Sermons on the Song of Songs

“In my bed by night I sought Him Whom my soul loveth: I sought Him and I found Him not.

“I will rise and will go about the city: in the streets and the broad ways I will seek Him Whom my soul loveth: I sought Him and I found Him not.

“The Watchmen who kept the city found me: Have you seen Him Whom my soul loveth?

“When I had a little passed beyond them, I found Him Whom my soul loveth: I held Him and I will not let Him go, till I bring Him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that bore me.”

We have now, my brethren, on three successive days devoted the regular time which we have appointed for these discourses to the task of demonstrating the affinity between the Word and the soul. Now it may be asked, what is the use of all this labour? Let me tell you. We have learned from this discussion that every human soul, no matter how burdened with sins, no matter how entangled in vices, no matter how enslaved to the enticements of pleasure, though she be held captive in exile, imprisoned in the flesh, clinging to the mire, sunk in the slime, yoked to the body, tortured with cares, distraught with solicitudes, terrified with fears, afflicted with sorrows, deceived and seduced by errors, worried with anxieties, disquieted with suspicions; though she be, lastly, a stranger in the land of her enemies, and, in the words of the Prophet Baruch, “defiled with the dead” and “counted with them that go down into hell”; yes, I say, though the soul should be in such a state of despair and damnation, yet we have learned from the preceding discourses how she can still discover in herself something which is not only capable of establishing her in the hope of pardon and in the confidence of mercy, but also of animating her with courage to aspire even to the nuptials of the Word, to enter boldly into an alliance of friendship with God, and to begin fearlessly to draw the sweet yoke of love with Him Who is Lord of the angels. For what may she not safely presume in the case of One with Whose image she beholds herself adorned, and by Whose likeness she perceives herself ennobled? What, I ask, has she to fear from His Majesty, since she possesses in that relationship to Him in which she was created a sufficient motive for confidence? Only let her strive henceforth to prove and preserve the nobility of her nature by innocence of life: or rather let her study to enhance and decorate with the appropriate colours, so to speak, of worthy actions and affections that heavenly beauty which is her birthright.

What, then, is the reason why she is so little industrious in a matter which concerns her highest interests? Industry, my brethren, is a very important endowment of our nature. But if it fails to perform its functions, are not the rest of our natural gifts and faculties thrown into a state of disorder, and the whole covered over, as it were, with the rust of decadence? Now this redounds to the dishonour of the Creator. For God, the Author of our nature, has willed that the seal of her divine origin should be always preserved in the soul, unto this purpose, namely, in order that she might always have within herself a memorial of the Word, which would constantly be reminding her either to continue faithful to Him, or to return, if she should ever be so unfortunate as to abandon Him. It is not by moving from one place to another, or by moving with visible steps, but by moving in the manner in which motion is possible to a spiritual substance, namely, with her affections, or rather with her vices, that she descends, so to speak, beneath herself, when by the wickedness of her life and conversation she becomes degenerate and makes herself unlike herself. But although this unlikeness vitiates, it does not destroy her nature. And according as it renders her natural nobility more conspicuous by the contrast with itself, in the same measure, by its conjunction, does it dishonour that nobility. Again, the return of the soul is her conversion to the Word by Whom she is to be reformed and to Whom she is to be conformed. In what respect, do you ask? In charity. Hence the Apostle exhorts us, saying, “Be ye therefore followers of God as most dear children; and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us.”

It is by this conformity of charity, my brethren, that the soul is wedded to the Word, when, namely, loving even as she is loved, she exhibits herself in her will conformed to Him to Whom she is already conformed in her nature. Therefore, if she loves Him perfectly she has become His Bride. What can be more sweet than such a conformity? What can be more desirable than this charity by which, O happy soul, not content any longer with human teachers, thou art enabled of thyself to draw nigh with confidence to the Word, to cleave to Him steadfastly, to interrogate Him familiarly, and to consult Him in all thy doubts, as audacious in thy desires as thou art capacious in thy understanding? This is in truth the alliance of a holy and spiritual marriage. But it is saying too little to call it an alliance: it is rather an embrace. Surely we have then a spiritual embrace when the same likes and the same dislikes make one spirit out of two? Nor is there any occasion to fear lest the inequality of the persons should cause some defect in the harmony of wills, since love knows nothing of reverence. Love means an exercise of affection, not an exhibition of honour. Honour is given by him who is awe-stricken, who is astounded, who is terrified, who is filled with admiration. But none of these emotions has any place in the lover. Love is all-sufficient for itself. Whithersoever love comes, it subjugates and renders captive to itself all the other affections. Consequently the soul that loves, simply loves and knows nothing else except to love. The Word is indeed One Who deserves to be honoured, Who deserves to be admired and wondered at; yet He is better pleased to be loved. For He is the Bridegroom and the soul is His Bride. And between a bridegroom and his bride what other relation or connection would you look for except the bond of a mutual love? Such is the strength of this bond that it overcomes even the most intimate union which nature forms, I mean the union between parent and child. So much is evident from the words of the Saviour, “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife.” You perceive, my brethren, how love, as it is found between a bridegroom and bride, is not only more powerful than the other human affections, but it is even more powerful than itself.