him to amend himself. "For right now," quoth he, "at the time of midday there came to me fair young men, that were passing fair and bright. And when I saw them, it seemed to me that I was all whole. And they lay before me a fair book to read, but it was wondrously little; and there I found all the good deeds that I ever did, and thoughts, but certainly they were very few and little. Then anon suddenly there came to me two persons black and horrible to see, and I was greatly afraid to see them, and on every side I turned to try to hide from them; but wherever I turned, evermore they were before me and in my sight. And when I saw no alternative I lay still. And they sat themselves a-down and brought forth a great book that was very black and horrible, and there, whether I would or not, there I read all my evil deeds and all my ill thoughts; the least evil thought that ever I thought was not forgotten. And there came another and said, 'Why do you sit here? You know well that he is ours.' And they said 'Yea.' 'Then take him with you,' quoth he, 'unto the pain of hell without end.' Then these two foul fiends took two knives of iron, all burning, and the one smote me on the head and the other on the feet, and these evils have now come into my body. And when they come together, then I know well that I shall die and go to hell. Wherefore then shall I repent, who shall so soon die? For if I should live ever so long, I might never amend myself. My sins are so great and so foul that I shall never have forgiveness from them."

Then the king went away, and the knight went to the devil as he said.

Look now to this man. Because of his wanhope he might not cry to God for mercy. Certainly, if he had repented and if he had had a steadfast hope and belief in God, as this woman had that prayed for her daughter, he should not have failed of mercy, for all that he lay at the point of death. And therefore he showed him his good deeds written, although they were few, in order that he should not have doubted of the mercy of God. For Christ says himself that whatever time a sinful man repents, all his sin shall be forgiven him. Therefore let us take example from this man in order to deliver ourselves out of the fiend's power. For he that repents while he is in good health may never fail of the mercy of Christ.

And therefore let us cry with this woman, of whom the gospel speaks, having in us steadfast belief in God; and let us say the words that she said, "Have mercy on me, Son of David." But God, who delivered this woman's daughter from the fiend that tormented her through the prayer and the belief that the woman had in him, give us grace so to believe and so to repent and shrive ourselves, that we may thereby come into the bliss that ever shall last.