Sermons on the Song of Songs

There is, therefore, an ointment which the soul, burthened with sins, makes up for herself. This she does when, beginning to consider her ways, she collects, heaps up, and crushes in the mortar of conscience the many and various species of her sins; and in the crucible of a fervid heart, melts down and fuses all together, repentance and sorrow supplying the necessary heat. Hence she can now say with the Psalmist, “My heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire shall flame out.” Behold, this is the first ointment wherewith the sinful soul ought to anoint the beginnings of her conversion and soothe her bleeding wounds. For the first “sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit.” Hence as long as the poor and needy soul finds not wherewith to compound for herself a better and more precious ointment, let her not neglect to prepare this, even though it be from the vilest materials, because “a contrite and humble heart God will not despise.” Besides, the more contemptible she appears in her own eyes, from the consideration of her past sins, the less so does she appear in the Eyes of God. And, after all, if that visible ointment, with which, as we read in the Gospel, the Lord’s corporeal Feet were anointed by Magdalen, was but a figure of the invisible and spiritual kind of which there is question here, we certainly cannot consider this vile. For what is it we read of the former? “The house,” writes the Evangelist, “was filled with the perfume of the ointment.” It was poured by the hand of a sinner, and poured on the lowest members of the sacred Body, that is, on the Feet. Yet it was not so mean and contemptible but that it could fill the whole house with the scent of its spices and the sweetness of its perfumes. My brethren, if we could but realise what a fragrance of delight is exhaled throughout the Church by the conversion of a single sinner, and what an odour of life unto life the public and perfect penitent becomes, of him also we should proclaim with equal confidence that “the house was filled with the perfume of the ointment.” Nay, the perfume of penitence reaches even to the supernal mansions of the blessed above, so that as Truth Itself testifies, “There shall be joy amongst the angels of God over one sinner doing penance.” Rejoice, therefore, ye penitents! Be comforted, ye that are fearful! I refer to you, who, recently converted from a worldly life and withdrawn from the ways of sin, have experienced the bitterness and confusion of a contrite heart, with an exceeding pain and torment, as it were of recent wounds. Let your hands distil with confidence the bitterness of myrrh in this saving unction, because “a contrite and humble heart God will not despise.” Certainly, we are not to despise or to consider as vile such an anointing, the odour of which is a source of edification to men, and of joy to the angels.

But there is another ointment more precious than this in proportion as it is made from more excellent materials. We have not far to seek for the elements out of which we extract the ointment of Contrition. They are always within reach and found without difficulty. In the little gardens of our own consciences we can easily gather as much and as often as our necessities require. For, if we wish to be sincere, which of us has not always of his own enough of sins and iniquities ready to hand? And, as you know, these are the stuffs whence we obtain the first ointment, described above. But this earth of ours can never produce the spices that yield the second. “From afar and from the uttermost coasts” must we seek them, “for every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights.” This ointment, in fact, is extracted from the divine benefits bestowed on the human race. Happy the man who gathers them carefully, and, with worthy thanks, tries to keep them constantly before the eyes of his soul! When these sweet spices have been placed in the mortar of the breast, and crushed and pounded under the pestle of frequent meditation, and all fused together by the heat of holy desires, and finally mingled with the “oil of gladness,” the result shall be, without any doubt, an ointment far more precious and excellent than the first. In proof of this, I need only quote the testimony of Him Who said, “The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me.” Now, this sacrifice will assuredly be offered by him who keeps in mind the benefits of God.

Moreover, since Holy Scripture merely affirms of the first ointment that it is not despised, whereas the second is said to give glory, the latter is manifestly the more highly commended. Again, this is applied to the Head, whilst the other is poured upon the Feet. Now, as in Christ the Head must be referred to the Divinity, according to the words of St. Paul, “The Head of Christ is God,” doubtless he, who gives thanks, anoints the Head, seeing that thanks are offered not to man but to God. Not that He, Who is God, has not become Man, since “God and Man are one Christ,” but because all good gifts, even such as are communicated through man, have their ultimate source, not in man, but in God. As we know, “it is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.” Therefore is it written “cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” For although it is true that we place our whole hope in the Man-God, nevertheless we do so not because He is Man, but because He is God. Therefore, the ointment of Contrition is poured on the Feet, since the lowliness of a contrite heart accords well with the humility of Christ’s Human Nature; and that of Devotion is given to the Head, because honour belongs to Majesty. Behold, my brethren, what manner of ointment is this second I have proposed to you, with which, namely, that royal Head, Which makes the principalities tremble, does not disdain to be anointed,—nay even deems Itself honoured by the unction, according to the words, “The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me.”