Sermons on the Song of Songs

a sinner, does not show anger towards one who offends, but, on the contrary, manifests compassion for him, and, as it were, pours over him the dew of a sweet and healing balsam, we know whence that proceeds; and you have already heard, though perhaps without taking notice, the source of it. For it has been said that everyone, from consideration of himself, should be gentle to all others; and following the wise counsel of St. Paul, should know how to make kindly allowance for such as have been overtaken in a fault, considering himself lest he also be tempted (Gal. vi. t). Is it not, in fact, from thence that the love of our neighbour, of which it is said in the Law as a commandment: Thou shall love Ihy neighbour as Ihyself (Luke x. 27) derives its origin? Brotherly affection has without doubt its first beginnings in the deepest feelings of human nature; and from the deeply-seated principle of love to oneself, as from a terrestrial humour, the love of our neighbour draws without doubt a degree of life and increase by which, if grace from on high be breathed upon it, the fruit of charity is brought forth; so that what the soul naturally desires for itself, it considers is not to be denied to another, who seems to have a right to share in it, as being a participant in the same nature, and by the mere right of humanity, but is, on the contrary, to be willingly and gladly shared, as far as it is possible, or there is need of it. Thus, that anointing of sweetness and kindness of disposition which is natural to man, if it be not decayed and ruined by sin, disposes him more to compassionate the faults and offences of sinners than to treat them with indignation and severity.

5. But since according to the word of the Wise man, Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment (Eccles. x. 1, Vulg.), and when that is once lost, nature has no means in itself of repairing the loss; a man feels that a sad change has passed over him, and that he has fallen into that state, of which the Scripture says truly: The imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth (Gen. viii. 21). That youth was not well spent or good, of which we read in the Scripture that the younger son made demand that his portion of his father's substance should be given over to him, and began to wish to have in his separate possession that which he had enjoyed so happily in common with others, so as to possess alone that, which though it loses nothing by participation, is lost altogether by partition. For he spent all his substance, says the Scripture, in living riotously with harlots (Luke xv. 13, 14). Who are these harlots? Are they not those carnal concupiscences which banish and destroy the sweetness of this anointing, and of which the Scripture gives us the salutary warning: Go not after thy lusts (Ecclus. xviii. 30). Truly does the Wise Man describe them as * about to die for the world passeth away, and the lust thereof (1 John ii. 17). When, therefore, we desire to indulge these, we deprive ourselves of the sweetness of good which is common and social for the sake of that which is individual and selfish. These are undoubtedly those foul and acrid flies which defile in us the beauty of nature, distract our mind with cares and anxieties, and destroy the pleasure and charm of the common life. It is for this reason that such a man is figured [in the parable] as the younger son, because his nature is corrupted by the unregulated passions of youth, and is without the ripeness and the gathered wisdom which belong to manhood, so that when he has fallen into distress his mind becomes hardened and loveless, and he has no regard for any but himself.

6. It is, then, from the commencement of such a most wicked and unhappy youth as this that the thoughts and inclinations of man turn easily to evil, and that he is by nature more prompt to anger with his neighbour than to compassion for his faults. Thus it is that a man is divested of almost every sentiment of humanity; and while he still needs and expects the help of others, he is disinclined to render help to others in return. [Such] a man, though himself a sinner, judges others severely who are sinners as himself, and even ridicules and scorns them, not considering himself, lest he also should be tempted. From this evil, nature cannot, as I have said, recover by its own strength, nor regain the oil of that original sweetness and kindness which has once been destroyed in it. But yet, what nature is unable to do is in the power of Divine grace. And he upon whom the Holy Spirit shall in His pity deign to pour the salutary unction of His goodness will at once regain his former feelings of goodness and sympathy, and shall obtain from grace even more than he had at first by the gift of nature. It will render him holy in faith and in goodness, and will bestow upon him, not merely oil, but the balsam gathered in the vineyards of Engedi.

7. For there is no doubt that from the 4 Fountain of the kid1 flow forth gifts more precious still, the anointing of which transforms kids into sheep, which enables sinners to pass from the left hand to the right, after they have been abundantly steeped in the oil of mercy; and thus, where sins abounded, grace much more abounds (Rom. v. 20). Does it not appear to you that such a man is restored in a sense to his humanity, who, putting off the hardness of the spirit of the world, and recovering, by the help of grace, the abundance of human loving-kindness, which carnal lusts, as it were foul and acrid flies, had well-nigh destroyed in him; so that he derives from the humanity which he bears, or, rather, which is himself, the means and the manner of compassionating other men; and regards as something inhuman1 and brutal, not merely for a man to do to another that which he would not wish to have done to himself, but also the not doing to others whatsoever he wishes they should do to him?

8. This, then, is the source of the oil. But whence is the wine? Evidently from the cluster of the Cyprus grape. For if you love the Lord Jesus with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, could you possibly see and endure without emotion the injuries inflicted upon Him, and the contempt of which He is the object? Assuredly not; you would be at once actuated by a spirit of judgment and of zeal, and would be as a strong man to whom wine has given new powers, and being filled with zeal like Phinehas, would say, in the words of David: My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten Thy words (Ps. cxix. 139); and with the Lord: The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (Ps. lxix. 9; John ii. 17). That most fervent zeal, then, is wine expressed from the cluster of Cyprus, and the love of Christ is as a cup which inebriates. For our God is a consuming fire (Deut. iv. 24), and a prophet once declared that a fire from above was sent into his bones (Lam. i. 13), insomuch that he burned with the love of God. When, therefore, the love of your neighbour has given you the oil of kindness, and the love of God has procured you the wine of zeal and emulation, you may safely draw near to heal the wounds of him who has fallen among thieves, and be a perfect imitator of that most charitable Samaritan. Safely also may you too say with the Bride: My Beloved is to me as a cluster of Cyprus grapes in the vineyards of Engedi: that is to say, the love of Him who is dear to me imparts unto me a zeal for righteousness in feelings of brotherly kindness. But now enough of this; for my weakness warns me, as it does often, to come to a close, and thus obliges me, as you know is frequently the case, to leave my discourses uncompleted, and to reserve for another day the remainder of the verses. But of what account is that? For I am ready for scourges (Ps. xxxvii. 18, Douay), and know that what I have hitherto received of chastisement has been less than I deserved. Strike me, O my God; strike me as a servant who labours ill, and perhaps the stripes may be reckoned to me as merits; perhaps Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Spouse of the Church, who found not in me any good to reward, may yet find in my stripes and my sorrows a reason for exercising His mercy, and have pity upon me. He is above all, God blessed

OF THE TWOFOLD BEAUTY OF THE SOUL: HOW THE SOUL SPEAKS TO GOD THE WORD, AND THE WORD TO THE SOUL, AND WHAT LANGUAGE THEY EMPLOY.

HOW beautifully, how exquisitely is all this spoken! From the love of the Bride comes her presumption, from that of the Bridegroom His anger. This is shown by the issue of the matter; for reproof has followed presumption, amendment reproof, and recompense amendment. The Beloved One only is present, the master is withdrawn, the king disappears, dignity is put off, reverence laid aside; for where affection is perfect and strong, ther£ pride gives way. And ai Moses once spake unto the Lord, as a friend to his friend (Exod. xxxiii. n), and the Lord replied to him, so there is now established between the Word of God and the devout soul a relation and communications as close and familiar as that between two neighbours. Nor is that strange; for their love having but one source, it is reciprocal, and their affection mutually manifested. Therefore, words sweeter than honey are exchanged between them, and they exchange looks full of all sweetness, in token of the sacred love which unites them. Then He calls her His beloved one, pronounces repeatedly that she is fair, and receives from her in return similar tokens of affection. Nor is that a superfluous repetition, which is the confirmation of His love, and which perhaps also has some mystery indicated by it

2. Let us inquire, then, what is the twofold beauty of the soul; for it is that which seems to me to be referred to here. Now, the beauty of the soul is humility. I do not say this of myself, a prophet has said it before me: Thou shalt wash me with hyssop, and I shall be clean (Ps. li. 7); signifying the humility of the heart by that herb, which is lowly and of a purifying nature. The writer, who was both king and prophet, having fallen into a grave offence, expresses in these words his good hope that he shall be cleansed, and thus recover his former whiteness of innocence. But the humility of one who has deeply offended, though it may be loved, yet it cannot be admired. But if one who has preserved innocence joins with it humility, does he not seem to you to possess a twofold beauty of the soul? St. Mary lost not holiness, and yet was not wanting in humility. Therefore it was that * the King desired her beauty* because she joined humility to innocence; for, as she herself says: He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid (Luke i. 48, Douay). Blessed are they who have kept undefiled their vestments (Rev. iii. 4) — that is to say, their simplicity and their innocence, if they are careful also to be clad in the beauty of humility. Assuredly the soul that is found to be such shall hear the words addressed to her: Behold, thou art fair, My love; behold, thou art fair. May I, O Lord Jesus, hear Thee say but once to my soul: Behold, thou art fair. Do Thou

[reserve for me, at least, my humility, for I have ill-kept my first robe of innocence]. I am Thy servant. I do not dare to profess myself Thy friend, for I do not hear Thy repeated testimony to my spiritual fairness. Even to hear it once is sufficient for me. But what shall I do if even that be in question? I know what I will do: I, being a servant, will venerate Thy friend (amicam); being but a man deformed and dwarfish, I will dwell in admiration on her perfect beauty; I will rejoice at the voice of the Bridegroom, who Himself admires a fairness so great. Who knows whether I may not at least find grace in the eyes of that friend, that by her favour even I may be found among the number of His friends? For the friend of the Bridegroom remains in silence, yet rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice. This is His Voice in the ear of the Beloved; let us hear it