Sermons on the Song of Songs

Having first acquired this twofold knowledge of God and self, we are now in no danger of being “puffed up” by whatever learning we may add to it. For such learning can offer us nothing in the way of earthly honour or emolument, which is not so worthless in comparison with the hope we have conceived and the gladness of that hope, now deeply rooted in our soul, that it can no longer be a temptation to us. “And hope confoundeth not; because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Who is given to us.” Thus, the reason why hope “confoundeth not” is because charity infuses certitude. For it is by charity that “the Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God.” What advantage, therefore, can any learning of our own, however great, bring within our reach, which is not less than this glory whereby we are numbered amongst the children of God? But this is saying too little, since, in comparison with such and so great a dignity, the whole earth and the fulness thereof, although all that were offered to each one of us, would not be worthy of even a single thought. But if we are ignorant of God, how can we hope in One Whom we do not know? If we are ignorant of ourselves, how can we have humility, since we shall think ourselves to be something, whereas we are nothing, as the Apostle speaks? And we know that without humility and hope we can have neither lot nor fellowship in the inheritance of the saints.

Let us consider now, my brethren, with what care and solicitude we ought to guard against both these kinds of ignorance, one of which is the source of all sin and the other the consummation thereof; just as, on the other hand, the first of the two kinds of knowledge is the beginning, and the second the perfection, of wisdom. For self-knowledge begets the fear of the Lord, whilst from the knowledge of God we are led to the love of Him, as I have already sufficiently explained. It remains now to show how the twofold ignorance stands in the same relation to sin. As “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” so “pride is the beginning of all sin”; and just as the love of God is the consummation of wisdom, in the same way is despair the consummation of sin. Again, just as the knowledge of self leads to the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of God to the love of Him; so, on the contrary, ignorance of self is the mother of pride, and ignorance of God gives birth to despair. Pride is the daughter of ignorance of self, inasmuch as our thought, deceived itself and deceiving us, makes us believe ourselves to be better than we really are. Now this is pride, this “the beginning of all sin,” to appear greater in one’s own eyes than one is in truth, or in the eyes of God. And therefore it is said of him who first committed this most dreadful sin, the devil, namely, that “he stood not in the truth, but is a liar from the beginning.” And the reason is because he was greater in his own thought than he was in truth. What then would be the consequence if one departed from truth, not by exaggerating his merit, but by esteeming himself less than he really is? Undoubtedly, his ignorance would excuse him, and he would not, at any rate, be reputed proud; and instead of his “iniquity being found unto hatred,” his humility would rather be found unto grace and pardon. Had we a clear knowledge of how we stood, each of us, in the judgment of God, it would be our duty to place ourselves neither above nor below that level, but in all things to be conformed to truth. But now, since this judgment “hath made darkness its hiding-place,” and the divine appraisement is concealed from our view, so that “no man knoweth whether he be worthy of love or hatred,” in this uncertainty it is manifestly better and safer to act according to the counsel of Divine Truth, and to choose for ourselves the last place, whence we may afterwards be promoted with honour, than to usurp too high a position which we shall soon be compelled to resign in confusion.

We run no risk, consequently, however much we humble ourselves, no matter how much meaner we make ourselves than we really are, that is to say, than we are in the estimation of Infinite Wisdom. But it would be an immense evil and a fearful danger to exalt oneself, be it ever so little, above one’s proper place, for instance, to prefer myself in thought even to one, since, perchance, in the eyes of God, he may be my equal or superior. Let me give you an example to illustrate my meaning. When I am passing through a very low doorway, it will do me no harm to stoop as much as I please. But if I raise myself too high, even by so much as a finger’s breadth, I at once meet with obstruction, and experience the painful sensation of knocking my head against the lintel. It is the same in spiritual things. The soul has nothing to fear from humility, no matter how low she bends. But should she rashly presume to lift herself above her merit, even in the slightest degree, dreadful and exceedingly awful are the evils that threaten her. Wherefore, O man, beware of comparing thyself either with those who are greater than thee or with those who are less than thee, with many, or even with one. For how dost thou know whether he, who appears to thee the vilest and most miserable of all men, whose infamous and utterly abandoned life makes thee shudder with horror, whom thou regardest consequently as deserving of contempt, not only in comparison with thyself—who, in thine own judgment, art living soberly, justly, and piously—but even in comparison with all other criminals, as being the most criminal of all—how, I ask, dost thou know whether such a one may not become hereafter better than both they and thou by the “change of the right hand of the Most High,” or whether he is not so even now in the sight of God? Therefore, the Master recommends us to sit down, not in an intermediate place, nor in the place next the last, nor in one of the last, but in the very last of all. “Go,” says He, “sit down in the lowest place,” so that, placed last and alone, thou mayest not presume, I do not say to prefer, but even to compare thyself to anyone. Behold, my brethren, how great an evil results from lack of self-knowledge, pride, namely, which is the sin of the devil, and the beginning of all sin. As regards the ill-consequences to which the ignorance of God gives rise, I reserve that subject for another occasion. This adjournment is necessitated by the lateness of the hour, for we were not assembled to-day as early as usual. And so let it suffice, meantime, that each of you has been admonished not to remain in ignorance of himself, not only by me, but also by the grace and inspiration of the Bridegroom of the Church, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Amen.