Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

^6. With good reason then to This Shepherd of shepherds, does His Beloved, His Spouse, His Fair One, but by Him made fair, before by sin deformed, beautiful afterward through pardon and grace, speak in her love and ardour after Him, and say to Him, “Where feedest Thou?” And observe how, by what transport this spiritual love is here animated. And far better are they by this transport delighted, who have tasted ought of the sweetness of this love. They hear this properly, who love Christ. For in them, and of them, does the Church sing this in the Song of Songs; who love Christ, as it seemed without beauty, yet the Only Beautiful One. “For we saw Him,” it is said, “and He had neither beauty nor comeliness.” Such He appeared on the Cross, such when crowned with thorns did He exhibit Himself, disfigured, and without comeliness, as if He had lost His power, as if not the Son of God. Such seemed He to the blind. For it is in the person of the Jews that Isaiah said this, “We saw Him, and He had no beauty nor comeliness.” When it was said, “If He be the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross. He saved others, Himself He cannot save.” And smiting Him on the head with a reed, they said, “Prophesy unto us, you Christ, who smote You?” Because “He had neither beauty nor comeliness.” As such did you Jews see Him. For “blindness has happened in part to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles enter in,” until the other sheep come. Because then blindness has happened, therefore did you see the Comely One without comeliness. “For had you known Him, you would never have crucified the Lord of Glory.” But you did it, because you knew Him not. And yet He who as though without beauty bare with you, all Beauteous as He was, prayed for you; “Father,” says He, “forgive them, for they know not what they do.” For if He were without comeliness, how is it that she loves Him, who says, “Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loves”? How is it that she loves Him? How is it that she burns for Him? How is it that she fears so much to stray from Him? How is it that she has so great delight in Him, that her only punishment is to be without Him? What would there be for which He should be loved, if He were not beautiful? But how could she love Him so, if He appeared to her as He did to those blind men persecuting Him, and knowing not what they do? As what then did she love Him? As “comely in form above the sons of men. Comely in form above the sons of men, grace is poured abroad in Your Lips.” So then from these Your Lips, “Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loves. Tell me,” says she, “O Thou whom,” not my flesh, but, “my soul loves. Tell me where You feed, where Thou liest down in the midday; lest haply I light, as one veiled, upon the flocks of Your companions.”