Sermons on the Song of Songs

It must also be remembered that this Bridegroom is not only loving, but is Love Itself. May it be likewise said of Him that He is Honour? You are at liberty to think so, if you choose, but there is no authority for this to be found in Holy Scripture. I have read therein that “God is Charity,” but never that He is Honour or Dignity. Not that God does not demand honour, for He has said, “If I be a Father, where is My honour?” But it is as a Father that He speaks thus. Were He to speak in His character as Bridegroom, I believe He would use different language and would say, “If I be a Bridegroom where is My love?” For He has asked the same question concerning the reverence due to Him in His capacity as Lord, “If I be a Master, where is My fear?” God therefore requires to be honoured as a Father, and to be feared as a Lord, but to be loved as a Bridegroom. Now in these various affections what is that which appears to excel and to hold the preeminence? Doubtless it is love. For without love “fear hath pain” and honour finds no favour. Fear is slavish until it has been emancipated by love. And the honour which proceeds not from love better deserves to be called flattery than honour. To God alone are due honour and glory; but God will refuse to accept both the one and the other unless they are sweetened with the honey of love. Love is sufficient of itself, it pleases of itself, and for its own sake. It counts as merit to itself and is its own reward. Besides itself, love requires no motive and seeks no fruit. Its fruit is its enjoyment of itself. I love because I love, and I love for the sake of loving. A great thing, my brethren, is love, if yet it returns to its Principle, if it is restored to its Origin, if it finds its way back again to its Fountain-Head, so that it may be thus enabled to continue flowing with an unfailing current. Amongst all the emotions, sentiments, and feelings of the soul, love stands distinguished in this respect, that in the case of it alone has the creature the power to correspond and to make a return to the Creator in kind, though not in equality. For instance, if God were to manifest anger against me, surely I should not answer Him with a like exhibition of anger. No indeed, but I should rather fear and tremble and supplicate mercy. Similarly, if He were to reprove me, I, instead of reproving Him in turn, should prefer to justify Him. Neither shall I presume to judge Him when I am judged by Him, but I shall rather humble myself and adore His justice. He Who saves me does not require that I should reciprocate the favour by saving Him. Nor does He Who delivers all stand Himself in need of being delivered by any. If He chooses to act as a Master I must conduct myself as a servant; if He commands I am bound to obey, without having any right to exact from Him a return of service or obedience. But consider now how different is the case with love. For when God loves me He desires nothing else than to be loved by me: He loves me in order that I may love Him, because He knows well that all who love Him find in this very love their joy and their happiness.

Truly a great thing is love. But it has degrees of greatness. In the highest of these degrees stands the love of the Spouse. The children also love, but they have an eye to the inheritance, the thought of losing which makes them suspicious of everything, causes them to regard with more fear than affection Him from Whom they hope to receive it. For my part, my brethren, I look with suspicion on that love which appears to be supported by the hope of any other reward than a return of love. Such love is weak, and languishes, or even expires, if its hope happens to be withdrawn from it. It is an impure love, since it covets something foreign to its own nature. The love that is pure is never mercenary. Pure love derives none of its strength from hope, and yet suffers nothing from diffidence. This is the love proper to the Spouse, and she that is a Spouse is made a Spouse solely by this. Love is the sole dowry and the sole hope of the Spouse. This is all-sufficing for her. With this alone the Bridegroom is content. He requires nothing else, and she possesses nothing else. It is such love as this that makes Him her Bridegroom as it makes her His Bride. It belongs exclusively to the Bridegroom and the Bride, and none else, not even the children, can share in it. To the children the Father says, “Where is My honour?” not, “Where is My love?” For the Bridegroom reserves to the Bride her prerogative. Moreover, children are commanded to honour their father and their mother, but nothing is said to them about love; not because parents are not to be loved by their children, but because many children feel more inclined to treat their parents with respect than with love. True, “the honour of the King loveth judgment,” as the Psalmist says; but the love of the Bridegroom, or rather the Bridegroom Who is Love, requires of His Spouse nothing more than a return of love and loyalty. Let her then who is so beloved by Him, be careful to reciprocate His love. How, indeed, can she help loving since she is a Spouse, and the Spouse of Love? Or how is it possible that Love should not be loved?