Sermons on the Song of Songs

What therefore can these hills and mountains be but he very spiritual inhabitants of heaven, whom the Lord calls His sheep? Hence mountains and sheep signify the same. But perhaps some of you may think it absurd that mountains should be represented as pasturing on mountains, or sheep upon sheep. And indeed in the literal signification it does sound rather strange. But if spiritually examined, it will be found to contain a very beautiful meaning. That is to say, if you consider carefully how Christ, the Pastor of both flocks, and the Wisdom of God, ministers one and the same food of truth in one way to the sheep of heaven and in another to those of earth. For we, mortal men, whilst here we sojourn in the place of our banishment, are obliged to eat our spiritual bread in the sweat of our brow, and in labour and pain to beg it outside ourselves, namely, from the learned, from holy books, or at any rate, “clearly seeing the invisible things of God, being understood by the things that are made.” The angels, on the contrary, obtain in all plenitude and with equal ease and felicity, if not from themselves, certainly in themselves, the means not only of supporting life, but also of living happily. For they are all “taught of God.” We have received an infallible promise that the elect amongst men shall all be admitted sooner or later to participate with them in the same high privilege. But it is not given them to enjoy it here below in a happy security.

The mountains, therefore, feed on the mountains and the sheep on the sheep, when those celestial spiritual essences find abundantly within themselves, from the Word of life, wherewith to sustain a blissful immortality. They are at once mountains and sheep. They are mountains because of their loftiness and fulness. They are sheep on account of their mildness. For although full of God, lofty in merits, eminent in virtues, yet with humble obedience they bow their exalted heads and submit to the authority of the Divine Majesty, at an infinite height above them; like the gentlest of sheep which are directed in all things by the will of their shepherd, and follow him faithfully whithersoever he goes. And, according to the Prophet David, in these truly holy mountains, as in wisdom, the first of creatures, have been firmly laid from the beginning and securely repose the foundations of the city of God; which, although in part triumphant in heaven and in part still sojourning on earth, is nevertheless one city. But from the same mountains, as if from living “high-sounding cymbals,” there is constantly resounding, as Isaias informs us, “thanksgiving and the voice of praise.” Thus with their sweet and never-ceasing songs they fulfil what the same Prophet promised for them in the words above quoted, “The mountains and the hills shall sing praise before God,” or what the Pslamist says, speaking to the Lord, “Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, O Lord; they shall praise Thee for ever and ever.”

We must now return to the subject whence we have made a short, but, as I think, not unnecessary digression. The angels, therefore, are the mountains and hills on which the Church saw her heavenly Bridegroom leaping with extraordinary agility, and not only leaping on, but skipping over them, what time He was hurrying to enjoy the pleasure of her company. Do you wish me to explain, from the writings of the prophets and apostles, what these leapings and skippings were? Well, you shall be satisfied. But I do not undertake to put before you now all the relevant testimonies which you can collect for yourselves in the Scriptures at your leisure. It would be too tedious a task to attempt in a sermon, besides being unnecessary. I shall, therefore, adduce now only those passages which appear to confirm briefly and clearly what is here said by the Spouse concerning the Bridegroom’s leaping and kipping. It is of the Beloved the Psalmist sings, “He lath set His tabernacle in the sun; and He, as a Bridegroom coming out of His bride-chamber, hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way. His going out is from the end of heaven.” See what a leap He gave here, from the height of heaven even unto the earth! For certainly I can find no other place, except this earth, where He, “Who dwelleth in light inaccessible,” “hath set His tabernacle in the sun,” that is to say, has condescended to reveal and manifest His presence to mortal eyes. So it is written, “He was seen upon earth and conversed with men.” On earth, I say, “He hath set in the sun,” viz., made clearly manifest, the tabernacle of His Body, which He vouchsafed to fashion for Himself from the flesh of the Virgin, in order that He might therein be rendered visible, being invisible in Himself, and that “all flesh might see the Salvation of God,” Who had come in the flesh.

He leaped, therefore, upon the mountains, that is to say, upon the superior angelic orders, when He descended to their level, graciously revealing to them the “mystery which hath been hidden from eternity,” the “great mystery of godliness.” But skipping over these greater and more lofty mountains, the Cherubim, namely, and the Seraphim, and the Dominations, and the Principalities, and the Powers, and the Virtues, He disdained not to come down even to the lowest celestial choirs, which may be regarded as the hills. Yet He skipped over the hills also. For as the Apostle says, “Nowhere doth He take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold,” in order that the word might be fulfilled which was spoken by holy David, when he said to the Father concerning the Son, “Thou hast made Him a little less than the angels”; for the seed of Abraham is evidently inferior to the angels. However, it is also possible to understand these words of the Prophet as spoken in commendation of our human dignity, and signifying that man, made to God’s image and likeness, and endowed just as the angels with the faculty of understanding, falls short of the perfection of these spiritual essences only by his dependence on an earthly body. But listen to St. Paul speaking unambiguously of the Incarnation of the Son: “Who, being in the Form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.” And again, “When the fulness of time was come, God sent His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that He might redeem them who were under the law.” He, therefore, who was “made of a woman” and “made under the law,” undoubtedly, in descending so low, skipped over not alone the mountains, that is, the higher and greater heavenly spirits, but also the inferior angelic choirs, which, in comparison with the others, are properly designated by the name of hills. But he that is lesser in the kingdom of God is greater than” any flesh-burdened spirit on earth, not even excepting the great Baptist. And although we acknowledge that God is made man, and that even as united to man He is exalted incomparably over all Powers and Principalities; nevertheless by reason of His human infirmity, He yields to those whom He excels by His Majesty. In this way, then, did He leap on the mountains and skip over the hills, when He condescended most graciously to make Himself inferior to the lowest as well as to the highest of the heavenly spirits. And it was not the angels only whom He placed Himself beneath. He became subject even to human spirits that dwell in houses of clay, the humility of God skipping over and conquering the humility of man. For when He was twelve years of age, He submitted Himself to Mary and Joseph at Nazareth; and in the Jordan He bowed beneath the hands of John, although He was then in His prime. But behold, the day is declining, and still we may not yet descend from these mystical mountains.