Sermons on the Song of Songs

You, my brethren, require instruction different from that which would suit people living in the world, and if not in matter, in manner, at least. For a teacher who would follow the example of St. Paul, should give them “milk to drink, not meat.” But more solid food must be set before spiritual persons, as the same Apostle teaches us by his practice. “We speak,” he says, “not in the learned words of human wisdom, but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” Again, “We speak wisdom amongst the perfect”—such, my brethren, as I believe you to be, unless, indeed, it is to no purpose that you have been so long engaged in the study of spiritual things, in mortifying your senses, and in meditating day and night on the law of God. So now open your mouths to receive not milk, but bread. It is the bread of Solomon, and is exceedingly good and palatable. For the Book entitled the Canticle of Canticles is the bread I speak of, which may now, if you please, be brought forth to be broken.

By the words of Ecclesiastes, you have been, I think, through the grace of God, already sufficiently enlightened to understand and despise the vanity of this world. What need to mention the Book of Proverbs? Is not your whole life and conduct regulated and reformed in perfect accordance with the doctrines contained therein? Having, therefore, tasted first both these loaves of bread, borrowed, however, from the cupboard of the Friend, you are now invited to try this third loaf, which, mayhap, you will find stronger. As there are two evils which, solely or especially, wage war against the soul, we are given the two Books of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs to oppose to them. Of these the former, using the hoe of discipline, grubs out whatever is corrupt in our morals, and whatever is superfluous in the indulgence of the flesh; whilst the latter, by the light of reason, prudently discovers the smoke of vanity in all worldly glory, and distinguishes it faithfully from the solidity of truth, putting the fear of God and the observance of His commandments before all human interests and earthly desires. This is well. Such fear is the beginning of true wisdom, as such observance is its consummation—assuming you agree with me that the only true and perfect wisdom consists in avoiding evil and doing good. For without the fear of God it is impossible to avoid evil perfectly, and there is no good work possible without the observance of the commandments.

Now, then, after ridding ourselves of these two evils by the study of those two books, we may confidently take in hand this third discourse on holy contemplation, which, being the fruit of the preceding, should only be entrusted to sober minds and chastened ears. For it would be criminal presumption on the part of imperfect souls to occupy themselves with such a sacred subject before the flesh has been tamed by discipline and subdued to the spirit, and the vanity and cares of the world despised and abjured. Just as the eye that is blind or closed cannot profit by the light poured upon it, “so the animal man perceiveth not those things which are of the Spirit of God.” The reason is, because the “Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful,” that is, from a man of ill-regulated life, neither will He ever have part with the vanity of the world, inasmuch as He is the Spirit of truth. For what society hath the wisdom which is from above with that of the world, which is foolishness in the sight of God, or with that of the flesh, which is the enemy of God?

Anyhow, I suppose the “friend, who cometh to us off his journey,” will have no reason to complain of us when he has helped himself to this third loaf of bread. But who shall break it to us? Lo! we have here the Father of the family Himself, as it is written, you shall “know the Lord in the breaking of the bread.” Who else but He is capable? As for me, I am not rash enough to undertake such a task. You must, therefore, my brethren, so look upon me as to look for nothing from me. For I also am one of those who hope, a beggar, like yourselves, for the food of my soul, for a spiritual alms. Poor and needy, I appeal to Him “Who openeth and no man shutteth,” begging Him to reveal to us the deep mysteries contained in this Book. “The eyes of all hope in Thee, O Lord.” “The little ones have asked for bread and there is no one to break it unto them.” For this we look to Thy gracious mercy. Therefore, O most Loving-kind! break Thy bread to the hungry, by my hands, if it so please Thee, but by Thine own power.

And, first of all, tell us, I beseech Thee, by whom, of whom, and to whom is it said, “Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth”? And what means this abruptness, this sudden beginning in the middle of the discourse? For the words are so uttered as if there had been a previous speaker to whom this other is represented as if replying, whoever she is that solicits the kiss. Again, if she requests or demands to be kissed by someone, why ask expressly and explicitly that this be done with the mouth and with his own mouth, as if it were customary to give such an embrace otherwise, or by proxy? Yet she is not content with saying, “let him kiss me with his mouth,” but uses the still more unusual expression, “with the kiss of his mouth.” A pleasant discourse this, surely, which begins with a kiss. In truth, the smiling face, so to speak, of this part of Scripture entices and allures us to read, so that it is a delight to investigate, even with labour, its hidden meanings; for the difficulty of inquiry never wearies when we are charmed by the sweetness of the discourse. Yet who can help having his attention aroused by this beginning without a beginning, and this novelty of language in an ancient book? Here we have proof that this work is no product of human genius, but composed by the art of the Holy Spirit, in the fact that despite its being so difficult to understand, it is at the same time such a pleasure to study.