Sermons on the Song of Songs

It is clear that the Church was not able to run to the odour of her Solomon, until He, Who from eternity was the Wisdom of the Father, was made by the Father Wisdom also in time, for her sake, in order that she might enjoy His divine fragrance. So, too, was He made Justice, and Sanctification, and Redemption, all for her, that she might also run to the odours of such ointments, though in Himself the Bridegroom was all these equally from all eternity. For even “in the beginning (He) was the Word.” Yet it was only after the announcement of His having been made Flesh that the shepherds came in haste to see Him. They said to each other, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and let us see this Word that is come to pass which the Lord hath made and hath shewed to us.” And the Evangelist adds that “they came in haste.” Previously, whilst the Word was only with God, they could not move at all. But when the Word, Which was in the beginning, was made Flesh in time, was made Flesh and shown to them by the Lord, then “they came in haste,” then they ran. And just as He was the Word in the beginning, but was the Word with God only, and was made Flesh that He might be also the Word with men; in the same way, He was in the beginning Wisdom, and Justice, and Sanctification, and Redemption, yet to the angels only. But that He might be so to men as well He was made all these by the Father, forasmuch as He is a Father. “Who was made,” says the Apostle, “for us Wisdom of God.” He does not say simply “Who was made Wisdom,” but “Who was made for us Wisdom.” For what He was to the angels already, that He now was made for us.

But some of you may say, “I fail to see how He was Redemption to the angels. For there is nothing anywhere in the Holy Scriptures to show that they were ever captives to sin or subject to death, so as to be in need of redemption, except indeed those who, by committing the irremediable sin of pride, placed themselves beyond all hope of redemption. Thus, therefore, the angels have never been redeemed, some not needing it, others undeserving of it; some because they never fell, others because their fall was irrevocable. How, then, canst thou assert that the Lord Jesus has been to them Redemption?” My answer shall be short. He who lifted up man after his fall, gave to the angel who stood that he should not fall, preserving the latter from the same captivity from which He delivered the former. In this way, then, He was equally Redemption to both, by preventing sin in the one case, and remitting it in the other. Hence it is evident that Christ the Lord was Redemption to the angels, as He was Justice, and Wisdom, and Sanctification. And, nevertheless, these four things He was visibly made for the sake of men who can clearly see the invisible things of God only as “understood by the things that are made.” Thus He was made for us all that He was for the angels. What is that? It is Wisdom, and Justice, and Sanctification, and Redemption. Wisdom in His preaching, Justice in the remission of sin, Sanctification in His familiar intercourse with sinners, Redemption in His Passion endured for sinners. When, therefore, He was made all these “of God.” then the Church perceived His odour, then she began to run.

Contemplate, now, my brethren, this fourfold unction. Consider the abounding and inexpressible sweetness of Him Whom the Father “hath anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows.” Thou wert sitting, O man, in darkness and in the shadow of death by reason of thy ignorance of the truth. Thou wert seated in fetters, bound with the chains of thy sins, and He descended to thee into the prison, not to torture thee, but to rescue thee from the power of darkness. First of all, as the Doctor of truth, He dispelled the clouds of thy ignorance by the light of His own wisdom. Next, by the “justice which is of faith,” He loosed the bonds of sin, “justifying the sinner freely.” By these two benefits was fulfilled the word of David, “The Lord looseth them that are fettered; the Lord enlighteneth the blind.” To these He added the example of His holy life, lived amongst sinners, thus exhibiting to them a model for their imitation, and, as it were, marking out the way whereby they might return to their fatherland. Lastly, to crown the largesses of His piety, He delivered up His Soul to death for them, and from His own Heart produced the price of their redemption and of their reconciliation with the Father. In this way, He plainly appropriated to Himself the verse, “With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him plentiful redemption.” Plentiful surely, for not in drops, but in streams, the Precious Blood issued through the Five Wounds of His Sacred Body.

My brethren, what ought He to have done for us, and has not done it? He has enlightened our blindness, He has loosed our bonds, He has brought us back from our wanderings, He has made satisfaction for our sins. Can anyone be unwilling to run gladly and eagerly after Him who delivers us from present errors and overlooks all those of the past, Who by His life wins for us merits and by His death obtains rewards? What excuse can he have who does not run to the odour of these ointments, unless perchance he be one whom the odour has not reached? But that odour of life has gone out over the whole earth, because “the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord,” “and His tender mercies are over all His works.” He, therefore, who is not sensible of this vivifying fragrance everywhere diffused, and hence does not run to it, is either corrupt or a corpse. This odour is the good fame of Christ, which spreads itself abroad like a sweet perfume, exciting us to run, leading us to the experience of His unction here, and to the vision of Him as our reward hereafter. All who enjoy that bliss, all who have attained to that crowning vision, cry out exultingly, with one acclaim, “As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts.” Yes, O Lord Jesus, we will run after Thee, on account of the sweetness which is proclaimed to be characteristic of Thee, for we are told that Thou dost not spurn the needy nor abhor the guilty. Thou certainly didst not show any abhorrence of the confessing Thief, nor of the weeping Magdalen, nor of the supliant Canaanite, nor of the woman taken in sin, nor of him that sat in the Publican’s office, nor of that other Publican who prayed in the temple, nor of the Apostle who denied Thee, nor of Paul, the persecutor of Thy followers, nor even of those who nailed Thee to the cross. Yes, we will run to the odour of such examples, of such ointments! We also inhale the sweet perfume of Thy wisdom from what we have heard, namely, that if any one wants wisdom, he has only to ask it of Thee, and Thou wilt give it to him. For we are told that Thou givest to all abundantly and upbraidest not. But so great and all-pervading is the odour exhaling from Thy justice that Thou art called, not just, but Justice Itself, and Justifying Justice. And as able as Thou art to justify Thou art equally “bountiful to forgive.” Wherefore, whoever feels compunction for his sins, and hungers and thirsts after justice, let him believe in Thee Who justifiest the impious, and thus, justified by faith alone, he shall have peace with God.