Sermons on the Song of Songs

How is it, my brethren, that we are strangers even still to these divine attestations and commendations? How is it that we have not yet come in to our spiritual patrimony? We have as little recollection of being ever so commended in anything by the Lord, and of receiving from His Lips any testimony in our favour, as if He never “of His own will hath begotten us by the word of truth.” What do we know of that experience whereof the Apostle says, “The Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God”? How can we be the sons of God if we do not enjoy the inheritance? But this very poverty of ours convicts us, beyond a doubt, of negligence and sloth. For if any amongst us were perfectly and entirely, according to the counsel of the Wise Man, to “give his heart to resort early to the Lord That made him, and to pray in the sight of the Most High,” and should also endeavour with all diligence to “prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight the paths of our God,” so that he could say with the Psalmist, “My eyes are ever towards the Lord,” and, “I set the Lord always in my sight”—would not such a one, think you, deserve to “receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour”? He that watches so shall in truth have many visitations from the Bridegroom. Nor shall he ever fail to observe the time of his visitation, no matter how secret and stealthy may be the advent of this shy Lover, Who visits us in the Spirit. With a vigilant soul and a sober mind, he shall perceive the Beloved whilst He is yet afar off; and then he shall discover all that the Spouse, as I have explained, so attentively and sagaciously noted in the approach of her Bridegroom. For He Himself has promised that “they that in the morning early watch for me shall find Me.” Such a one, I say, shall be able to observe when the Beloved is hastening in the eagerness of desire; he shall know at once when He is drawing nigh, and when He is actually present; he shall feel His Eye regarding him, shining in upon him like a sunbeam, through the windows or the lattices of the wall, and the consciousness shall make him glad; and finally, he shall hear Him uttering words of exultation and of tender affection, and saying to his soul, “Arise, make haste, My love, My dove, My beautiful one, and come.”

“Who is wise and will understand these things,” so as to be able to distinguish rightly between them, to define them exactly, and to explain them in a way that others can comprehend? You, my brethren, are perhaps expecting me to do this; but for my part, I should prefer to hear about such matters from one who is acquainted with them by experience and use. Yet a person so privileged would rather through modesty conceal in silence what he has received in silence, and would judge it safer to keep his secret to himself, like the Prophet. Therefore, since I am bound by my office as superior to instruct you, and not to keep back what I know, I will tell you all that I have been able to learn concerning these things both from my own experience and from the experience of others. I will touch upon nothing which many of you are not competent to ascertain for themselves with facility, leaving the loftier truths to such as can reach them. Whenever, then, I am admonished, whether interiorly by the Spirit or exteriorly by a human being, of the necessity of guarding justice and preserving equity, this salutary warning is certainly for me a herald of the Bridegroom’s speedy advent, and a kind of preparation for the worthy reception of the heavenly Visitor. The Prophet assures me of this when he says, “Justice shall walk before Him,” and again, when he says to God, “Justice and judgment are the preparation of Thy seat.” And the same hope gladdens me, whenever I hear a discourse on humility, or on patience, or on fraternal charity, or on the obedience and submission due to superiors; but more especially when I listen to something concerning the pursuit of peace and sanctity, or the acquiring of purity of heart. For it is written, “Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord,” and, “His place is in peace,” and “Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God.” As often therefore as anything relating to these, or indeed to any of the other virtues, is suggested to my thoughts, that will be for me, as I have already remarked, an intimation that the Lord of virtues is coming to visit my soul.

But if “the just man shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me,” then also I may look for the divine visitation, because this charitable zeal and benevolence of the good “make a way for Him who ascendeth over the setting.” Happy setting, when at the reproof of a just man a soul is lifted up and her sins sink down, and over their setting the Lord “ascendeth,” trampling them under His Feet to prevent their ever rising again. Not to be despised, therefore, is a good man’s reproof which thus destroys sin, brings healing to the heart, and prepares the way of the Lord to the soul. Nor should we ever hear with indifference any discourse, no matter of what kind, provided it edifies unto piety, or unto virtue, or unto moral perfection. For “there is the way by which is shown the salvation of God.” But if the word of the Lord should sound sweet and consoling, so that instead of producing weariness it is listened to now with delight, I am to infer from this that the Bridegroom not only is coming, but is coming in haste, because coming with ardent desire. For it is His desire of me that awakens my desire of Him; and when I feel an eagerness to hear His words, this is an indication that He is hastening to visit my soul. We have not been beforehand with Him in charity, but He hath “first loved us.” Again, if I should hear an inflamed discourse, and should feel my conscience kindling, whilst I listen, at the thought of my sins, I ought, then, to call to mind Him of Whom the Psalmist says, “A fire shall go before Him,” and be persuaded that He is nigh. For “the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart.”

But shouldst thou not only feel compunction at the word of the Lord, but be converted to Him with thy whole heart, so that thou canst say, “I have sworn and am determined to keep the judgments of Thy justice,” thou mayst now be certain that the Bridegroom is even present to thee, especially if thou perceivest thy heart beginning to glow with the heat of His holy love. For not only is it said of Him in the Holy Scriptures that “A fire shall go before Him,” but also that He is Himself a fire, “a consuming fire,” as Moses called Him. There is a great difference between these two fires. That which precedes the Bridegroom’s coming has heat indeed, but no charity. It warms without melting; it moves without advancing. It is sent on before with only the mission of arousing and preparing thee, and to remind thee at the same time of what thou art when left to thyself; in order that thou mayst afterwards with greater delight understand what thou hast become through the grace of God. But the fire which is God, although it consumes, yet does not afflict, burning sweetly, blissfully devastating. For it is truly a “desolating fire,” which, however, so exercises its destructive energy against sin, that it acts on the soul as a healing unction. Therefore, in the virtue which adorns thee and in the charity which inflames thee, acknowledge the presence of the Bridegroom. For it is “the Right Hand of the Lord that hath wrought virtue.” But “this change of the Right Hand of the Most High” only takes place in fervour of spirit and sincere charity; so that he who experiences it may say with the Prophet, “My heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire shall flame out.”