Sermons on the Song of Songs

Not alone Thy life, but even Thy conception is most sweetly and abundantly redolent of the fragrance of Thy sanctity. For Thou wert as free from inherited as Thou art from personal guilt. Let those, therefore, who, justified from their sins, desire and determine to pursue after holiness, without which no one shall see God, let such, I say, listen to Thee commanding, “Be ye holy, because I am holy.” Let them consider Thy ways and learn of Thee, because Thou art just in all Thy ways and holy in all Thy works. Oh, how many have been induced to run by the most sweet odour of Thy redemption! Ever since Thou wert lifted up from the earth, Thou surely hast been drawing all things to Thyself. Thy sacred Passion is our last refuge, our sole remedy. When wisdom is wanting to us, when justice falls short, when the merits of sanctity fail to secure us, even then we find support and deliverance in Thy Passion. For who can presume on his own wisdom, or justice, or sanctity as sufficient to save him? Hence the Apostle, “not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” Therefore, “when my virtue fails,” I shall not lose peace, I shall not lose confidence. “I know what I will do”: “I will take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.” O Lord, enlighten my eyes, “that I may know what is acceptable with Thee at all times.” So shall I be wise. “The sins of my youth and my ignorances do not remember.” So shall I be just. “Conduct me, O Lord, in Thy way,” and so I shall be holy. Yet, after all, unless Thy Blood makes intercession for me, I shall not be saved. It is because of all these odours that we run after Thee. Grant our petitions and so send us away, because, like the Canaanite woman, “we cry after Thee.”

But, my brethren, we do not all run equally to the odour of all the ointments. You may observe some more ardent in the pursuit of wisdom, others more incited to penance by the hope of pardon, others again more drawn to the practice of virtue by the example of the Saviour’s life and conversation, still others more inflamed with love by the memory of His Passion. I think I can present you with instances of persons specially attracted in these several ways. They ran to the odour of His Wisdom, who, sent to Him by the Pharisees, reported on their return that “never man spoke as this Man.” For, being filled with admiration of His doctrine, they acknowledged the greatness of His Wisdom. To the same odour ran holy Nicodemus who, though he “came to Jesus by night,” indeed, yet walked in the resplendent illumination of Divine Wisdom, and returned instructed and enlightened about many things. Mary Magdalen, to whom “many sins were forgiven, because she hath loved much,” ran to the odour of His Justice. Just and holy she was in truth, and no longer a sinner, so as to deserve the reproach of the Pharisee, who knew not that justification and sanctity are the gifts of God, not the works of man; and that he to whom the Lord imputes not sin, is not only just, but blessed as well. Or had this Simon forgotten how Christ, by His touch, had healed instead of contracting the corporeal leprosy of himself or of some other Simon? For the Just One, when touched by the sinner, did not lose, but communicated, His justice; nor did He soil Himself with the filth of sin from which He cleansed the penitent woman. To this odour also ran the Publican, who, after humbly imploring pardon for his sins, “went down to his house justified,” as Justice Himself bears witness. To the same ran St. Peter. For after his fall “he wept bitterly,” in order to wash away his sin, and recover grace. David, too, ran to this odour, when, by acknowledging and confessing his fault, he deserved to hear from Nathan, “the Lord also hath taken away thy sin.” St. Paul testifies of himself that he ran to the odour of Sanctification, when he boasts that he is “an imitator of Christ,” saying to his disciples, “Be ye imitators of me, as I also am of Christ.” To the same ran all the Apostles, who said, by the mouth of Peter, “Behold we have left all things, and have followed Thee.” The desire, that is to say, of following Christ, led them to abandon all else. All men in general are invited to run to this odour by the words of St. John, “He who saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.”

Now, if you wish to know who they are that ran to the odour of Redemption, I tell you, my brethren, that these are all the martyrs. Thus I have set forth for you the four precious ointments of Wisdom, Justice, Sanctification, and Redemption. Remember their names, and enjoy their odours. But do not ask me about the manner of their composition, nor about the number of spices from which they are produced. For, as regards the ointments of the Bridegroom and the elements thereof, such questions are not so easy to answer as in the case of the unguents and spices of the Spouse, of which I have treated in an earlier sermon. The reason is that in Christ these ointments are without either number or measure; since “of His Wisdom there is no number”; and “His Justice is as the mountains of God,” as the eternal hills; and His Sanctity is infinite, and His Redemption ineffable.

This also I must say: Vainly have the wise of this world disputed so much concerning the four cardinal virtues, which they were quite incapable of understanding, since they knew not Him “Who for us was made Wisdom of God” to teach us prudence, and Justice to satisfy for our sins, and Sanctification to give us in His mortified life an example of temperance, and Redemption to exhibit to us in His patiently-suffered death a model of fortitude. But perhaps some one will say to me, “Thy other remarks are well enough, but it hardly seems proper to refer sanctification to the virtue of temperance.” To this I reply, first, that temperance and continence are one and the same thing; secondly, that it is usual in Scripture to put sanctification for continence or purity. Then, what else are those numerous sanctifications prescribed by Moses except so many purifications, or exercises of temperance in food, and drink, and such like? But above all, hear how familiar it is with the Apostle to use or to intend the word sanctification in this sense. “This,” he says, “is the will of God, your sanctification, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the passion of lust.” Again, “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto sanctification.” Evidently, in these passages sanctification is put for temperance.

Having now, as I hope, placed in light what appeared to be somewhat obscure, I return to the point whence I digressed. To the worldly-wise pagans, therefore, I say, what have you to do with the virtues, who know not Christ, the “Virtue of God”? Where, I ask, will you find real prudence, except in the doctrine of Christ? Where true justice, save from the mercy of Christ? Where true temperance, except in the life of Christ? And where true fortitude, but in the Passion of Christ? Consequently, only they deserve to be called prudent, who are instructed in His doctrine. Only they just, who, of His mercy, have obtained forgiveness of their sins. Only those temperate, who study to imitate the example of His life. And those alone possessed of fortitude who, in adversity, conform with constancy to the model of His patience. It is vain, therefore, for anyone to labour for the acquisition of virtues, if he expects to obtain them otherwise than from Him Who is named the “Lord of Virtues,” and Whose doctrine is the seed of prudence; Whose mercy, the source of works of justice; Whose life, the mirror of temperance, and Whose death is the glory and the model of fortitude.

To Him be honour and glory for endless ages. Amen.