Sermons on the Song of Songs

“Thy name is as oil poured out.”

As the ocean, my brethren, is the source of all rivers and fountains, so is our Lord Jesus Christ the Well-Spring of all virtue and knowledge. For who but the “King of Glory” can be the “Lord of Virtues”? And, according to the Canticle of Anna, the same Lord is “the God of knowledge.” Purity of body, diligent use of the affections (industria cordis), rectitude of will—all flow from this Divine Fountain. Yet not such graces only. Every intellectual endowment, every gift of eloquence, every pleasing disposition, must also be ascribed to the same Source. Thence is derived every word of wisdom and all knowledge, from Him, namely, “in Whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.” What, I ask, are chaste thoughts, just judgments, holy desires, but so many rivulets from that Divine Spring? Now, if the currents of natural water are ceaselessly pouring themselves back again into the sea through secret and subterranean channels, in order to return once more to us with unwearied service, for the satisfaction of our sight and supply of our necessities; why should not the spiritual streams, also, revert to their Source without interruption or diminution, so that they may revisit and irrigate anew the plains of our souls? Therefore, let the rivers of grace flow back to the Fountain-Head, that they may again descend upon us. Let the heavenly tide re-seek its Origin that the earth may be watered with a more generous inundation. Do you ask how this is to be done? The Apostle tells you when he says, “In all things giving thanks.” Whatever wisdom, whatever virtue you believe yourselves to possess, attribute it all to Christ, Who is the Wisdom and the Knowledge of God.

“But,” you will say, “who would be so foolish as to presume to do otherwise?” No one, indeed. Even the Pharisee gives thanks. Nevertheless, his thanksgiving “hath no praise from God.” If I remember aright what is said in the Gospel, his expression of gratitude did not make him more pleasing. Why? Because whatever devotion sounded from his lips, it was not sufficient to excuse the swelling of his heart in the eyes of Him Who “knoweth the high afar off.” O Pharisee, remember that “God is not mocked.” Thinkest thou that thou hast anything “which thou hast not received”? “Nothing,” thou confessest, “and therefore I give thanks to the Giver.” But, if so, then it is in view of no antecedent merit on thy part that thou hast received those graces of which thou art boasting. Assuming that thou dost admit this also, it is consequently, in the first place, the height of senseless arrogance in thee to despise the Publican, who for this reason alone has not so much as thou, because he has not gratuitously received so much. Secondly, consider well lest thou be not returning His gifts to God, whole and entire, but by fraudulently appropriating something to thyself of His honour and glory, mayst justly lay thyself open to the charge of theft, and theft against God. Wert thou openly to attribute to thyself some credit for those things whereof thou art boasting, as if they were not only in thee, but from thee, I should rather believe thee to be in error than to have the will to commit an act of injustice, and consequently I should attempt to correct thy mistake. Now, however, by returning thanks, thou dost show that thou art ascribing nothing to thyself, but dost prudently acknowledge all thy merits to be the gifts of God. Hence, in contemning others, thou betrayest thyself and showest thyself “to have spoken with a double heart,” with one heart lending thy lips to a lie, and with the other usurping the glory of truth. For thou couldst not have judged the Publican to be worthy of contempt in comparison with thyself, without esteeming thyself to be worthy of honour in comparison with him. But what wilt thou reply to the Apostle, who prescribes and enjoins that “to God alone be honour and glory”? How canst thou answer the angels who distinguished and explained what God is pleased to reserve to Himself and what He condescends to share with mortals? “Glory to God in the highest,” sang they, “and on earth peace to men of good will.” You see, my brethren, how the Pharisee gives thanks, honouring God indeed, but only with his lips, whilst he honours himself by the sentiments of his heart. Thus you may hear words of thanks from the mouths of many, but more out of custom or convention than from affection or conviction; so much so, that the most abandoned criminals are wont to give thanks to God for having succeeded well and prosperously, as they imagine, in the accomplishment of their perverse purposes. Listen, for instance, to the thief, when he has brought his wicked machinations to a successful issue, and possessed himself at last of some long-coveted booty. In his heart he exults with joy and exclaims, “Thanks be to God! I have not watched in vain; I have not lost my nocturnal labour.” Does not the murderer similarly rejoice and return thanks that he has prevailed over a rival or avenged himself on an enemy? And the profligate, also, joyously gives praise to God for that he has at last attained the means of gratifying his evil passion.

It follows, my brethren, that not all thanksgiving is acceptable with God, but only that which proceeds from a chaste, sincere, and simple heart. I say a “chaste heart,” to exclude those who glory in their evil deeds and for them return thanks. As if God, like themselves, could take pleasure in their wicked doings, and could exult in their abominations! He that is such a one shall hear addressed to him these words of reproach, “Thou thoughtest unjustly that I shall be like to thee, but I will reprove thee and set before thy face.” I have said “from a sincere heart,” on account of hypocrites, who appear indeed to attribute to God the merit of whatever good they possess, but glorify Him only with their lips, the heart withholding what the tongue concedes. And because “in His sight they do deceitfully,” their “iniquity is found unto hatred.” The one class impiously attribute to God their own crimes; the other fraudulently ascribe to themselves the gifts of God. So stupid, so ungodly, so brutish even is the former vice that there is no need for me to put you on your guard against it. The latter, however, is wont to beset the path of religious and spiritual persons, in particular. Of a surety, it is high virtue, and as rare as high, to be able to do great works without esteeming oneself great, and to conceal one’s sanctity from oneself alone whilst manifesting it to all others. To my thinking, there is no virtue so admirable as that a man should appear wonderful in the eyes of others and contemptible in his own. Thou art truly a faithful servant, if thou sufferest not to cling to thine own hands any part of whatever glory may redound from thy works to thy Lord, which glory, although it does not proceed from thee, yet passes through thee. Then, according to the Prophet, thou wilt “cast away avarice by oppression, and shake thy hands free from all bribes.” Then, as the Lord commands, thy light will “shine before men,” unto the glory, not of thyself, but of thy “Father, Who is in heaven.” And thou wilt be an imitator of St. Paul and of other faithful preachers who preach not themselves, but Jesus Christ, just as thou seekest “not the things that are thine but the things which are of Jesus Christ.” Wherefore, thou, also, shalt be greeted with the consoling words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant! because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things.”