COMMENTARIUM IN CANTICA CANTICORUM

295ASolomon, inspired by the divine Spirit, composed this little book on the marriage of Christ and the Church, and in a certain manner he made an epithalamium of Christ and the Church, that is, a song upon the marriage-chambers. Hence too he called this little book the Song of Songs, because it surpasses all songs. For just as it is said "king of kings," and "Lord of lords," and "solemnity of solemnities," so it is called the Song of Songs on account of its excellence and dignity. Now this book is most obscure in this respect, because no persons are named in it, and it is composed as if in a comic style.

« Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth. » This is the voice of the Synagogue longing for the coming of Christ. As if she said: So many times 295Bhas he promised me his coming through the prophets; let him then come now, and let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth, that is, let him speak to me through his very self. « For thy breasts are better than wine. » Suddenly turning her words to him for whom she burned with desire, she adds: « For thy breasts are better, » etc. By the breasts of Christ is understood the sweetness of the Gospel, because by it, as by milk, the infancy of believers is nourished. But wine signifies the severity of the law; yet the breasts of Christ are better than wine, because the sweetness of the Gospel is better than the severity of the law. For in the law no penance is reserved, but it is commanded that he who sins be put to death; whereas the Gospel says: « I will not the death of the sinner, » etc.

« Fragrant with the best ointments. » The ointments are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or also the good reputations of the virtues, 295Cconcerning which the Apostle says: « We are the good odor of Christ. » « Thy name is as oil poured out. » Thy name, O Christ, is poured out. In Greek it is chrisma, in Latin unctio (anointing), whence "Christ": the name of Christ is called from anointing. For the Holy Spirit is wont to be called by the name of oil, according to what the Psalmist says: « Thy God hath anointed thee with oil, » that is, with the Holy Spirit. This oil was poured out when this grace, which Christ had in a singular way, was given to all the elect; whence too they are called Christians from Christ, by participation in the name of Christ. And well is the oil said not to be dripped but poured out, because this grace has been given abundantly to all who cherish the faith of Christ. « Therefore the maidens have loved thee. » The maidens are said to be the souls of the elect, because in baptism they have left behind the filth of the old man, and have been renewed 295Din Christ. And rightly are they named in the feminine gender, because the souls of the saints, the more conscious they are of their own greater frailty, 296Athe more do they love Christ. The voice of the Church:

« Draw me after thee, we will run. » Here is a change of person. For up to this point the Synagogue has spoken; here the Church of the Gentiles begins to speak: « Draw me after thee, we will run. » Because (she says) I know my own weakness, and I see that by my own powers I can do nothing good, by thy grace draw me to the imitation of thee; or also, when thou hast ascended into heaven, draw me after thee. « The king hath brought me into his storerooms. » Here he speaks of Christ her bridegroom to the faithful souls. The storerooms of God are eternal blessedness and the joys of the heavenly fatherland, into which the Church has already been brought by faith and hope, and one day will be brought in in very fact. « We will exult and rejoice in thee. » In thy gifts (she says) we will exult 296Band rejoice. But because we know that this is not of our own merit, we will exult in thee, not in ourselves: this is what the Apostle says: « He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. » « Being mindful of thy breasts above wine, » that is, mindful of thy grace and thy mercy, by which we have been saved. For the breasts are that very grace by which we have been saved. Remembering also that thou hast deigned to temper the severity of the law with the breasts of evangelical teaching. « The righteous love thee. » Those (she says) who are upright of heart love thee, that is, those who attribute nothing to their own merits but assign everything to thy grace. For no one loves thee except the upright, and no one is upright except him who loves thee. The Church concerning her own afflictions:

« I am black, but beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem. » Here again the Church speaks to the holy souls: I am black, 296Cbecause I suffer persecutions, but I am beautiful in virtues, O daughters of Jerusalem, that is, faithful souls. I am black, that is, disfigured by the persecutions and hardships which I endure, but I am beautiful with the comeliness of the virtues. And how she is black, and how beautiful, she shows when she adds: « As the tents of Cedar, as the skins of Solomon. » For it is distinguished thus: I am black as the tents of Cedar, beautiful as the skins of Solomon. Cedar was the son of Ishmael, and is interpreted "darkness." But the Ishmaelites were always accustomed to dwell in tents, and have no houses. The Church therefore says that she is black as the tents of Cedar, on account of the persecutions which she suffered from the sons of darkness, which is what Cedar is interpreted to mean. Hence the Psalmist says: « I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar, » that is, 296DI have consorted among persecutors and sinners, black with unbelief. But she says she is beautiful as the skins, 297Athat is, the tents of Solomon, who is interpreted "the peaceable," since she was worthy of the visitation and consolation of her bridegroom Christ amid her straits. And just as tents are made from the skins of dead animals, so the Church, namely the tabernacle of God, is built up from those who mortify themselves together with their vices and desires.

« Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath discolored me. » O souls faithful and devoted to God, « do not consider me that I am brown, » that is, that I am afflicted with tribulations, that I am oppressed with persecutions, « because the sun hath discolored me, » that is, the heat of persecution has in a certain manner darkened my splendor. As if she said: Think upon my inner beauty, and attend to that, not to that which I seem outwardly to suffer. Such is what the Apostle also says: Do not faint 297Bin my tribulations for you, which are your glory. For the sufferings are not worthy, etc. But the sun in the Scriptures has many meanings. Sometimes it signifies the very Mediator of God and of men; whence it is written: « Unto you that fear my name the sun of justice shall arise, » that is, Christ. It signifies the Church, as David said: « The just shall shine as the sun. » Sometimes it signifies the heat of persecution, as here, and in the Gospel, where it is said of the seed that fell upon the rock, and when the sun was risen it was scorched. This the Lord himself opens up in explaining it: But when persecution arises for the word's sake, they are scandalized. « The sons of my mother have fought against me, » etc., as far as, « I have not kept. » Whence this persecution began, he shows when he adds: « The sons of my mother have fought, » etc. This is the voice 297Cof the primitive Church. The Synagogue is the mother, to whom it is said through the Prophet: « And thou shalt be called the faithful city, and mother of cities, O daughter of Zion. » Her sons are the Jews, who fought against the primitive Church, when they stirred up persecution against the believers, and all were scattered throughout the regions of Samaria. « They have placed me keeper in the vineyards. » At first the Church at Jerusalem was one vineyard, but through the Jewish persecution, when all the believers were scattered, many vineyards were made, that is, many churches were built throughout the whole world. The primitive Church therefore says: « They have placed me (namely the apostles and teachers) as keeper, » that is, that I might be the keeper of the churches. Whence too in the Greek it is well said: « They were disseminated, » where we read, « they were scattered. » For to this end were they divinely scattered, 297Dthat more churches might be made throughout the whole world. « My vineyard, » that is, that one Church which was at Jerusalem, I have not kept. This is not to be referred to her will nor to her mind, but to place. « I have not kept, » supply: so that it should be there where it began.

« Show me, thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday. » This is the voice of the Church to her bridegroom Christ: O bridegroom, whom my soul loveth, that is, whom I love with the whole intention of my mind, show me where thou feedest, that is, where thou causest thy sheep to feed; for he is the good shepherd, as he himself says in the Gospel. « Show me where thou feedest and where thou liest, » that is, where thou restest, and this in the midday, that is, in the heat of persecution or of temptation. For the Church, laboring in 298Apersecutions, entreats her bridegroom to tell her in whose minds he rests. For to lie down is, for the bridegroom, to rest, as he himself says: « Upon whom my spirit resteth, » etc. For lest the saints wither in the heat of temptation, he himself lies down and rests in their hearts, and protects them from all the heat of temptations and persecutions. Why this? « Lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions. » By the flocks of the companions she means the conventicles of the heretics, who are the companions of Christ, because they too feed their own flocks. And the meaning is: O bridegroom, show me thy saints and thy elect, lest perchance I stumble and fall in among the heretics, thinking that I can find thee there. This verse the heretics wrongly divided, as though the bride asked: Where dost thou feed, where dost thou lie? and he himself answered: 298BIn the midday I lie, and in the southern part.

« If thou know not thyself, O most beautiful among women, go forth and depart after the steps of the flocks. » This is the voice of the bridegroom to his bride the Church: As if he said: Thou complainest that thou art as it were forsaken by me, and blackened by the heats of persecution, and thou considerest not that thou art beautiful among women, that is, thou attendest not to the beauty of the spiritual virtues by which thou art adorned above the rest, although thou art blackened by temptations. If then thou know not thyself, that is, if thou dost not recognize this dignity and comeliness of thine, go forth from my company, and depart after the steps of the flocks; that is, follow and imitate the teaching of the erring heretics, who, despising the true shepherd of the one flock, have heaped up for themselves many flocks. « And feed thy kids, » that is, sinners and erring 298Chearers, beside the tents of the shepherds, that is, according to the doctrines of the heretics. For there is one shepherd, Christ, who has one flock, that is, the unity of the Catholic Church. But the shepherds are many, the heretics, who gather to themselves a flock of deceived men, whom they feed for the devil: concerning whom the Psalmist too says: « They are laid in hell like sheep. » The wicked are called sheep in this place, not on account of simplicity or innocence, but on account of dullness, because they know not how to resist depraved teaching, but bear all that is laid upon them by depraved teachers, with no good patience.

« To my cavalry, in the chariots of Pharaoh, have I likened thee, my love. » By his cavalry he means the army of the sons of Israel, namely the six hundred thousand who 298Dwent forth out of Egypt, and passed through the Red Sea. And he calls that multitude his cavalry, because as a charioteer presides over his chariot, so God presided over his people, protecting and defending it, and bringing it into the land of promise. To this supreme cavalry he likened his love, since as that people was saved through the Red Sea with Pharaoh drowned, so the Church of the Gentiles was freed through baptism from the servitude of the devil, and brought into the true land of promise and to evangelical liberty; and thus she who was the handmaid of the vices was made the love of Christ, cleansed and washed through baptism from the filth of sins.

« Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove's. » It is the nature of the turtledove 299Athat, if by chance it lose its mate, it seeks no other thereafter. The Church, therefore, is likened to the turtledove, because from the time that Christ left the world by his bodily presence and sought the heavens, the Church perseveres most tenaciously in his love, and admits no adulterous lover, because she despises the world and contemplates in her mind the beauty of her bridegroom alone. And he compares the cheeks of the Church to the cheeks of the turtledove, because in the cheeks the modesty of the countenance appears; and by this the shame and modesty of the Church is shown, because she blushes to perpetrate anything foul or that would displease her bridegroom. And the meaning is: Do not fear that thou wilt wander through the flocks of my companions, because I have endowed thee with so great a modesty of my love, and so great a bashfulness, that I am certain thou canst not forsake me or turn aside to strangers. « Thy neck 299Bis as jewels. » By the neck of the Church the holy teachers are designated, for through the neck food is ministered for the restoring of the body. The utterances too, by which the secrets of minds are made known, go forth through the channel of the neck. Thus the holy teachers both minister to us the food of saving doctrine, and also make manifest to us the secrets of the Scriptures. This neck of the Church, therefore, is as a necklace, because the holy teachers adorn it with the gems of chaste doctrine and the ornaments of the virtues. For a necklace is an ornament of virgins or of matrons.

« We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver. » The little chains, according to the letter, are an ornament of the neck of a virgin or a girl, namely little rods of gold intertwined, mixed here and there with a beautiful variety of the finest threads of silver, and this is what he says, 299C« inlaid with silver, » that is, marked out in the manner of the earthen worms which they call earthworms. And the chains are called murenulae from their likeness to the sea-fish which is called the murena (lamprey). Mystically, the little chains are the intertwined doctrines of the Scriptures, joined together by the diverse sentences of the holy Fathers. For gold signifies the brightness of the spiritual sense, while silver designates the luster of eloquence. The bridegroom, therefore, makes golden chains for his bride, when Christ instructs his Church with the teachings of the holy Fathers, shining with sense and eloquence, and kindles it to imitate their faith and virtue. It is to be noted that he says in the plural: « We will make thee, » for Christ as it were joins himself to the persons of the teachers, through whom these very chains are linked together, that his Church may be adorned.

299D« While the king was at his repose. » It is the voice of the bride, calling her bridegroom Christ "king," who by his divinity rules all things, and also, according to his humanity, was born of the royal stock of David. The repose of the king was his incarnation. For to recline is to lie back or to recline again. And Christ then reclined, when for our redemption he bowed himself down even to the taking on of our nature. And then, « my spikenard gave forth its odor, » because the virtue of the Church shone forth the more. For when she considers God made man for her sake, she is the more kindled to the zeal for spiritual virtues and to the love of her Maker. For spikenard designates the fragrance of the spiritual virtues. There were certain holy ones of God before the incarnation. 300ABut, as has been said, holiness grew the more from the time of Christ's incarnation, and then in a certain manner the spikenard of the Church, that is, the odor of the virtues, gave forth its odor more strongly. According to the letter, spikenard is an aromatic herb, with a thick and brittle root, and a small and dense leaf, whose tops spread out into ears. With this ointment Mary Magdalene is read in the Gospel to have anointed the feet and head of the Lord in the house of Simon.

« My beloved is to me a bundle of myrrh: » Myrrh is an aromatic spice, with which the bodies of the dead are embalmed. In this place the passion and burial of Christ are designated: for the body of the Lord, taken down from the cross by Nicodemus and Joseph, was embalmed with myrrh and aloes, and wrapped in linen cloths with spices, and 300Bgiven over to burial. The Church his bride therefore says: « My beloved has become to me a bundle of myrrh, » because for my sake he died and was buried. « He shall abide between my breasts. » No one doubts that the place of the heart is between the breasts. She says therefore: « He shall abide between my breasts, » that is, he shall be held eternally in the memory of my heart, and I shall never forget his so great benefits: but whether in prosperity or in adversity, I shall remember him who loved me, and died.

« My beloved is to me a cluster of Cyprus in the vineyards of Engaddi. » Cyprus is an island where noble vines are said to be, producing very large clusters. Engaddi likewise is said to be a place, having little trees exuding the liquor of balsam. The bride therefore speaks of the resurrection of Christ her bridegroom: « My beloved 300Cis to me a cluster of Cyprus. » As if she said: My bridegroom, who tasted the bitterness of death for me, and was to me as a bundle of myrrh, in his resurrection was made to me a cluster of Cyprus, when he gladdened me with the joy of his resurrection. For wine gladdens the heart of man; and this in the vineyards of Engaddi, because out of his resurrection he became fragrant, as with the sweetest odor of balsam, throughout the whole world, and spread abroad far and wide the fragrance of his faith. Now Engaddi is interpreted "fountain of the kid," by which is signified baptism, and the sacrifice in which all sins are washed away; for the kid signifies sinners. Baptism, therefore, is the fountain of the kid, because it has received sinners, but renders them spotless and cleansed from all sins.

« Behold thou art beautiful, my love. » It is the voice of the bridegroom 300DChrist to his bride the Church. « Behold thou art beautiful: » He repeats twice that she is beautiful, on account of the perfection of her work and the purity of her mind. « Behold thou art beautiful, » that is, thou art perfect in good works, living holily and piously and justly, according to the Apostle. « Behold thou art beautiful, » having a pure and simple intention of heart, because thou workest good things not for the sake of earthly advantages or the glory of the world, but pleasing only the churches of God. « Thy eyes are dove's eyes: » The dove is a most simple bird, and by it the simplicity and innocence of the Church is figured; for she has as it were the eyes of doves, because she keeps herself free from all pretense and dissimulation. Or also she has the eyes of doves, because she understands the knowledge of the divine 301AScriptures with a chaste and simple gaze, seeking in it the spiritual and divine senses; for since the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, rightly is the heavenly teaching understood in the eyes of the dove.

« Behold thou art beautiful, my beloved, and comely. » As if she said: Thou indeed sayest that I am beautiful in work and in thought, but I believe and know that I have all this beauty from thee. For thou art beautiful and comely, thou art the fountain of all good, and whatever good I have, I have by thy grace. And he is called beautiful and comely, because he is wonderful both in the perpetuity of his divinity and also in the dignity of the humanity he took on. « Our little bed is flowery. » The little bed is any tranquillity whatever, or rest of the present 301Blife. For the Church is as it were in war, while for Christ she endures diverse struggles; but she rests as it were in a little bed, when she enjoys some little peace granted to her. But this little bed is flowery, that is, the rest of the Church is marked out with a variety of virtues as with springing flowers. For then she applies herself more freely to divine contemplation, then she carries out more freely her fasts, vigils, and the other good works.

« The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress. » The houses of the Church are the conventicles spread throughout the whole world. And the beams and rafters are the very persons of the faithful, of whom the Church consists. But it is to be attended to that the beams are for the fortifying of the house, the rafters for its adornment. And therefore by the beams are designated the teachers, by whose 301Cteaching the Church is propped up and sustained; but by the rafters, the saints rejoicing in simplicity, who adorn the Church by their virtues, but do not fortify it by teaching. And this is to be attended to, that the rafters are fastened to the beams, so too the life of the faithful in the Church hangs from the teachers, because it is instructed and strengthened by their teaching. And well are the beams said to be of cedar and the rafters of cypress. For both trees are of an incorruptible nature, designating the saints, who burn with unfading desire in the love of their Maker, and, despising transitory things, hasten to the eternal. The cedar too by its odor puts serpents to flight, so the holy teachers by the fragrance of their teaching drive off demons or heretics.

301D« I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys. » After the bride has shown what kind of house she and her bridegroom have, the bridegroom too shows what kind he himself is, saying: « I am the flower of the field, » etc., namely because I diffuse the odor of my virtue throughout the breadth of the whole world. I am the flower, that is, the God of the world. For as a field is adorned and grows green with flowers, so the whole world is adorned with the faith and knowledge of Christ. I am also the lily of the valleys, because I bestow my grace especially on those minds which, having no hope in themselves, submit themselves to me with humble devotion. The valleys signify humble minds, whose lily is Christ, because the beauty of humble minds is he who 302Asaid: « Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart. » And this which he says, « I am the flower of the field, » can also be referred to the incarnation. For the field is not plowed, not cut, not furrowed by any plowshare. He says therefore: « I am the flower of the field, » that is, the son of the Virgin. He calls himself, then, not the flower of the tilled ground, but of the field, because he is the fruit of virginal flesh, according to the prophecy of Isaiah: « There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse. » The same Christ is the lily of the valleys, that is, the son of humble parents. For the valleys signify his humble parents. For the Son of God, coming into the world, deigned not only to become man, but even a poor man for us; nor did he choose to have rich parents, but poor ones, that, being made a partaker of our poverty, he might make us partakers of his riches and glory. 302B

« As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. » Seeing his bride hasten to rest, and flee labors, and through the quiet of the present time tend toward eternal blessedness, whereas she must come thither through the afflictions and labors of this world: « As the lily among thorns, he says, so is my love among the daughters. » The thorns, which prick and tear, signify all the perverse whether within the Church or outside the Church. And the meaning is: Thou must so live, and so must thou be prepared against all adversities, that, as the lily is among thorns and yet ceases not to flower and to send forth from itself a pleasing odor, so is my love among the daughters; because thou sufferest evils not only from those who are outside the Church, but also from those who 302Cseem, regenerated through baptism, to have come into the adoption of God. And note that above the bridegroom called himself the lily of the valleys, now he calls his bride as it were a lily among thorns, because he who is truly the lily makes his Church, through grace, to be a lily, namely white with virtues, or free from all stain of vices.

« As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. » Now the bride, praised by the bridegroom, returns to him his due, and says what kind he too is. « As the apple tree, » she says, etc. As the apple tree has the beauty of its fruits, and a pleasing odor among the wild trees of the woods, so also the Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, shines with a special grace among the sons, that is, among the elect. For he himself is the Son of God 302Dby nature, while the rest of the elect are so by grace, having power from the only Son of God that they should be sons of God. Hence John: « We saw his glory, the glory as it were of the Only-begotten of the Father. » Not of any sort whatever, but as it were of the Only-begotten of the Father. « I sat under the shadow of him whom I desired; » because I trust in his protection, and hope to be governed by him amid adversities. For the shadow of Christ is the protection of his divinity, because it guards and defends the elect. « And his fruit was sweet to my palate; » that is, the contemplation of his divinity, with which I trust to be satisfied: for this is the expectation of the saints, this their reward and satiety, the vision of their Maker. The Church, therefore, desires the shadow of her Maker, because she longs for his protection amid the adversities of the present life. « His fruit is sweet to my palate, » 303Abecause I look to enjoy fully the sight of that vision of his, and to be satisfied with the sweetness of his charity.

« The king brought me into the wine-cellar, he set charity in order within me. » The wine-cellar is the Church, in which is the wine of evangelical doctrine. Into this cellar, then, the bridegroom's love is brought, when out of all nations the faithful are gathered into one Church. He set charity in order (she says) within me. Among all things charity holds the primacy, because in it the Church subsists. Charity therefore is set in order in the Church, because it must be held not rashly nor confusedly, but in order. For God is to be loved above all things with the whole heart, the whole soul, all one's strength, all one's mind. Then the neighbor is to be loved as each one loves himself. For he wishes to confound charity who sets the love of his neighbor before the love 303Bof God. Concerning whom the Lord says in the Gospel: « He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. » Or also « he set charity in order within me, » that is, he himself first loved me, and then taught me how I ought to love him. Whence he himself says: « You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. » And John says: « Let us love God, because he first loved us. »

« Stay me up with flowers, compass me about with apples, because I languish with love. » After the Church, or the soul beloved of God, has said that charity was set in order within her, she shows how she wishes to rest, or in what bed to repose with her beloved bridegroom, saying: « Stay me up with flowers, » etc. She addresses the souls now perfectly cleaving to the divine love. By the flowers, the beginnings of holy conversation are understood; 303Cbut by the apples, the perfect examples of good works. And the meaning is: O holy souls, who cleave to the love of your Maker, stay me up with the examples of good works, and show how you have lived in the beginning of the virtues, or in progress, or in the perfection of good works, because I languish with love. For the soul then languishes with the love of God, when she sets nothing before his love, nay, is made as it were languid and feeble toward worldly works, and nothing delights her save the meditation of heavenly things and the contemplation of her Maker.

« His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. » When (she says) I shall have lain in such a bed, his left hand, that is, the bridegroom's, will be under my head. By the left hand is understood the prosperity of the present time, or also 303Dthe gifts of God which are conferred on the saints in the present; but by the right hand is received the blessedness of the heavenly fatherland. The left hand of the bridegroom, therefore, is under the head of the bride, because the Church receives all these gifts to this end, that through them she may learn to sigh for the eternal things. But the right hand of the bridegroom embraces her, because the whole intention of the Church, or of the faithful soul, is this, that she may one day attain to eternal blessedness, and rejoice in the hope of her Maker. And well is the left hand first under the head, and afterward the bridegroom's right hand embraces her, because she will not be able to attain to the embraces of eternal blessedness, unless here she strive to be a partaker of the heavenly mysteries and the divine gifts.

« I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts 304Aof the fields, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please. » It is the voice of the bridegroom adjuring the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, the friends intent on eternal desires, and seeking the vision of peace, that they stir not up nor disquiet his soul while she is at rest. « I adjure you, » etc.; that is, be unwilling to disquiet the soul given over to divine contemplation, occupied with prayers or divine readings, and to rouse her to outward works; « till she please, » that is, until, the time of contemplation being fulfilled, and the frailty of the body admonishing her, she herself wishes to be roused from the sleep of inner quiet, and to proceed to the doing of temporal things. But let us see by what he adjures the daughters of Jerusalem, namely by the roes and the harts of the fields. The roes and harts are clean animals, hostile to serpents and venoms. 304BThey signify the virtues of the saints, which shine with spiritual cleanness, and not only guard against the venoms of diabolical fraud, but even pursue them, and reduce them to nothing. And the meaning is: I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by your virtues, in which you rejoice as conferred on you by divine grace, that you disquiet not the soul given over to my contemplation, until, the hour of contemplation being finished, she herself wishes to do something else.

« The voice of my beloved, » the voice of the Church. « The voice of my beloved, » supply: this is it. For the Church, rejoicing that she is so greatly loved by the bridegroom, that he even adjures the daughters of Jerusalem for her sake, that they disquiet her not while she rests, says: This is the voice of my beloved speaking for me. Desiring to see whom she loves, but not able, she adds: « Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, 304Cskipping over the hills. » By the mountains and hills are understood all the perfect of holy conversation, sublimely raised up from earthly things, and as it were exceeding the level of the plains by the merits of a better life. Of these mountains Isaiah says: « The mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills. » The bride, therefore, speaks of her beloved: « Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, and skipping over the hills; » that is, exceeding also, according to his humanity, the excellence of all the saints, all the purity of divine contemplation. And he is said not to stand upon the mountains, but to skip over them, because although for an hour he visits the heart of the saints by inward inspiration, yet suddenly he withdraws, that he may kindle them to his love. It can also be referred to the incarnation of Christ, who in coming gave certain leaps, 304Dbecause from heaven he came into the womb of the Virgin, from the womb of the Virgin into the manger, from the manger into baptism, from baptism onto the cross, from the cross to the sepulcher, from the sepulcher to heaven. Hence the Psalmist: « He rejoiced as a giant to run his course, » etc.

« My beloved is like a roe or a young hart. » The roes and harts, although in their nature they have many things which agree with allegorical senses, yet have this as singular, that they do not tarry in the more level places, but in steep and lofty places are wont to give certain leaps. Rightly, therefore, is Christ likened to them, on account of subtle contemplation, and because the majesty of his divinity can be comprehended by no understanding. But he is likened not to the harts, but to the roes, 305Anamely to lesser animals, on account of the humility of his incarnation, because he deigned not only to become man, but to become a humble man. And he is said to be like a young hart, because according to his humanity he drew his origin from the harts, that is, from the patriarchs; or also, on account of the variety of his virtues and his innocence, he is compared to a young hart. « Behold he standeth behind our wall. » The wall is called our mortal condition, because in a certain manner it is set up between us and God as a kind of thick wall, and does not permit us to enjoy fully the contemplation of him. For the first man was so made that he might enjoy the vision and converse of God; but after he sinned, a certain wall was set up, namely that very mortality with which we are weighed down. For (as the Wise Man says) « the body that is corrupted 305Bweigheth down the soul, and the earthly habitation presseth down the mind that museth upon many things. » Her bridegroom, therefore, whom above she compared to roes or young harts, she now says stands behind her wall, because Christ sometimes becomes near, when he permits himself to be contemplated as far as the human mind can grasp; but sometimes he is removed afar, and like a roe or a hart escapes by certain leaps. Because, therefore, a wall was set up between us and him, and we could not see him, he deigned to make in that very wall windows and lattices, through which he might in some way be perceived, in some way be seen. Whence too it follows: « looking through the windows, looking forth through the lattices. » For windows and lattices are as it were made in the wall, when he permits himself to be contemplated by his grace, though in a glass and 305Cin a dark manner. And this which he says, « He standeth behind our wall, » can also be referred to his humanity; for he stood as it were behind our wall, when he set our flesh before himself, in which his divinity lay hidden. But that which follows: « looking through the windows, looking forth through the lattices, » this is referred to his divinity. For he who looks through windows or lattices sees all that is done outside, and is himself seen by no one, and searches out all things, while he himself cannot be searched out and comprehended.

« And my beloved speaketh to me, » he exhorts me to preach, saying: « Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. » It is the voice of the bridegroom calling to the zeal for public work. « Arise, make haste, my love, » through faith and love; 305D« my dove, » through innocence and simplicity; « my beautiful one, » through the beauty of the virtues, hasten « and come. » As if he said: Arise from that most sweet couch of thine, that is, from the quiet in which thou desirest to please me alone in psalms, hymns, and prayers; hasten « and come, » that is, hasten to the profit of thy neighbors, that thou mayest make them too, through the office of preaching and by the example of good works, imitators of thee, and lead them to salvation. And it is to be noted that above he adjured the daughters of Jerusalem not to rouse nor make the beloved to awake; but here he himself rouses her and exhorts her to arise to labor, because all things have their time, and to everything there is a time under heaven, a time of contemplation, a time also of action. For at one 306Atime holy preachers ought to apply themselves to divine contemplation, and to delight their mind with heavenly quiet; but at another time, through charity, they ought to take care of their neighbors, and to offer them the examples of good works, and to bestow the teaching of divine contemplation.

« For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. » By the name of winter and rain, the harshness of unbelief is expressed, which held the whole world until the coming of Christ. The bridegroom therefore says: « Arise, my love, and come, because the winter is past, » the sun of justice appearing, and the rain of unbelief has gone, and the serenity of true faith has shone forth into the world. Such is what the Apostle says: « The night is passed, and the day is at hand. »

306B« The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come. » The winter and the rain being ended, the flowers have appeared, namely the comeliness of the virtues and of chastity, and, the harshness of unbelief passing away, the spring mildness of faith has succeeded. « The time of pruning is come, » that is, of the purging of the saints. For the pruning of the vineyards of the saints signifies the purging which is in Christ and through Christ; concerning whom he himself says: « I am the vine, you the branches. » « The voice of the turtle is heard in our land. » This is the voice of the preaching apostles. For the turtledove is a bird; and since it is always wont to tarry and nest in lofty trees, it signifies the apostles or the other teachers, who can say: « Our conversation is in heaven. » And because it has a groaning for its song, it signifies the weeping of the saints, who 306Cexhort their own to weeping and lamentation, saying: « Be miserable and mourn, » or, « your mourning shall be turned into joy. » The voice of the turtle is heard in our land; that is, the voice of the preaching apostles, in our land, that is, in the Church. Concerning which the Psalmist says: « The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. »

« The fig tree hath put forth her green figs. » The fig tree signifies the Synagogue, and the green figs are the early and unripe figs, unfit for eating, which fall easily at the buffeting of the wind. When the voice of the turtle sounded, the fig tree put forth her green figs, because, the apostles preaching, there came forth many from the Synagogue of the Jews, who believed in Christ, and yet wished to observe the law carnally, and were more delighted by the authority of the law than by the sweetness of the Gospel, wishing to observe circumcision, 306Dthe Sabbath, and the other precepts of the law according to the letter. Concerning whom the Apostle says: They are zealous for you not well, but they would exclude you, that you might be zealous for them; that they may glory in your flesh. « The vineyards in flower yield their sweet smell. » After the voice of the turtle was heard, after the fig tree put forth her green figs, the vineyards in flower yielded their odor; because the multitude of churches was diffused throughout the breadth of the world, which should spread abroad far and wide from themselves the flowers of the virtues and the odor of good repute. « Arise, make haste, my love, my fair one, and come. » Be unwilling (he says), my bride, whom I have made my love through faith and affection, to grow sluggish in idle time, but arise and come, and show outwardly to thy neighbors the examples of the virtues.

307A« My dove, in the clefts of the rock. » If the rock is Christ, according to what the Apostle says, « And the rock was Christ, » the clefts of the rock are the wounds which he received on the cross for our salvation, namely the piercings of the nails and the wound of the lance. In these clefts, therefore, the dove, that is, the Church, tarries, because she has placed all the hope of her salvation in the passion of her Redeemer. There, safe from the snares of the malignant spirits as from the seizure of a hawk, she lies hidden; there she nests, that is, she gathers the offspring of good works. « In the hollow of the wall. » Walls are wont to be made of dry stones for the fortification of vineyards, to drive off foxes or other harmful little beasts. By the wall, therefore, is signified the guardianship of the heavenly virtues, namely the angelic protection, as Isaiah says of the Lord's 307Bvineyard: « And he made a wall about it, and dug round about the vineyard. » In the hollow of the wall, therefore, she tarries, because she is on every side surrounded by the protection of the angels, and guarded from the temptations of the devil. « Show me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears, for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely. » Thou (he says), my beloved, who restest most sweetly in the bed of contemplation, come and show me thy face; that is, go forth from the secret of quiet to public action, and show forth the beauty of thy good works to others for an example. « Show me, » he says: for the Church shows as it were her face to God, when to her neighbors, for their profit and advancement, she demonstrates by the works of the virtues how great a beauty she has within. This is what the Lord says in the Gospel, « Let them see 307Cyour good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. » « Let thy voice sound in my ears. » The voice, namely, of preaching or of divine praise, by which thou mayest make others to profit. For the voice of the Church sounds in the ears of the Lord, when through preaching God is delighted by the conversion of many. And well he says: « Show me thy face, » and thy voice, not another's; namely, show me thy face, which I gave thee in baptism, when I cleansed thee from all sin. « Let thy voice, he says, sound in my ears, » that it may proceed from a sincere intention of my love, that thou preach for no other reason than for my sake.

« Catch us the little foxes, that destroy the vines, for our vineyard hath flourished. » It is the voice of the bridegroom commanding 307Dhis bride and the daughters of Jerusalem, namely the holy teachers or the faithful souls. « Catch us (he says) the little foxes. » The fox is a crafty and fraudulent animal, dwelling in dens and caves, and going not by a straight but by a winding path: and therefore it designates the heretics or schismatics, who destroy the vines, that is, the Church of God, namely the people of the faithful, and cease not to tear and deceive them. He commands, therefore, that they catch the little foxes, that is, that they cease not to war down and destroy heretical depravity in its very beginning, lest, become strong, it assail more mightily. « For our vineyard hath flourished, » that is, the Church throughout the whole world has put forth the flowers of the virtues. And note that whereas above he said "vines" in the plural, 308Anow he says in the singular, « our vineyard hath flourished, » because out of many churches there is one elect Church.

« My beloved to me, and I to him, who feedeth among the lilies, till the day break, and the shadows incline. » The voice of the bride, « my beloved to me, » supply: let him be joined by the bond of charity and love, and I to him let me be conjoined and associated by the alternation of mutual love. And « my beloved, » supply: let him give the words of exhortation and of divine promise, « and I, » supply: will show him my face. Or also: may my beloved deign to be joined to me by the glue of charity, and I to him let me be joined by the bond of worthy obedience, obeying the precepts of him who feedeth among the lilies, that is, is delighted and gladdened among the white and fragrant virtues of the saints. And it is to be noted that above « lily » is said 308Bin the singular, but here in the plural « lilies, » because many are the virtues of the saints, yet there is one faith, and one charity, with which God is especially delighted. Or also, « he feedeth among the lilies, » that is, he is most sweetly delighted among the virginal choirs. For the whiteness of the lilies is rightly compared to virginal purity. « Till the day break, » that is, till the clouds of the present life pass away, and the day appear, that is, till the brightness of everlasting blessedness come. And the meaning is: My beloved bestows on me his aid, and I offer him worthy obedience, who is delighted with the virtues of the saints, until, the night of the present life being run through, in which he is discerned through a glass and in a dark manner, the day of the heavenly brightness appear, that he may be seen face to face.

« Return, be like, my beloved, to a roe or 308Cto a young hart upon the mountains of Bethel. » The voice of the Church desiring the sight of her bridegroom. O my beloved, who commandest me to arise from my bed, and exhortest me to show thee my face, return, that is, permit me to behold the brightness of thy divinity, and this which thou perfectly promisest me in the other life, namely thy blessedness, permit me at least to have in this pilgrimage still in a figure and in a dark manner. « Be like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of Bethel. » It has already been said above that the roes look down on the plains, and strive toward the heights of the mountains. Christ, therefore, is compared to roes, because, rising according to the flesh from the dead, he sought the heights of the heavens; but he is called a young hart, that is, the son of the ancient fathers. For the harts are the patriarchs and prophets, 308Dfrom whom Christ drew the origin of his flesh. The young hart is said to have this nature, that in the burning of the sun it seeks shady and dark places, in which it may be protected from the heat; so too Christ rests in the minds of those who by the dew of the Holy Spirit are tempered from the heats of carnal pleasures. As if he said: O beloved, return, that is, gladden me often by illumining me with thy visitation, thou who through the flesh which thou tookest on hast now penetrated the heights of the heavens. But the mountains of Bethel signify the minds of the saints, raised up from earthly things by heavenly desires. For Bethel, "the rising house," or "the house of vigils," signifies the watchful minds of the saints, which rise up to desire the heavenly things, and keep watch to receive them, 309Ahaving God as their indweller within them, who says through the Prophet: « I will dwell in them, and walk among them. » Upon the mountains of Bethel, therefore, the beloved is like a roe or a young hart, because he deigns to visit those minds which strive to be the house of God.

« In my little bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and found him not. » The voice of the Church gathered from the Gentiles. In my little bed (she says), while I was still placed in the darkness of unbelief and ignorance, I sought him whom my soul loveth. For many of the philosophers, being ignorant of God, yet with the highest zeal sought him, wishing to know the Creator through the creature; as Plato, who in the Timaeus disputed much concerning the soul, and as Aristotle, Socrates, 309Band the rest, who spent all the time of their life in the studies of searching out the truth. « I sought him, and found him not. » For God could not be known through worldly wisdom.

« I will rise, and will go about the city: in the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, and found him not. » I will rise up from there, from the couch of the body and of carnal delight, and I will go about the city of this world, traversing seas and lands. « In the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth, » that is, I will look upon those who walk in the wide ways of this world, and are given over to their pleasures, whether perchance in them I may look upon the traces of my beloved. Although this may be said of many, yet it was especially fulfilled in that eunuch 309Cwho came from the ends of the earth to Jerusalem to adore the God of heaven, whom Philip found, and showed him Christ in the prophecy of Isaiah. This too was fulfilled in Cornelius, who, still a pagan and ignorant of God, gave alms, and was constant in prayers, whom Peter baptized with his household. And there was still a difficulty of finding, and she says: « I sought, and found him not. »

« The watchmen who keep the city found me. » The watchmen are the holy ones and the other teachers of the Church, who keep the city, that is, the holy Church, and defend it from the snares of the unfaithful enemies. Whom she asks, « Have you seen him whom my soul loveth? » The Church asks as it were the watchmen, when with attentive ear she receives their preaching.

309D« When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth. » To pass by the watchmen is to search out their sayings and teaching diligently. For we are wont to say: I have run through a book in reading it, or I have passed through it. When (she says) I had passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth. Because when with careful meditation we seek out the sayings or writings of the saints, at once we find the beloved, because we discover the Lord in their doctrine. It can also be understood thus: When I had passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth, that is, when I had understood that Christ surpasses all loftiness and grace, then I found him whom my soul loveth, that is, then I truly understood how far he stands apart from the merits of the other saints. « I held 310Ahim, nor will I let him go, till I bring him into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her that bore me; » that is, with a most ardent faith and devotion I cleaved to him. « Nor will I let him go, » but I will persevere in his love and faith, « till I bring him into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her that bore me; » that is, till I preach him to the Synagogue, which is spiritually my mother, and lead her too to his faith. This shall come to pass in the day of judgment, when (as the Apostle says) « the fullness of the Gentiles shall have come in, then all Israel shall be saved. » So greatly, therefore, does the Church promise herself concerning the charity of her bridegroom, that she believes she can even convert the Synagogue. But that which she says, « Till I bring him, » it is not to be thought that she will then leave him, when she shall have brought him into the chamber of her mother, 310Bbut Till is put for the everlasting, that is, I will always cleave to him, I will always persevere in his faith and love. Such is the passage in the psalm: So « our eyes are unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us. » Shall it be that after he has had mercy on us, our eyes will not be unto him? Surely they will.

« I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, until she please. » This little verse is repeated twice: for it has already been said above, but above it pertains to the primitive Church gathered from the Jews, whereas here to the Church gathered from the Gentiles, and coupled to Christ by the bond of love. For one and the same is God's care concerning the saints, who pleased him either in the circumcision, or also in the time of baptism, when the 310Cgrace of the Gospel shone forth. But because this little verse has been expounded above, it is now to be seen why he brings in the Church as it were sleeping, whence too he adjures the daughters of Jerusalem not to rouse her, when a little above he brings her in not sleeping or resting, but applying herself to the zeal of a most laborious search, by which she sought the bridegroom. If, then, she was seeking the bridegroom, how was she resting? But it is a most sweet and most pleasant sleep to seek Christ. The Church, therefore, sleeps, and seeks Christ; she sleeps, namely, from earthly desires, from the acts of the world, but she watches and seeks the bridegroom, because she cleaves to his contemplation, she desires him alone, she strives to attain to him. The bridegroom, therefore, adjures the daughters of Jerusalem, namely the souls cleaving to the desires of the heavenly fatherland, 310Dthat they rouse her not from this sleep of most sweet quiet and contemplation until she herself please. But sleep is deservedly called death, because as one sleeping closes his eyes to visible things, and contemplates the invisible, so he who applies himself to divine contemplation is as it were a stranger, and sleeps to outward things, and sees only the spiritual and heavenly things. Nor is it a wonder if love is called sleep, since in what follows love is called death: « Love is strong as death. » But when he says: « Until she please, » he shows that the Church of the Gentiles will willingly prepare herself even to bear labors and persecutions for Christ.

« Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a little rod of smoke of the aromatical spices of myrrh and frankincense, and of all the powders 311Aof the perfumer? » The voice of the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, of the saints of the primitive Church, marveling at the beauty of the Church gathered from the Gentiles. « Who is she (they say)? » Who, that is, of what sort. Of how great praise and admiration worthy, who, not cleansed by circumcision, nor yet sanctified by baptism, already runs to God? « She goeth up (they say) by the desert. » This is said in imitation of the ancient Jewish people, which, freed from the Egyptian servitude, through the desert, the Red Sea being crossed, came to the land of promise. So too the Church went up through the desert of the nations, now freed from Egypt (that is, from the confusion of idolatry), and, Pharaoh, that is, the devil, being drowned, that she might be fed with the heavenly manna, and enter the true land of promise. « She goeth up (they say) » to the mountains 311Bof the virtues, or also to him himself, raised up by the virtues, who says in the psalm: « I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, » etc., and elsewhere: « To thee have I lifted up my eyes, who dwellest in the heavens. » The mountains themselves are the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and the other saints of God, who are deservedly called mountains of the virtues. For first the Church, or the faithful soul, lifts up her eyes to the mountains, that is, to the saints, because she considers their teaching and acts, and rejoices to be fortified by their example and intercession. Afterward, advancing, she dares to direct the gaze of her heart to him too who made the mountains, and says: « To thee have I lifted up my eyes, who dwellest in the heavens, » that is, who restest graciously in the saints. « As (she says) a little rod of smoke of the aromatical spices of myrrh and frankincense. » Smoke is born of fire, and soon seeks the higher parts of the air, until 311Cit is withdrawn from the sight of those beholding. Smoke, therefore, signifies holy desire suffused with the fire of divine love. And not absurdly is the smoke compared to a little rod, because the holy Church, or the soul loving God, is slender and delicate, made thin by the disciplines of the Holy Spirit, not having the thickness of carnal desires. Or the little rods of smoke are compared to unscattered smoke, on account of the unity of the Church, which in Christ is one. And whence that smoke came, she shows when she adds: « Of myrrh and frankincense, and of all the powders of the perfumer. » With myrrh the bodies of the dead are embalmed, but frankincense is burnt in the sacrifice of God: and therefore by the myrrh the mortification of the flesh is designated, by the frankincense the purity of prayers is expressed. To little rods of smoke, therefore, of myrrh and frankincense the Church is likened, because the saints, by the mortification of their flesh 311Dand by prayers suffused with a pure and simple heart, strive to please God. « And of all (she says) the powders of the perfumer, » that is, of the heap of all the virtues. But the aromatical spices are said not to have been whole, but reduced to powder, because the actions of the saints are to be considered with great discretion, and to be winnowed as it were with the finest sieve of consideration, lest perchance anything unfitting exist in them, or the thousand-formed adversary steal in through the very virtues, who, being crafty, is wont to do harm even through good things.

« Behold the little bed of Solomon, threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel surround it, all holding swords, and most expert in war. Every man's sword upon his thigh. » Whither this beloved had gone up is shown 312Awhen it is added: « Behold the little bed of Solomon, » etc. The bed of Solomon, although the heavenly rest of that celestial blessedness may be understood, in which God rests with his saints, yet is more probably understood as the present rest, in which the saints of God, the tumults of the vices being lulled to sleep, are delighted with the embrace of Solomon, that is, of the true Peaceable One. Whence too the Psalmist says of Christ: « His place is made in peace, and his abode in Zion. » The little bed of Solomon, therefore, that is, the Church of Christ, threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel surround. By the threescore valiant ones is understood the order of the elect, who either by preaching fortify the Church, or by contemplating desire to attain to that heavenly blessedness. Now the number sixty consists of six and ten. For six times ten, or ten times six, 312Bmake sixty. And six signifies the perfection of work, because in six days God perfected his works: but ten signifies the recompense and reward, which at the end shall be given to the elect. Whence too those who came into the vineyard are read to have received a penny. The threescore valiant ones, therefore, signify (as has been said) the holy teachers, valiant and constant in mind. And it is added: « Of the most valiant of Israel. » All who believe in Christ, and love Christ, are called Israel (that is, "a man seeing God"). But the most valiant of Israel are those who know how to protect the Church by preaching, and to defend it from the assaults of demons or the attack of heretics. These, therefore, surround the little bed of Solomon, because to them the Church is committed, and by them it is to be guarded with watchful care. « All holding swords, and most expert in war; 312C» for they hold the spiritual sword of the word of God, of which the Apostle says: « And take (he says) the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. » And they are most expert in war, because it is necessary that those be instructed in the art of spiritual battle who wage wars against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. For that enemy is most cunning, and of so great subtlety of spiritual nature, being also by the long span of time most expert, against whom the saints take up their wars. « Every man's sword upon his thigh because of fears in the night. » By the thigh is received the propagation of offspring. Upon the thigh, therefore, they have their swords, because by the fear of God all are restrained, and they curb the motions of carnal pleasure. And this « because of 312Dfears in the night, » that is, because of the hidden snares of the malignant enemy, who in the night of this world especially lies in wait for the saints who are preeminent in the Church, that, they being deceived, he may defile the little bed of Solomon, that is, the rest of the saints. And it is to be noted that above they are said to hold swords, but here to have the sword upon the thigh. For they hold swords, that they may resist the adversaries, and pierce through the heretics and all who contradict the sound faith. Upon the thigh, therefore, they have their swords, that they may take care of themselves, that they may repress the flux of carnal pleasures, lest, preaching to others, they themselves become reprobate.

« King Solomon made himself a litter of the wood of Lebanon. » What above was designated by the bed of Solomon, this 313Anow is designated by the litter, namely the holy Church, in which the saints of God rest as in a bed, and as in a bed recline at the banquets of eternal satiety. Of the wood of Lebanon Solomon made a litter. Lebanon is a mountain of Phoenicia, whose trees are preeminent above the rest in height and beauty and durability, and therefore they signify the saints shining with the hope of the virtues and hastening to the eternal things. For Lebanon is interpreted "whitening," or "whitening out." The wood of Lebanon, therefore, are the saints made white and whitened in baptism, and adorned with all the beauty of the virtues.

« The pillars thereof he made of silver. » By the pillars are signified the teachers of that same Church, who sustain and strengthen it by word and example. Whence in the Acts of the Apostles: « James, and John, and Cephas, 313Bwho seemed to be pillars. » These pillars are of silver, because they shine with the brightness of heavenly eloquence. « For the words of the Lord are chaste words, » etc. « The seat of gold, the going up of purple. » By the seat of gold, the eternal rest is received, which is promised to the saints in the Church, to which nevertheless the going up is of purple. The going up of purple is the passion of Christ, because purple imitates the color of blood. By the going up of purple, therefore, one comes to the seat, because they come to the reclining at the eternal banquets and to the rest of the heavenly quiet who in the present strive worthily to venerate and imitate the passion of their Redeemer. « The midst he paved with charity, for the daughters of Jerusalem. » He paved the midst with charity, because Christ commended his charity to all the faithful, 313Cby suffering for us, and by preparing rest for us, according to what the Apostle says: But God commendeth his charity toward us, because when as yet we were sinners, he delivered up his Son to death for us. In another way: By the silver pillars, the apostles and apostolic men are designated; by the seat of gold, the order of teachers, who, when they promise the ineffable things of eternal life, cause us assuredly to rest sweetly. And this seat is well called golden, because ineffable is that reward which the saints await. For among perishable things nothing is more precious than gold. But by the going up of purple, the order of martyrs is marked, who, having imitated the passion of Christ, poured out their blood for him. But what shall we do, says the blessed Gregory, who are of no merit? Neither 313Damong the teachers, nor among the martyrs, do we seem to have a place. There follows: « The midst he paved with charity. » Let us therefore have charity, with which the midst of this litter is paved, which is also for this reason called the broad commandment, because for all its keepers it prepares eternal salvation. Let us hold this effectually, and through it we shall be saved. And this for the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, for the simple souls, conscious to themselves of no virtue, who, the more they are conscious of their own frailty, the more do they strive to love their Savior and Redeemer.

« Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, king Solomon in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the joy of his heart. » 314AThe voice of the Church inviting the souls of the faithful to behold how wonderful and beautiful is her bridegroom. For the daughters of Zion are the churches, which are also daughters of Jerusalem, namely holy souls, citizens of that heavenly city, who both enjoy perpetual peace with the angels, and through contemplation behold the glory of the Lord. Go forth (she says), O daughters of Zion, that is, go out from the turbulent conversation of this world, that with mind unencumbered you may be able to contemplate him whom you love. And see (she says) king Solomon, that is, the true Peaceable One, Christ, « in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him. » As if she said: Consider Christ, clothed for you in flesh, which flesh he took on from the flesh of the Virgin his mother. For he calls the diadem the flesh which Christ took on 314Bfor us, in which by dying he destroyed the empire of death, in which too he conferred on us the hope of rising again. Of this diadem the Apostle says: We see Jesus, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. And his mother is said to have crowned him, because the Virgin Mary furnished him, from her own flesh, the material of his flesh. « In the day of his espousals, » that is, in the time of the incarnation, when he joined the Church to himself, not having spot or wrinkle, or when God was joined to man. « And in the day of the joy of his heart. » For the joy and gladness of Christ is the salvation and redemption of the human race, according to what in the Gospel, seeing many flow together to his faith, in that (says the evangelist) hour he rejoiced, and said: « I confess to thee, O Father of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and 314Cprudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. » And in the Gospel parable, the sheep being found, he called together his friends, saying: « Rejoice with me. » This too can be referred simply and wholly to the passion of Christ according to the letter. Solomon also, foreseeing in spirit the passion of Christ, long before forewarned the daughter of Zion, that is, the Israelite people, saying, « Go forth, » « and see king Solomon, » that is, Christ, « in the diadem, » that is, in the crown of thorns, « wherewith his mother crowned him, » the Synagogue, « in the day of his espousals, » namely when he joined the Church to himself; « and in the day of the joy of his heart, » in which he rejoiced that the world was redeemed through his passion from the diabolical power. Go forth, therefore, that is, go out from the darkness of unbelief, and see (that is, understand in 314Dyour mind) that he who suffers as a man is true God: or also go forth outside the gate of your city, that you may see him crucified on Mount Golgotha.

« How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful art thou and comely. » The voice of Christ. He repeats twice, « how beautiful art thou, » namely in work and in preaching. In work, because thou doest nothing foul, nothing unworthy of my eyes; in preaching, because thou ceasest not to invite even thy companions of Jerusalem to consider the mystery of my incarnation. « Thy eyes are dove's eyes. » By the eyes is understood the keenness of the spiritual senses, 315Awith which the Church contemplates the divine and everlasting things. But the eyes of the Church are compared to a dove on account of spiritual grace, because the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove. There follows: « Besides that which is hid within; » that is, besides the glory of that heavenly recompense which thou art to receive at the end of the world, which, although in the present thou contemplate it through faith, yet lies hidden within: for it cannot be seen in the present, but shall be perfected in the future. « Thy hair is as flocks of goats, which come up from Mount Galaad. » By the hair of the Church are received the subtle thoughts of the Church, by which temporal things are for the most part disposed. And they are compared to flocks of goats, because these animals are clean, and feed on their backs among the crags or in lofty places; because the thoughts of the saints, 315Balthough for bodily necessity they are engaged in temporal things, yet do not depart from the intention of the eternal, and even in that very care which they bestow on bodily necessity, they as it were always gaze upon heaven. We can also by the eyes receive the teachers and preachers of the Church, who in the body, whose head is Christ, hold the highest place, and see heavenly and spiritual things beyond the other members. But by the hair, the innumerable multitude of the simple faithful, established in the lay order, who, although they see spiritual things less, yet by their multitude and number furnish a great adornment to the Church. And well are they compared to flocks of goats. The goat suits sinners, by which are understood the peoples of the faithful given over to the actions of the world, which cannot be done without sin. Well 315Cdoes it follow: « Which come up from Mount Galaad. » Galaad is interpreted "heap of testimony" according to the letter, for this reason, that when Jacob was returning from Mesopotamia, Laban pursued him, and on the third day found him, and there in testimony of the mutual covenant they raised a heap of stones. Mystically, the heap of testimony is Christ, in whom stands the multitude of all the saints, who are living stones, adhering to that true stone of which Peter says: « Unto whom coming, a living stone, you also as living stones are built up. » The flocks of goats, therefore, came up from Mount Galaad, because the multitudes of the saints ascend to the heights of the virtues, and strive to follow in all things the teaching and precepts of Christ.

« Thy teeth as flocks of sheep that are shorn, which 315Dcome up from the washing. » As by the hair of the Church the innumerable multitude of the simple faithful is understood, so also by the teeth the teachers of the Church are understood: for with the teeth we grind our food. And the holy teachers are well conformed to teeth, because the spiritual foods which the simple cannot grasp, they in a certain manner break up small by expounding. Peter especially was the teeth of the Church, to whom it was said in the vision: « Arise, kill, and eat. » As if it were said: Those whom thou convertest to the faith, kill from that which they are, that they may cease to be sinners; and eat, that is, transform them into the body of the Church. And well are these teeth compared to sheep shorn and washed in the washing. For sheep are wont after shearing to be washed in running water, 316Alest the unwashed sweat cling to the body, and generate the scab. For shorn are the holy teachers and masters of the Church, who are both washed in the washing of baptism; and have lost their fleeces, that is, their faculties and substances, for Christ. To all the faithful indeed suits that which he says: « Which come up from the washing, » for no one can be faithful without the washing of baptism. But shearing does not suit all, because not all are so perfect that they are able to lose their goods for Christ, but this especially befits those who, according to the word of the Lord, sell all their goods, and give to the poor, and naked and unencumbered follow Christ. Such, therefore, are the teeth of the holy Church, that is, its preachers and masters, sheep washed in baptism through innocence, rejoicing in voluntary poverty 316Band in the surrender of their goods. There follows: « All with twins, and there is none barren among them. » Because they are preeminent in the twin charity and love of God and of the neighbor, and teach that this be observed, or also because they preach faith and work. And there is none barren among them, namely no one estranged from good works.

« Thy lips are as a scarlet fillet, and thy speech is sweet. » By the lips of the Church the holy preachers are received, who are also figured by the teeth. But scarlet has the appearance of blood or of fire. The lips of the Church, therefore (that is, the holy preachers), are compared to a scarlet fillet, because they assiduously preach the passion of Christ, who for our redemption poured out his blood; or they are likened to a scarlet fillet, because the preachers burn with love, loving those 316Cto whom they impart words, and also those from whom they suffer evils. To this too it pertains that the Holy Spirit appeared in fiery tongues, because he made the apostles both speaking and burning, burning with love, speaking with preaching. And well is it called a scarlet fillet. For a fillet binds and constrains the hair, and the holy teachers by their preaching bind together the multitude of the faithful in the Church unto the unity of faith and love, and reduce them into one comeliness. By the hair can also be received the subtle thoughts of the mind. With a scarlet fillet, therefore, we bind the hairs, when we constrain and curb our thoughts with the discipline of the fear of God. « And thy speech is sweet. » Sweet is the speech of the Church, when the holy teachers either recall to memory the passion of their Redeemer, 316Dand preach how greatly God loved man, or also when they announce the heavenly rewards to their hearers. « Thy cheeks are as a piece of a pomegranate, besides that which lieth hid within. » By the cheeks we said above that the Church is figured. For when we are ashamed, the redness of blood is poured out in the cheeks. But the pomegranate has a reddish rind, while within it is full of a multitude of seeds: whence too it is called the seeded apple. By the piece of a pomegranate, therefore, is received the memory of that same Lord's passion, which is also figured above in the scarlet. For one thing is wont to be expressed by diverse figures. The cheeks of the Church, therefore, are compared to a piece of a pomegranate, because the holy teachers reverently keep the memory of the passion 317Aof their Redeemer, nor are they ashamed of his cross, nay, they glory, saying with the Apostle: « But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; » and elsewhere the Apostle, writing to his disciple: « Be not thou (he says) ashamed of the cross of Christ, nor of me his prisoner. » And well are the cheeks compared not to a whole pomegranate, but to a piece. For the pomegranate, when it is broken, shows redness without, whiteness within. So too the holy preachers, when they announce the passion of Christ, are as it were red without; but when they demonstrate how great a profit of our redemption has come thence, and that man through the passion of Christ has merited not only to be justified from sins, but even to be admitted to the divine fellowship, it is as it were white which lies hidden within. There can 317Balso by the cheeks of the Church be figured the martyrs, who are reddened by the shedding of their blood, like a pomegranate. But the pomegranate being broken, whiteness appears within, because after death they shine with miracles.

« Thy neck is as the tower of David, which is built with bulwarks. » The neck of the holy Church is its holy preachers and teachers. For the same are here designated by the neck who above were designated by the eyes or by the teeth; namely the holy preachers, who, like necks, transmit to the body, for its nourishing, the food of the word received, and utter forth the voice of divine preaching to their hearers. Or also the holy teachers are marked by the neck, because as through the neck the head and the other members are joined to the body, so the holy teachers are as it were mediators between Christ and the rest 317Cof the faithful whom they instruct, and as it were join Christ to his body, that is, to the Church. And this neck is compared to the tower of David. David, who is interpreted "strong of hand" or "desirable in appearance," signifies Christ. And the whole Church indeed is the city of David, that is, of the great king Christ, who is strong of hand, since he conquered the devil, according to what the Psalmist says: « The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. » He is also desirable in appearance, because (as the Apostle says) the angels desire to look upon him. But the tower of this city are those who are preeminent above the rest either in knowledge or in the perfection of work. « Which is built with bulwarks. » The bulwarks are the divine mysteries of the holy Scriptures, from which, as it were darts, proceed the shafts by which the adversary 317Dpowers are driven back. « A thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armor of valiant men. » By the thousand bucklers are understood the innumerable defenses of the divine protection, with which the holy Church is walled about and defended. « All the armor of valiant men, » that is, the equipment either of holy work or of divine preaching. And well is the neck of the Church, that is, its preachers and teachers, compared to the tower of David, because they are always as it were in war, fighting for the defense of the holy Church.

« Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. » The two breasts of the Church signify the same holy teachers. Nor is it a wonder that one and the same thing is figured in diverse ways. For the holy teachers are eyes, because the ways of life which they ought to enter upon they 318Ademonstrate to those subject to them; they are teeth, because they grind and break up small the foods of the divine Scriptures, that they may be chewed; they are the neck, because they join the head and the members, that is, Christ and the Church. These same teachers, therefore, are also the breasts of the Church, because they nourish the little ones and the simple faithful with the milk of the word of God, according to what the Apostle, speaking to the more simple, says: « I could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, and as unto little ones in Christ I gave you milk to drink, not meat. » And well he says not simply "breasts," but with an addition, « two breasts, » since a woman has neither more nor less than two breasts, because assuredly the holy teachers nourish the little ones from either people, namely the Jewish and the Gentile, with the milk of the word of God. For Paul too says of himself: « He who wrought in Peter 318Bto the apostleship of the circumcision, wrought in me also among the Gentiles. » And fitly are the two breasts said to be as two young twin roes, because namely they are the offspring and the sons of our Savior Jesus Christ, who above was designated by the roes: for these animals both see most keenly, and with exceeding swiftness ascend the higher places. So too the teachers of Christ both themselves see what is to be done, and show it to others, and, despising earthly things, strive toward the heavenly. « Who feed among the lilies, » that is, they are delighted with the purest and brightest senses of the Scriptures.

« Till the day break, » that is, till that eternal day come which the Psalmist desired, saying: « Better is one day in thy courts above thousands; » « and the shadows incline, » that is, till the sorrows and perturbations 318Cof this world pass away. « Till the day break, » that is, till the day arise. For the day shall appear, that is, shall arise, when that true sun of justice, that is, Christ, shall appear; and then the shadows shall incline, that is, all the clouds of sorrow and the darkness of the present world shall pass away. But if we wish also to look upon the letter itself, he has beautifully expressed the rising of day and of night. For night is nothing else but the shadow of the earth, which rises up when the sun goes down. But when the sun again ascends above the lands, the shadows incline, that is, night sinks away. They feed, therefore, among the lilies till the day break and the shadows incline, because the preaching and teaching of the holy teachers is necessary only in the present life: for in the other life, after the eternal day shall have appeared and the night of the present world shall have ended, it will 318Dnot be necessary that anyone be taught, because all, the face being revealed, shall contemplate the glory of the Lord. Whence too the Lord says through the Prophet: A man shall not teach his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me from the least even to the greatest. « I will go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. » In the myrrh, the mortification of the flesh, or the endurance of sufferings for Christ; but in the frankincense, the devotion of holy prayers is received. The mountain of myrrh, therefore, and the hill of frankincense are the minds of the saints, lofty through contemplation. The bridegroom therefore promises that he will come to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense, because he deigns to visit with his visitation those minds which mortify their members with the vices and desires, 319Awhich also make of themselves, through the pursuits of holy prayers, a sacrifice pleasing to God.

Thou art all fair, my love, and there is no spot in thee. » The voice of the bridegroom to his love the bride. « Thou art all fair. » In every part (he says) thou receivest no spot nor wrinkle. For not only the teachers or all the perfect are fair before the eyes of God, who are preeminent in the highest knowledge and contemplation, but also all the simple faithful, who are adorned with right faith and good works, are held fair in the eyes of the bridegroom. For as the Psalmist says, « he hath blessed all that fear the Lord, both little with the great; » therefore he says: « Thou art all fair, » not a part of thee. This we say not because anyone in the present life can be without sin, since it is written: « There is no one upon 319Bthe earth without sin, not even an infant of one day; » but for this reason, because perfect faith and heavenly desire wipe away every spot of lighter sin: for it is not now a question of grave sins, which they who commit are no longer the bride of Christ, nor have any particle of this holy beauty. Hence it is that John says: He who is born of God sinneth not, supply: with a sin unto death, not that anyone is free from light sin, without which this life is not led. All fair, therefore, is the Church, insofar as she keeps herself chaste and free from all sin. But if at any time she is darkened with a light sin, by swift penitence and right faith the ancient beauty is repaired in her unto heavenly desire.

« Come from Lebanon, my bride, come from Lebanon, 319Ccome. » Lebanon is a mountain of Phoenicia. Now from the Hebrew it is interpreted as a whitening or a making-white, but from the Greek it is interpreted as frankincense. Whence also above, where he speaks: « I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hills of frankincense, » a hill of Lebanon is meant. Therefore the bridegroom calls his bride, made white by baptism, whitened with the brightness of all the virtues, glowing with zeal for holy prayers. He calls her that she may come, that is, that she may advance in the virtues. God calls the soul not only when he leads it, stripped of the bonds of the flesh, to the heavenly rewards, but he also exhorts it by inward inspiration to advance in the virtues. For as many steps as the saints advance in the virtues, by so many steps, as it were, they press on toward God; and he says « come » three times, because he wills her to be perfect in thought, in speech, and in deed. Or else 319Dhe calls her first, that she may come to him through faith; he calls her a second time, that, now freed from the body, she may receive a worthy recompense of the heavenly rewards; he calls her a third time, that on the day of the general resurrection, the body now taken up again, she may rejoice, adorned forever with a twofold robe. « Thou shalt be crowned from the head of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards. » Amana, they say, is that mountain of Cilicia called Amanus, which is also called Taurus. But Sanir and Hermon are mountains of Judaea, on which lions and leopards are said to dwell. By these mountains, however, are understood the powers of the world, namely kings and princes, who like mountains are lifted up in pride, and who provide dens for the malign spirits as though for lions and leopards. 320AFor the malign spirits are called lions on account of their pride, leopards on account of their ferocity, or also on account of their thousand arts of harming, since the leopard is a spotted animal. From these mountains, therefore, the Church is crowned, when the princes of the world are converted to the faith of Christ, and the Church is rewarded not only for her own virtues, but also for the conversion and salvation of such men. This too can be taken in the present: for the Church is crowned from the top of these mountains, when, the princes being made subject to the catholic faith, the Church, which before was pressed down, is crowned and glories in Christ, as was done in the time of Constantine, when, upon his conversion, the Church was marvelously glorified. She is crowned too from the dens of lions and the mountains of leopards, when she converts the proud and all the savage and crafty, 320Band receives eternal rewards for their conversion also.

« Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my bride, thou hast wounded my heart. » His bride and his sister he calls the holy Church, who is both bride, because Christ incarnate betrothed her to himself, and, cleansing her from the filth of sins, joined her to himself with the dowry of the Holy Spirit; and she is sister, because, being incarnate for her sake, he deigned to become her brother, as, rising from the dead, he said to the women: « Go, announce to my brethren. » When therefore he says that he has his heart wounded, he expressed the greatness of the love with which he loves his holy Church. And he affirms this by repeating and pressing it, « Thou hast wounded my heart, » that by such repetition he may show how greatly he loves his Church. But by what 320Cthing it has been wounded he shows by adding: « In one of thine eyes, and in one hair of thy neck. » By the eyes of the Church we said above that the spiritual senses or the holy teachers are to be understood. But by the hairs, the multitudes of the subject peoples, by whom the holy Church is adorned. And the sense is: Though thou art wholly beautiful, O Church, and though I love thee for many things, yet chiefly the brightness of thy spiritual senses and the sincerity of thy teachers delights me; the simplicity too of the subject peoples, who piously and faithfully obey the words of the teachers. And rightly, whereas above he said in the plural eyes and hairs, here he says in the singular in one eye and in one hair, that by this the unity of the holy teachers may be expressed. For the unity of heavenly doctrine is that which they bestow upon their subjects. « For there is one 320DLord, as the Apostle says, one faith, one baptism, » and likewise one devotion of the subject faithful. This too which he says, « thou hast wounded my heart, » can be taken of the passion of Christ: » Thou hast wounded my heart, that is, by thy love thou hast brought it about that I should be wounded on the cross. But it is to be noted that he says, « in one hair of thy neck »: for by the neck we said the teachers are signified, and the hair of the Church clings to the neck, whereby the subject peoples are nourished by the holy teachers, and cling to their sound doctrine, and strive to live according to their precepts.

« How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my bride. » By the breasts we said above that these same teachers are figured, who are also designated by the eyes; for 321Athe holy teachers are breasts, that is, they nourish the humble with simple doctrine; they are eyes, when they preach all the highest and heavenly things. He says therefore: « How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my bride; that is, how beautiful are thy teachers, since their word both excels in eloquence and is precious for the weight of its meanings. « Thy breasts are more beautiful than wine. » This little verse has already been expounded above, where it is said: « Thy breasts are better than wine. » And this is to be noted, that above the Church praised the breasts of her bridegroom, saying: « Thy breasts are better than wine, » but now in turn the bridegroom extols the breasts of his bride, that by this the unity of Christ and the Church may be commended. For Christ is the head, and the Church his body: for the beginning of the Gospel preaching surpasses the sentence of the Law. « And the odor of thy ointments above 321Ball aromatics. » The ointments of the Church are the charisms of heavenly doctrine, or also the fame of the virtues which is fragrant from the Church; but by the aromatics are understood the observances of the Law. Above the aromatics, then, is the odor of the ointments of the Church, because the fame of the Gospel perfection transcends all praise of the observance of the Law.

« Thy lips are a dripping honeycomb, O bride. » A honeycomb is honey in the wax. Now honey in the wax is spiritual understanding within the letter. The lips of the Church, therefore, are called a dripping honeycomb, because the holy teachers, who are designated by the lips, bring forth spiritual instructions for the faithful who are to be taught. And not only a honeycomb, but a dripping one are the lips of the Church called. For the honeycomb drips, when 321Cthe abundance of honey overflowing can no longer be contained in the waxen cells. Rightly, therefore, is Holy Scripture called a dripping honeycomb, because it is understood in manifold ways and expounded in various senses, now according to the letter, now according to allegory, now according to morality, now according to anagogy, that is, the higher sense. « Honey and milk are under thy tongue. » Milk befits little ones, and therefore by milk is designated the simple doctrine with which the beginning of believers is imbued; but honey, which is believed to be made from the dew of heaven, signifies the heavenly and spiritual doctrine which befits the perfect and the instructed. Under the tongue of the Church, then, are honey and milk, because sometimes they announce the heavenly mysteries to the perfect, sometimes plain and simple things to the untrained. « And the odor of thy garments is like the odor of frankincense. » The garments of the Church are the ornaments of good 321Dworks, according to what John says in the Apocalypse: « For the fine linen is the justifications of the saints. » And in Job it is said: « I was clothed with justice, and I clothed myself as with a robe and a diadem, with my judgment. » But by frankincense we said the purity of holy prayers is designated. The garments of the Church, then, are compared to frankincense, because all the works of the Church are as it were prayers. For in all that she does she always entreats the Lord, and in such manner is fulfilled that which the Lord says: « We ought always to pray. » Nor can this be fulfilled before the Lord in any other way, unless our whole life and conversation be such that it may be reckoned as prayer in the sight of God. Frankincense is a tree of Arabia, in bark and leaf like the laurel, sending forth a juice after the manner of the almond, 322Awhich is gathered twice in the year, in autumn and in spring. In the autumn gathering the trees are prepared, the bark being cut in the most burning heat of summer, and thus, the rich foam leaping forth, which when hardened is thickened, where the nature of the place demands, a palm mat catching it. What has clung to the tree is scraped off with iron, and therefore what is of the bark seems to be the purest, that is, the white frankincense. The second vintage is in spring, the bark being cut for it in winter; this comes out red, and not to be compared with the former. That of the young tree is believed to be whiter, but that of the old more fragrant. What has hung from it in the roundness of a drop, we call male; the drop struck off by a blow, we call manna.

« An enclosed garden is my sister, my bride, an enclosed garden, a sealed fountain. » His sister and bride he calls 322Bthe Church, whom from a handmaid he established to be his sister, and, pledged with the dowry of the Holy Spirit, he made his bride. This Church, therefore, is a garden, because she brings forth the shoots of spiritual virtues, which are designated in what follows by the names of aromatics. And this garden is enclosed, because the holy Church is fortified by the help of her Redeemer and Lord, and walled about with the protection of the angelic powers, and lies open to no snares of the malign spirits. This same Church is a sealed fountain. A fountain, because it flows with the streams of heavenly doctrine, whereby it washes all who believe in Christ from their sins, and gives them the knowledge of truth to drink. And this fountain is sealed, because it is fortified with the seal of Gospel truth, so that neither heretics nor malign spirits are able to violate or break into the catholic faith. 322CThis garden, or this fountain (that is, the Church), was first planted or sprung up in a small little place of Judaea, and then, preaching being disseminated throughout the whole world, sent forth its beds or its little streams. Whence follows:

« Thy shoots are a paradise of pomegranates with the fruits of the orchard. » The shoots of the Church (as has been said) are the increases of faith and the dissemination of preaching. And these shoots are a paradise. Paradise in Greek is garden in Latin, because that primitive Church, which in Judaea was as it were a garden, sent forth throughout the whole world many gardens, that is, Churches. But the pomegranates, which have a ruddy bark, signify those who were not only 322Dsanctified by the general baptism, but also, baptized in their own blood in martyrdom, were made martyrs. But the fruits of the orchard signify the works of the virtues, or those who exercise the virtues themselves in deed. The shoots of the Church, then, were a paradise of pomegranates, because after the apostles the martyrs obtained the first place in the Church, who strove to imitate the very passion of the Lord by suffering; although generally the whole multitude may be taken as a paradise of pomegranates, who are pomegranates because they always retain in memory the passion of their Redeemer. And just as the pomegranate contains within one bark a multitude of seeds, so in the Church the multitude of the faithful is contained within the faith of the Lord's passion. Hence 323Athe Apostle says: « As many of you as have been baptized in Christ Jesus, have been baptized in his death. »

« Cypress with spikenard, spikenard and saffron, sweet cane and cinnamon with all the trees of Lebanon. » Cypress is an aromatic tree, having a seed like coriander, that is, white and somewhat translucent, which is boiled in oil, and thence is pressed out that which is called cyprus, from which a royal ointment is prepared. We read in Exodus that the manna was like the white seed of coriander. Cypress, therefore, and manna have one signification. For they signify heavenly grace, coming, as it were, like manna from the heavenly places. Cypress, then, grows in the garden of the Church, when all the faithful are taught to prefer heavenly grace above all things, and to hope for salvation through it. For no one can be saved by his own virtues, but only by the grace 323Bof God. Spikenard is a type of the Lord's passion. Whence also Mary anointed the head and feet of Jesus with genuine spikenard. Spikenard, then, is in the garden of the Church, when all the saints venerate the memory of the Lord's passion, and give him thanks that he so loved them that he took upon himself death for their salvation and deliverance. « Spikenard and saffron. » Saffron has a flower of golden color, and therefore signifies charity. For as gold is more precious among all metals, so charity holds the primacy among all the virtues, the Apostle saying: « But now there remain faith, hope, charity; but the greater of these is charity. » With spikenard, then, saffron grows in the garden of the Church, when the members of Christ, that is, all the faithful, strive effectually to hold the love of God and of neighbor. Now saffron 323Cis said to cool fiery fevers; so true charity cools the ardor of worldly concupiscence, and kindles in the mind the love of God and of neighbor. » Sweet cane and cinnamon. » The sweet cane is a short shrub, which is also called casia, with a purple bark. It signifies the saints in the Church who are eminent in humility and patience, namely the poor in spirit, whose is the kingdom of heaven. And the purple bark signifies the likeness of the passion of Christ, which those who are grounded in true humility, ever retaining it in their heart, strive to imitate. Cinnamon too is itself a short shrub, but of wondrous virtue and odor, and therefore they designate the progress of humility, which is designated also by the sweet cane. The sweet cane, then, and cinnamon are in the Church, when the saints of God truly hold humility and patience 323Din their heart, and outwardly show them to others. But that the sweet cane has a ruddy bark, while cinnamon has an ashen color, signifies that the saints of God, the more they are mindful of the passion of their Redeemer, the more base and contemptible they are in their own eyes, saying with Abraham: « I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes; » and with Job: « Therefore I reprove myself, and do penance in ember and ash. » « With all the trees of Lebanon. » The trees of Lebanon are eminent in beauty and height and strength, and therefore signify the teachers and all the perfect in the Church, of whom above the house of the Church is read to be made, the same Church saying: The beams of our houses are of cedar, 324Aour ceilings of cypress, » because, namely, the holy teachers fortify the Church by their preaching. With the sweet cane, then, and cinnamon all the trees of Lebanon are mentioned in the garden of the Church, because whether the humble and patient, or all the perfect teachers, have the same faith in the Church, and await the same beatitude. « Myrrh and aloe with all the chief ointments. » Myrrh is a tree whose juice is called stacte, of such virtue that whatever is touched by it is kept unharmed from all rot and worms. Aloe is a tree of most sweet odor, so much so that it is burned upon the altars in place of incense. But it has a most bitter juice, resisting rot and worms. Hence also in the passion of the Lord Nicodemus is said to have brought a mixture of myrrh and aloe about a hundred 324Bpounds. By these trees, then, is designated the continence and chastity of the flesh. For rot is wont to designate luxury, according to what the Prophet says of certain men: « The beasts have rotted in their dung. » In the garden of the Church, then, are myrrh and aloe, that is, heavenly minds free from all corruption, hearing from the Apostle: « Follow peace with all men, and chastity, without which no one shall see God. » « With all the chief ointments. » By the chief ointments what better is understood than charity? Of which the Apostle says: « I show you yet a more excellent way, » and then: « If I speak (he says) with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, it profits me nothing. » After myrrh and aloe the chief ointments are well placed, 324Cbecause after the continence of the flesh there succeeds true charity, which is God, because God is loved above all things. For neither can those who are held by worldly love, that is, who still delight in pleasures and enticements, be partakers of this charity.

« Fountain of the gardens, well of living waters, which flow with force from Lebanon. » The fountain of the gardens is that same primitive Church, which with the knowledge of truth waters the gardens, that is, the Churches disseminated throughout the whole world; she is also the well of living waters, because the knowledge of truth, which is the Church, is in some things as it were a fountain where it lies open, in some as it were a well where it lies hidden, and beyond reach where it cannot be perceived. For between a fountain and a well this is the difference: that a fountain is said to be both in the depth and on the surface of the earth, 324Dbut a well is always in the depth. The Church, then, is a fountain and a well, because the mysteries of God in some things are easily grasped as though from a fountain, but in some are drawn out with difficulty as though waters from a well. By the living waters are designated the very mysteries of the Scriptures, because they have in themselves a heavenly power. But over against them, cisterns are named, that is, gatherings of waters, the documents of the heretics, of which the Lord says through the Prophet: « They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no waters. » These flowing waters flow with force from Lebanon, that is, they issue from the Church, which is washed and made white by baptism and by good works, which is what Lebanon is interpreted to mean. From this Lebanon 325A(that is, from the Church) flow (that is, issue) the waters of heavenly doctrines, and this with force, that is, with a certain power, by which all the fictions of the heretics are destroyed and overturned. Hence also the Psalmist: « The force of the river maketh glad the city of God, » that is, the power of the divine utterances.

« Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden, and let its aromatics flow. » The virtues of the Church having been enumerated under the name of aromatics, the Lord, who is the bridegroom and redeemer of the Church, knowing that the Church herself is to be multiplied by persecutions, thereupon in a certain manner bids that persecution come, not by commanding, but by permitting. « Arise (he says), O north wind, and come, O south wind. » By the north wind and the south wind are understood the blasts of persecutions and disturbances, 325Braging against the Church. For the north wind is the coldest wind, the south wind warm. And therefore by the north wind are designated terrors and threats, by the south wind the snares of flatteries. By which two ways the Church is tested, namely by terrors and by flatteries. But that he says: « Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, » he does not command the wicked, nor compel them to do evils, but permits, and gives them the power, that they may be able to rage against the Church, in order that through their malice the Church may be tested, and they may be more grievously punished; for the Lord knows how to work certain goods out of the evils of men, but he keeps the persecution itself in his own power, so that they may not rage as much as they will. Whence it is written: « Who maketh a weight for the winds, » because, namely, he sets a certain measure to the blasts of persecutions, 325Caccording to what the Apostle says: « He will make with the temptation also a way out, that you may be able to bear it. » « Blow through (he says) my garden, » that is, my Church, « and let its aromatics flow, » that is, let the fragrance of the virtues and the odor of good works proceed from it. For the more bitterly the Church is shaken, the greater an odor of virtues she sends forth from herself.

« Let my beloved come into his garden, that he may eat the fruit of his orchard. » The Church, hearing persecution called for, as though preparing herself against adversities, says: « Let my beloved come into his garden, » that is, let Christ my bridegroom, whom I love with my whole heart, come to his Church, that he may eat 325Dthe fruit of his orchard, that is, that he may be delighted and fed with the good works of his faithful. For the food of the Lord is our good works, as he himself, beholding the faith of the Samaritans or of the Gentiles, said to his disciples: « I have food to eat which you know not. » « I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. » To the Church desiring that the bridegroom come to her, he answers that he has already done this. I have already come; for it is not « come » of one commanding, but the indicative of the past tense. O my sister, my bride, I have already come into my garden, I have already visited my Church, but I also visit it daily, and am fed with the fruits of its virtues, and enjoy its odor. I come to it, that I may correct the erring, strengthen the sick, confirm the doubtful, and 326Aendow the perfect also with heavenly rewards. « I have reaped my myrrh with my aromatics. » By myrrh are designated those who ended their life in martyrdom, or also crucified their flesh with its vices and concupiscences. But the aromatics are the works of holy virtues, fragrant with the odors of good repute. The Lord, then, reaps his myrrh with his aromatics, when he cuts off from this life, by the sickle of death, the holy martyrs or the rest of the elect distinguished by good works, and, when they have been brought to the maturity of good works, stores them in the barns of the heavenly fatherland. « I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. » By the honeycomb and the wine the holy preachers are figured; but by the honey and the milk, the good hearers. For the honeycomb are the preachers, who 326Bbring forth the secret and inmost mysteries of the Scriptures like honey from the combs, and by preaching make them manifest to others. But the honey are the good hearers, because they strive to receive attentively the sweetness of the word of God and to be delightfully fed by it. The wine are the very preachers, as is also the honeycomb, because they announce the strong sacraments of the Scriptures. But the milk are all the weak hearers, to whom the open mysteries are suited like milk. When, then, the Redeemer is fed and delighted with the good intention of all these, and thus, as it were, eats the honeycomb with the honey, and drinks the wine with the milk. We can also refer this to the death of the elect, whom the Lord eats, when through death he calls them to eternal life, and joins them to his body (that is, to the fellowship of the elect now rejoicing in that heavenly happiness). But if we take this of the death 326Cof the saints, we ought to understand by the wine those whose souls now glory in heavenly happiness; but by the honeycomb those who now rejoice in body and soul in that beatitude, such as are they who rose with the Lord. « Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, O dearest. » Not only does the Lord rejoice in the progress of the saints, but he also exhorts us to rejoice in their virtues and to imitate them: « Eat (he says), O friends, » that is, my faithful, who are my friends by doing what I command, are my dearest, by loving me with perfect charity of soul. Eat, then, he says, and drink, that is, rejoice together in the good deeds of the saints, and set them before yourselves for imitation. But it is to be noted that he says, « Drink and be inebriated »: inebriation is sometimes put in the Scriptures for 326Dfullness, as it was said of the brethren of Joseph: « They drank and were inebriated with him, » and the Psalmist: « Thou hast visited the earth, and hast inebriated it, » that is, hast filled and replenished it. He exhorts us, then, not only to eat and drink, but also to be filled, because there are certain who eat and are not filled, because, namely, they hear the divine preaching delightfully, but negligently forget it, and do not carry to the effect of good work what they have heard. But they eat and are filled who store the words of life which they hear in their inward senses, and strive to fulfill them in deed; of whom the Psalmist says: « The poor shall eat and shall be filled. » But if (as was said above) we take this of the death of the saints, 327Athe friends and the dearest are the angelic spirits themselves, whom the Lord bids to congratulate his elect, when they are transferred from this life to the rest of eternal beatitude, according to what is read in the Gospel parable: « Congratulate me, because I have found my sheep which was lost. »

« I sleep, and my heart watcheth. » The voice of the Church, « I sleep, » because, my bridegroom granting some little peace, I am at rest, and do not suffer such oppressions as the primitive Church did; and therefore my heart watcheth, because, peace being granted me, I cling the more securely to the love of my bridegroom, and direct the eyes of my heart toward him. But because this is a time not of rest, but rather of labor and struggle, again the bridegroom rouses the Church to labors, and exhorts her to the struggle of preaching. 327B« The voice of my beloved knocking. » The beloved knocks, when Christ exhorts his faithful to the progress of the virtues; or he knocks, when he admonishes them to gain their neighbors by preaching. There is also a third knocking, by which the Lord knocks at his elect, when through the trouble of sickness he signifies that death is near. Of which knocking it is said in the Gospel: That when he comes and knocks, they may open to him at once. But in this place to knock means this, namely to incite the Church to the work of preaching. « Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. » « Open to me, my sister. » Sister, because thou art made co-heir of my kingdom: « my love, » because, freed from the yoke of servitude, thou hast come to know the secrets of my truth: « my dove, » because thou art sanctified by the dowry of my Spirit: « my undefiled, » because 327Cby the shedding of my blood thou art purged from every stain of sins. « Open to me, » that is, go forth from the quiet and leisure of the contemplation dear to thee, to the work of preaching. « For my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights. » The head of the Church (as the Apostle says) is Christ, but the locks are the inmost thoughts of the saints, which do not flow loosely and dissolutely, but are bound together by the bond of the fear and love of God. But the dew and the drops of the nights in this place designate the dark and unbelieving and cold minds. The head of the bridegroom, then, is full of dew, when all the worldly grow numb to the love of God, and, according to what the Lord says, sin abounding, charity grows cold. And when such men persecute and hate the saints of God who meditate on the heavenly things, the locks of the bridegroom are, as it were, full 327Dof the drops of the nights. When, therefore, such men are multiplied, and burden the Church, then the bridegroom admonishes his bride to arise and press on to the work of preaching.

« I have put off my tunic, how shall I put it on? » The Church, called forth by her bridegroom to the office of preaching, answers: « I have put off my tunic, how shall I put it on? » I have stripped myself of the cares and occupations of this world, without which the office of preaching is either scarcely or by no means carried out: and how can it be that I return again to those things which I forsook? For he who fits himself to undertake the office of preaching ought also to provide temporal things for his subjects, which cannot be done without great solicitude. But that the tunic signifies solicitudes and cares, 328Athe Lord shows in the Gospel: « And let him who is on the housetop not come down to take his tunic. » Which is openly to say: Let him who stands in the lofty citadel of contemplation not come down to take his tunic, that is, that he be again entangled in the occupations of the world. The Church, then, or any holy soul, fears to be stripped of this tunic, and, resting in the contemplation of her Creator, to be reclothed again and occupied with worldly affairs. « I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? » I have washed my feet, that is, the actions with which I was never wont to touch the dust, that is, to do earthly things, I have washed with worthy weeping of penance, so much so that now nothing pleases me but to think on the divine things. « How shall I defile them? » that is, how can it be that I return again to thinking on the perishable and earthly things 328Bwhich now, with a free and unoccupied heart, I enjoy in divine contemplation?

« My beloved put his hand through the opening, and my belly trembled at his touch. » The beloved puts his hand through the opening, and touches the belly, when the Creator visits the heart with inward inspiration, and kindles it to the progress of the virtues, or also when he recalls us to the memory of his works, that we may consider that, though he was God, he deigned to become man for us, that, taking upon himself our earthly things, he might make us heavenly, and, by dying for us, might bestow eternal life upon us. And when this is done, the belly trembles, because when we begin to consider such things, the secret places of our heart are shaken, while we begin to be amazed with how great condescension the Creator deigned to do these things for us. For 328Cthat the belly signifies the heart, the Prophet shows, saying: « My belly, my belly, I am in pain. » And what this was he shows, saying: « The senses of my heart are troubled. »

« I rose up to open to my beloved. » We open to the beloved, not only when we receive his coming, but also when we preach to others, and make those who through malice had closed their breast, converted by our preaching, that they themselves also open the door of their heart to Christ. But rightly is it first said, « I rose up, » and then, « to open to my beloved. » For he who by preaching wishes to open the hearts of others to Christ ought first to rise up, that is, to be raised to the zeal of good works, and to fulfill in deed what he preaches, lest perhaps, preaching to others, he himself become reprobate. Hence also Luke says of the 328DLord: « Which Jesus began to do and to teach. First he says to do, » then « to teach. » « My hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the most approved myrrh. » By the hands with which we work, the very working is designated; but by the fingers the discretion of the working, because in no member are there so many distinctions of joints as in the fingers. The hands of the Church drip myrrh, when its preachers give heed to the continence and mortification of their flesh, saying with the Apostle: « I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection. » Or when they are prepared to die for Christ, as John says: « If Christ laid down his life for us, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. » But the fingers 329Aare full of the most approved myrrh, when we subtly discern the very work of mortification, whether it be done for the regard of the heavenly reward, or for the praises of the world. For he who fasts for human favors, or applies himself to the works of abstinence or continence, has indeed myrrh in his hands, but has it not in his fingers, because he does not discern why he does this. Of such the Lord says: « They have received their reward. » Or the hands of the bride drip myrrh, when they fit themselves to the works of the holy Church, of chastity or of holy continence.

« I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved, but he had turned aside and had passed on. » One opens the bolt of the door, when the Church, or any faithful soul, throws open the heart to the coming Creator. « But he had turned aside and had 329Bpassed on. » For very often, when we wish to treat of any spiritual things, the more subtly we strain, the more the edge of the heart is beaten back. Whence Solomon says: « I said, I will be wise, and it withdrew farther from me. » The Psalmist too says: « Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted. » For the more anyone lifts up his heart to divine contemplation by the purification of the flesh, the higher he finds that to be which he was seeking. He says therefore: « He had turned aside and had passed on, » because no one in the present life can comprehend him as he is. « My soul melted when my beloved spoke. » The more nearly (she says) I perceived the coming of my bridegroom at the touch of his secret inspiration, the more all that was cold in me grew warm, so that now nothing pleases me 329Cbut to be dissolved into tears. For the bridegroom speaks, when by his inward inspiration he inspires the holy soul of Christ, and suggests to it heavenly desire, and thus, as he speaks, it melts, because the more it is breathed upon by heavenly desires, the more it dies to earthly things, and becomes as it were insensible to the world, and lives by heavenly desire alone. This is what is also said through the prophet: Who is blind but my servant? Who is deaf but he to whom I have sent my messengers? « I sought him, and found him not. I called, and he answered me not. » She redoubles again the cause of her sorrow. The Lord indeed is always present to all who piously seek him, he answers those who call upon him, that is, he hears them unto salvation, but very often he does not hear the faithful soul that desires him and longs to come to him, 329Dto this end, that he may so show himself to it in the present as he promises to show himself in the future; or also he answers not, that is, hears not, to this end, that at his good pleasure every holy one may be stripped of the bonds of the body, and, being free, may be caressed by the embraces of his bridegroom. For when the Apostle said: « I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, » it was as though he sought to cling to his bridegroom, and called him with the desire of his mind, and yet he answered him not, because he did not at once free him from the body, but still permitted him to be exercised with labors, and to sweat in the services of the Church.

« The keepers who go about the city found me, they struck me, and wounded me. » The watchmen who keep the city are the holy teachers, 330Awho go about the city of God (that is, the Church), keeping their vigilant care of it, so that they may both protect it from adversaries, and by their word or example kindle it to heavenly desires. They find, then, the bride seeking her beloved, when the holy teachers instruct and form the soul intent on heavenly desires, either present by their word, or absent by their writings. « They struck me (she says), and wounded me. » The word of God is a sword, the Apostle saying: « The word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two-edged sword, and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit. » By this sword the bride is struck and wounded, when the word of the preacher speaks of God, and pierces the hearers as with a certain dart of compunction and love. « They took away my cloak 330Bfrom me. » This cloak here, which above is understood as the tunic, where it is said: « I have put off my tunic, » is namely the covering of worldly desires, which the keepers take away, because whatever remains in anyone's mind of the love of the present world, the holy teachers take it all away, and make him love only the bridegroom Christ. Such men can say with the Apostle: « The world is crucified to me, and I to the world. » « The keepers of the walls. » The walls of the city are the holy teachers of the Church. But the keepers of the walls are those who also instruct even them, who can also preach to others, such as was Paul, who instructed and kept Timothy and Titus, who were surely the walls of this city, that is, exhorted them to the perfection of good work.

330C« I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love. » The daughters of Jerusalem are the faithful souls, who either still journey in the present, or also enjoy Christ. The daughters of Jerusalem, that is, the daughters of that heavenly city in which is the highest peace and happiness of divine contemplation. But in this place by the daughters of Jerusalem we ought to understand souls desiring God, but still living in this pilgrimage. The bride, then, adjures the daughters of Jerusalem, that they tell the bridegroom that she languishes with love, when a faithful soul adjures other faithful souls desiring God, that they insinuate to Christ, and announce to him, that she is held by love of him. And well does she say that she languishes with love: for the more she begins to desire the heavenly 330Dthings, the more she languishes toward the things that are of the world. Nor is it a wonder if such are said to languish, since the Apostle calls them dead: « You are dead (he says), and your life is hidden with Christ. » Thus, then, to the adjuring bride the daughters of Jerusalem answer.

« What manner of one is thy beloved above another beloved, O most beautiful of women? what manner of one is thy beloved above another beloved, that thou hast so adjured us? » This happens then when a faithful one addresses a faithful brother, and they mutually suggest to one another words of heavenly desires, by which they kindle themselves to the love of the heavenly things. Show me, she says, now desiring, now longing to come to the vision of my Creator, what manner of one thy beloved is, that 331Ais, how Christ ought to be loved. Long since, she says, I began to fear him, but now, charity expelling fear, I long to hear words by which I may be kindled to his love. Thou, therefore, who already seekest him with love, and languishest with love of him, tell me what manner of one thy beloved is above another beloved. The beloved above another beloved is the Son from the Father, as he is God from God, light from light. Or also « thy beloved above another beloved » is Christ from that part by which he is to be loved, not from that by which he is to be feared. For to fear belongs rather to the imperfect, whom fear calls back from sins, but to love belongs to the perfect. Now, therefore, she asks what manner of one the beloved is above another beloved, that is, how Christ ought to be loved, or what manner of one he is toward those who have learned to love him so greatly.

331B« My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands. » The voice of the answering Church: « My beloved is white and ruddy »: white by virginity, ruddy by his passion. White, because without sin; for he lived without sin: « for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. » « Ruddy, » because « he washed us from our sins in his blood. « Chosen out of thousands. » For by a singular grace the man Christ shone forth in the whole mass of the human race, because through him God purposed to save the human race, and he himself is the mediator of God and men, Jesus Christ; of whom the Psalmist says: « There is none that doth good, no not one. » And Solomon: « One man among a thousand I have found, » that is, Christ; and he himself in the psalm: 331C« I am alone until I pass. » « Chosen, then, out of thousands, » because out of the whole multitude of the saints he alone was worthy to hear: « This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. »

« His head is the finest gold. » The head of the bridegroom is God, according to what the Apostle says, « The head of Christ is God, » which is compared to the finest gold, because as gold is more precious than all metals, so God almighty surpasses and rises above the good things made by him. Whence the Lord: « None is good but God alone. » The head of the bridegroom, then, is the finest gold, because the goodness of God is unspeakable, transcending the goodness of all things, because nothing is good, except by participation in this highest good. « His locks are like the shoots of palms. » The locks of the bridegroom are the multitudes of the faithful, 331Dcleaving to God through faith and love, which are compared to the shoots of palms. The shoots of palms are the more forward and more excellent branches, sometimes of golden color, curling, and always tending toward the heights, and never losing their greenness. Such, then, does the Church call the locks of her bridegroom, namely curling and glowing. Some say that the shoots of palms are a kind of aromatic tree, which in Latin they call the fir or the spatha. For in Greek the fir is called ἐλάτη. And this kind is fit for making ointments. But here we ought to understand the fir, not that great tree which is fit for ships and houses, but (as we said) a kind of aromatic tree: this according to the letter concerning the shoots of palms. The locks of the bridegroom, then, 332Aare compared to the shoots of palms, because the multitudes of the faithful both rejoice in the greenness of faith, and are lifted up to desire the eternal things, and taste the sweetness of the heavenly delight, which the more they perceive, the more they seem to themselves to be sinners and contemptible in their own eyes. Whence follows: « Black as a raven. » For the locks of the bridegroom are black as a raven, because the multitudes of the faithful are conscious of their own frailty, and know that they have no good of themselves. Or also they are « shoots of palms » in hope and victory: but « black as a raven, » as despised and contemptible in the oppressions of this world. The saints are shoots of palms, because through the grace of God they press toward the palm of heavenly victory; but black as a raven, because they know themselves to be weak and sinners 332Bof themselves. The locks of the bridegroom can also be taken as the angelic powers, which cleave especially to God, as the locks to the head, and contemplate him from near at hand. And these are well compared to the shoots, because they are never bent from the uprightness of their state, but remain immaculate in the dignity of their office; and the more they contemplate the brightness of their Creator, the more they see, in comparison with him, how of little use is everything created, and therefore they are said to be black as a raven.

« His eyes are as doves upon the little streams of waters, which are washed with milk. » His eyes are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Which John shows in the Apocalypse, saying: « I saw a lamb as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven 332Cspirits of God sent into all the earth. » Whence also they are well compared to doves upon the little streams of waters, because the Holy Spirit is delighted with pure and sincere minds. For the doves settle not upon pools or marshes, but upon the little streams of waters, because (as has been said) the Holy Spirit makes for himself a dwelling of chaste and clean minds. « Which are washed with milk, » because (as has been said) the Holy Spirit is understood by the name of milk, that is, the grace of God, which is bestowed upon the Church through the Holy Spirit, and by which, as little ones by milk, so the Church is nourished. We can understand by the eyes of the bridegroom the teachers, who are compared to doves for their innocence and simplicity. These doves settle upon the little streams, that they may from afar look out for and beware of the coming of the hawk; so also the holy teachers, poured over with the water 332Dof baptism, are whitened with the brightness of chastity and holiness, « and settle beside the fullest streams, » that is, beside the overflowing knowledge of the Scriptures. But if we think there is any difference between the little streams and the fullest streams, it must be said that by the little streams are designated the Scriptures of the Old Testament; by the fullest streams is understood the copious Scripture of the holy Gospel. These doves, then, are both upon the little streams of waters, and settle beside the fullest streams, because the holy teachers assiduously search out the mysteries both of the Old Testament and of the New.

« His cheeks are as beds of aromatics, set by the perfumers. » The cheeks of the bridegroom are taken as the modest tenderness of Christ, or his severity, or the bearing of his countenance. 333AFor these were his cheeks, when he exulted in the spirit, as the Gospel says, or when he wept over the dead Lazarus, or when he grieved over Jerusalem that was to perish, and many things of this kind. These cheeks of the bridegroom are compared to beds of aromatics; for as beds of aromatics, excellently composed and ordered, delight the sight of the beholders, and offer them the grace of their odor, so the meekness of Christ delighted the absent by its fame, and the present by the very fact, and provoked them to his love. These beds are set by the perfumers. The perfumers are the prophets or the apostles, of whom the one described all these things as things to come, the other as things already done. « His lips are lilies dripping the first myrrh. » By the lips of the bridegroom are taken the words of our Lord, which are compared to lilies, because they announce the rewards of eternal brightness: 333Bthey drip the first myrrh, because they teach that one must come to these things through the mortification of the flesh. Or also the lips of the Lord are compared to lilies, because they teach the works of chastity and purity. They drip the first myrrh, because they insinuate that whatever adversities are to be patiently endured. The lips of the Lord were lilies, when, teaching on the mount, he said: « Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the clean of heart. » They drip the first myrrh, when after these he added: « Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake. »

« His hands are turned and golden. » For by the hands of the bridegroom is fitly taken the working of the Savior. For as one easily works with a lathe, and needs no rule, so the working of the Savior was easy: for whatever 333Che willed, he at once accomplished, because « he spoke, and they were made; » and of whom the Evangelist says, « He was as one having power in his word. » And they were golden, because his working was carried out by the power of the divinity: for in gold the divinity is figured, because as gold surpasses the other metals and is more precious, so the divinity surpasses all its own works in an unspeakable manner. « Full of hyacinths. » The hyacinth is a stone of an airy color. What, then, is taken in the hyacinths but heavenly hope and desire? And the hands of the Lord are full of hyacinths, because all his working stirs us up to the hope and desire of the heavenly things. The hyacinth is also an aromatic flower, of purple color and good odor. The hands of the Lord are full of hyacinths, because on the cross they were pierced by nails, and were sprinkled by the redness of his own blood as with 333Da purple color. But the former exposition of the hyacinth as a stone fits better here. In another translation « stone » is found. For his hands are called turned, full of tharsis. Tharsis is a stone which we call chalcedony. « His belly is of ivory. » Among the members of the human body nothing is more frail than the belly, nothing more tender: and therefore by the belly is taken the frailty of the assumed humanity in Christ. But ivory is the bone of the elephant, which animal they say is most chaste, and of a most cold nature: whence also it is vehemently desired by the dragon, which is of a warm nature. The belly of the bridegroom, then, is of ivory, because the assumed humanity of the Redeemer admitted no corruption, no defect. For he did no sin, 334Aneither was any guile found in him. He assumed indeed the frailty of the flesh, but yet he was free of all sin, as the brazen serpent, lifted up by Moses in the desert, had indeed the figure of a serpent, but lacked the malice of poison. « Set with sapphires. » The sapphire is a stone, having the color of a serene sky, whence in the vision of the Lord it is said: « And they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet as it were a work of sapphire stone, and as the heaven when it is serene. » By the sapphires, then, are understood the works of the divine majesty, which are accomplished in the flesh. The belly of the bridegroom, then, was set with sapphires, because the humanity of Christ shone with heavenly virtues. And it is not said to be full of sapphires, but « set, » namely in such a way that among the sapphires there appeared the whiteness of ivory, because the Lord so 334Bworked those things which were of the divinity, that he nonetheless accomplished those which were of the humanity, and did not leave undone those which were of the divinity. For the working of the divinity and of the humanity in Christ is distinct. For that he hungered, that he thirsted, that he wept, that he was wearied, that at the last he could be crucified and die, were works of the humanity: but that he raised the dead, that he succored all the sick, that he raised himself from the dead, were most evident works of the divinity.

« His legs are pillars of marble, that are founded upon golden bases. » The legs of the bridegroom are the journeyings of the Savior, by which he deigned to become man and to come to us. Which are rightly compared to pillars of marble, because nothing is stronger than marble, nothing straighter than a pillar. 334CAnd the legs of the bridegroom are pillars of marble, because all the journeyings of the Lord are both strong and straight. Of his strength the Psalmist says: « He hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way, his going out is from the highest heaven. » Of his straightness elsewhere: « The Lord is just, and hath loved justices, his countenance hath beheld equity; » and, « All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth. » These legs are founded upon golden bases, because all things that were to be done through Christ or in Christ were preordained and predetermined by the counsel of the divinity before the foundation of the world. For gold, which (as has often been said) is more splendid and more precious than the other metals, signifies the most sincere secret of the divine counsel. For from the golden bases the pillars of marble proceed, because from the beginning of the world were preordained the incarnation, the nativity, 334Dthe passion, and the resurrection of the Savior, and the other mysteries by which the human race was to be redeemed. Whence also the Prophet, praising God, said: O Lord my God, I will honor thee, I will say praise to thy name, who dost wonderful things: thy ancient counsel let it come true. « His appearance is as of Lebanon, choice as the cedars. » Lebanon is a mountain of Phoenicia, the boundary of Judaea toward the north, and it is higher than the other mountains. The trees of that mountain surpass in height and appearance and strength the timbers of the other forests. As (he says) Lebanon is loftier than the other mountains of the land of Judaea, so our Redeemer is more comely than all the elect, because he is beautiful in form above the sons of men. And as it is more beautiful and taller than the other 335Atrees, so also he, by the grace of the divinity, surpasses all the saints from the beginning of the world.

« His throat is most sweet. » Above, by the lips of the bridegroom, his words were understood; now, by the throat, the inner sweetness of those very words is signified, by which our understanding is refreshed. Whence also the Psalmist: « Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. » And many indeed can easily understand the words of the Lord, but few there are who are able to penetrate their sweetness; that is, who from love and desire strive to fulfill the precepts of God. « And he is wholly desirable. » As if he should say: Why do I linger in describing him member by member? My bridegroom is wholly desirable. Wholly, he says, because he is perfect God, perfect 335Bman. He is wholly desirable, then, because he kindles the angels and all the elect to desire of him, according to what the Apostle says: « On whom the angels desire to look, » and the more nearly he is perceived, the more with greater desire he provokes the beholders to look upon him. « Such is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. » My beloved, because through faith and charity I cleave to him: my friend, because he deigned to make me, redeemed from the bond of sin, his friend and a partaker of his secrets. Whom the more anyone loves, the more worthy of his friendship he becomes.

« Whither is thy beloved gone, O most beautiful of women? » It is the voice of the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, of the Churches, or also of the holy souls. For 335Cthe bride of Christ is the Church, the daughters of Jerusalem are the Church herself, which consists of the individual souls of the faithful. They say, then: « Whither is thy beloved gone, O most beautiful of women? Whither is thy beloved turned aside? and we will seek him with thee. » For above the bride herself had adjured the daughters of Jerusalem, that they announce to the bridegroom that she languished with love of him; the same daughters of Jerusalem had asked what manner of one the bridegroom was, and she thereupon had set forth the form of her bridegroom; now the daughters of Jerusalem themselves ask whither that bridegroom is gone, that they may seek him with her: this the holy souls do, when they converse with one another of eternal salvation, glowing with love of Christ, and desiring the sight of him; or they diligently investigate him in whose hearts especially Christ rests, that 335Dby their example and conversation they may be edified. But it is to be noted that it is said, Whither is thy beloved gone, or « whither is thy beloved turned aside? » For as it were for a time he turns aside while he is sought, that he may excite a greater desire to seek him. For to this end he very often defers the vows and prayers of the saints, that they may begin to desire him more ardently, as also once to Mary, seeking him, he did not at once show himself, but appearing in the guise of a gardener, at last showed that he himself was the one who was being sought. Christ, then, always hears his elect, but always as it were turns aside, when he does not at once grant what is asked. And well is it said, « we will seek him with thee, » for he who seeks Christ without the Church can err and be wearied, but cannot make progress.

• 336A

« My beloved is come down into his garden to the bed of aromatics, that he may feed in the gardens, and gather the lilies. » We have already been taught above what the garden of Christ is, namely the holy Church, of which it was said above: « An enclosed garden is my sister, my bride. » Christ is come down (she says) into his garden to the bed, which he himself prepared and cultivated, which he sowed with the shoots of the virtues, which he made bright by his grace, which he defended by the wall of his keeping from the assault of the malign spirits. And well is he said to have come down into his garden, for in a garden he willed to be buried, and first appeared in a garden to Mary Magdalene, and there in a certain manner consecrated the firstfruits of the Church. He is said to have come down, when from the higher and heavenly 336Bseats he came down into the garden, which he himself had planted in a lowly place: but to this end he himself came down, that the garden (that is, the Church) might ascend to him. Whence also in what follows he says of the garden, that is, of his Church: « Who is this that ascendeth up through the desert? » « To the bed (he says) of aromatics. » By the bed is understood the soul of every faithful one, which, cultivated by heavenly discipline and diligently composed, has been squared by the evenness of its sides. « That he may feed (he says) in the gardens, » that is, that he may be delighted by the pious labors of the saints. For he himself is fed with our good things, so much so that in the poor man he himself is refreshed. « And that he may gather (he says) the lilies, » that is, that the holy souls, brought by the maturity of virtue to perfect brightness, he may gather to himself from this world, and make them rejoice with him in eternal beatitude. For the lilies are the holy 336Csouls, made white by the pursuits of the virtues and by good works.

« I to my beloved, and my beloved to me, who feedeth among the lilies. » « I to my beloved, » that is, understood, I prepare the grace of feedings; « and my beloved to me, » he will bestow the grace of perfection, or the reward of eternal recompense. Or, « I to my beloved » prepare a dwelling in myself, and my beloved to me, because he himself dwells in me, and makes me to dwell in him, as he himself says in the Gospel, « I in you, and you in me. »

« Thou art beautiful, my love, sweet and comely as Jerusalem. » The Church was seeking her bridegroom as though absent, but he, that he might show himself always present, and demonstrate that he was always at hand to her who conversed of him and desired him, quickly answers: « Thou art beautiful, my love, sweet and comely as Jerusalem. » 336DThou art beautiful, because thou hast not the spot and wrinkle of sin, but thou art green with every brightness of the virtues. « My love, » the Church or every faithful soul. « Sweet and comely as Jerusalem. » Jerusalem, which is interpreted as the vision of peace, designates that heavenly city, in which is true peace and happiness; because there the saints so rejoice in the gift, that there is nothing for them to grieve over concerning corruption. Therefore the Church, which is still on earth, or every faithful soul, in the likeness of that Jerusalem, is sweet and comely, because she imitates that peace as far as she can. There follows: « terrible as an army set in array. » The Church is terrible to the malign spirits, and is set in array as an army, when, namely, each of the faithful rightly keeps his own order 337Aand his own vocation. For there are three orders of the Church: of teachers, of the continent, and of the married; which kinds were shown in those three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job. For Noah, who ruled the ark amid the waves, signifies the holy teachers; Daniel, unmarried and chaste, signifies the order of the continent; Job, who had a wife and sons, expresses the order of the married. The Church, therefore, is set in array as an army, because each order of the Church stands as it were in battle-line against the enemies, the malign spirits, while the holy teachers give their labor to preaching and doctrine. The continent, despising the things that are of the world, think only on the things that are of God, and, with a mind free from earthly occupations, are free for God alone. The married press on with alms and the other good works of the active 337Blife, and so use the world that they do not forsake the things that are of God. This most orderly disposition of the Church, then, is terrible to the unclean spirits, like an army set in array for battle. Or the Church is beautiful and comely as Jerusalem in the virtues; but terrible as an army set in array, because she does not cease to extend her rule and power unto the ends of the whole world. Or she is terrible as an army set in array, because she is so connected and joined in the unity of charity, that by no force of the malign enemy, by no pest of discord, can she be penetrated: for nothing so terrifies the malign spirits as charity does.

« Turn away thy eyes from me, for they have made me flee away. » As if he should say: I indeed gave thee dove-like eyes, 337Cwith which thou couldst behold me and most keenly penetrate the secrets of the Scriptures; but beware lest thou wish now to strain them upon seeing me, because while thou livest in the present thou canst not: « For man shall not see me and live. » But when, loosed from the bonds of the flesh, thou shalt come to me, then thou shalt see me by an open vision, and there shall be fulfilled what is promised in the Gospel: « But he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. » But that it is said, « For they have made me flee away, » it is not to be thought that God forsakes those who seek him, and withdraws from them, since he himself commands: « Seek and you shall find, » but it is rather to be taken thus, that the more anyone wishes to search out the divinity of the majesty of God, the more he understands how unsearchable 337Dand incomprehensible it is. And this is what the Psalmist says: « Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted. » As if he should say: Though a man lift up his heart to see God, he shall be exalted, because how great he is cannot be comprehended. « Thy hair is as a flock of goats, which have appeared from Gilead. » These little verses have been expounded above, but let it not be irksome to expound again what it was not irksome for the Holy Spirit to repeat. For to this end he set these verses twice, that we might hold most certain and firm what we heard confirmed under repetition. The hairs of the holy Church are the manifold varieties of subtle thoughts. And they are well compared to a flock of goats, for the goat is a figure of the sinner. Whence also in the law it is commanded 338Athat whosoever has sinned through ignorance, and has come to know his guilt, should offer for his offense a she-goat in holocaust. The hairs of the Church, then, are compared to a flock of goats, because the saints, who are members of the Church, strive to blot out all the guilt of their thought through worthy penance and through the tears of just compunction. And well are they said to have appeared from the mount of Gilead. Gilead is interpreted as a heap of testimony. And therefore by Gilead is designated the mind of the saints, who are a heap of testimony, since it attests by most evident tokens that they neglect all things that are of the world, and desire God alone. By Gilead can also be understood our very Lord and Redeemer. For Gilead is the name both of a mountain and of a city. From the mount of Gilead, then, the flock of goats appeared, 338Bbecause the Church is founded upon Christ, as he himself says: « A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. » He himself is the heap of testimony, because the multitude of the prophets and of the patriarchs bear him testimony by their deeds and writings.

« Thy teeth are as flocks of sheep, which came up from the washing, all with twin young, and there is none barren among them. » By the teeth of the Church is understood the firm stability of her words. Which are well compared to a flock of sheep that came up from the washing, because the words of the Church sound nothing but innocence and meekness, and retain in themselves nothing foul, nothing base or unclean, but are washed in the laver of sincerity and purity, hearing from the Apostle: « Let no evil word proceed out of your mouth. » And well 338Care they all said to be with twin young, because the discourse of the saints sounds and speaks nothing else than what pertains to the love of God and of neighbor. For the saints ought to speak only those things which pertain to the perpetual health of bodies and of souls.

« As the bark of a pomegranate, so are thy cheeks, besides that which is hidden within thee. » By the cheeks we said above that the chaste modesty of the saints is figured; by the bark of the pomegranate, the mystery of the passion of Christ, hearing from Paul the apostle: Be not ashamed of the cross of Christ, nor of me his prisoner. And these things indeed are great, which are in the open; but greatest are those things which are within, that is, which are reserved for the saints in the future.

« There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and of young maidens there is no number. » The queens are 338Dthe teachers of the holy Church, who by the merit of faith and knowledge draw near to the couch of the eternal King, and bring forth spiritual sons to God. The number sixty is completed out of ten and six. For ten multiplied by six rises to sixty. And by ten are signified the divine precepts, on account of the decalogue of the law; but six is put for perfection, because in six days God completed his works. The queens, then, are said to be sixty, because they signify those, as we said, who are strong in the perfection of knowledge and of work, and who preach for the sole love of their Creator and the regard of the heavenly recompense. This number too, that is, sixty, is made from twelve drawn out five times. For five twelves, or twelve 339Afives, make sixty. The queens, then, are said to be sixty, because they signify those who, established in the Church, have learned to dispose chastely the five senses of their body according to the institution of the twelve apostles. The concubines signify those who do not preach Christ sincerely, but for temporal gains or for popular praises. For these too are queens, and approach before the couch of the king through knowledge, and generate spiritual sons, but remain estranged from the crown of the eternal kingdom. And well are they comprised in the number eighty, for this number is made from ten and eight. But eighty is sometimes taken in a bad sense, on account of the four, by whose multiplication it consists. For four signifies all things temporal and present, on account of the four climes of the world, or the four 339Bseasons of the year. Rightly, then, are these concubines said to be eighty, because (as has been said) they preach for the sake of the temporal and visible things alone, and care less for the spiritual. Of such the Apostle said: « There are certain who announce Christ not sincerely, » and so on, until he says: « In this I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. » « Of young maidens there is no number. » The young maidens are the souls already regenerated in Christ, which, having laid aside the oldness of the first man, are renewed in Christ, but are not yet noble, not yet fit for the couch of the king, because they have not yet come to the perfection of preaching Christ. Of whom there is no number, because infinite is the number of the souls believing in Christ, nor can it be comprehended by any man. But by God all the elect are numbered. For 339Cwith him, by whom even the number of the stars is comprehended, the number of the elect cannot be unknown.

« One is my dove, my perfect one, » that is, one Catholic Church spread throughout the whole world, which, consisting of queens and young maidens, has also concubines — that is, certain persons who are called Christians or teachers in name only. There is therefore one Church, because she admits no rending or schism, but just as there is one God, one faith, one baptism, so there is one universal Church: which is rightly also called a dove, because by the endowment of the Holy Spirit, who appeared in the form of a dove, she has been betrothed to Christ and sanctified. « She is the only one of her mother, the chosen one of her that bore her. » Our mother is that heavenly Jerusalem, of which 339Dthe Apostle says: « But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother. » This Church, therefore, is the only one of her mother, because after the example of that Church which already enjoys Christ, she herself is instructed and formed in this pilgrimage, and strives to come to that blessedness in which she reigns with Christ. « The daughters saw her, and declared her most blessed; the queens and concubines, and they praised her. » Those whom above he called young maidens, here he calls daughters. But the queens and concubines let us understand in this place as above. The daughters, therefore, the queens and concubines, proclaim the Church and praise her, because the whole company of the faithful marvels at the Catholic Church. For the Church herself, which consists of the many persons of the faithful, 340Amakes up the Catholic (that is, universal) Church.

« Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising? » It is the voice of the Synagogue. For at the end of the age, when the Jewish people, at the preaching of Elijah and Enoch, shall have been converted to Christ, it too will marvel, saying: Who is she? that is, how great and of what kind is the Church that comes forth? that is, that advances from virtue to virtue. For the Church is said not to stand, but to advance, because, not content in one place, she has occupied the whole world with heavenly preaching. She comes forth as the morning, because, the darkness of unbelief having passed away, she shows that she possesses the light of truth. « Fair as the moon. » The natural philosophers hold that the moon is illumined by the sun. And the Church is fair as the moon, because she is illumined by the love 340Bof her spouse Christ, and shines again by his grace. Or she is fair as the moon in the present life, where at times, peace and security being granted her, she grows, and at times, crushed by adversities, she wanes. « Chosen as the sun, » in the other life, where she will shine again with perpetual joy at the vision of her Maker. Or she is chosen as the sun, because she strives to imitate that true one of whom it is written: « Unto you that fear my name the sun of justice shall arise. » This sun she imitates by living in humility and justice and piety. « Terrible as an army set in array. » Terrible in airy tempests, set in array like an army, that is, made one by the unity of charity, so that it can be penetrated by no temptations.

« I went down into the garden of nuts. » The Church, praised by the Synagogue, answers: « I went down into the garden of nuts. » 340CThe garden of nuts is the present life. For just as in the nut the covering indeed seems very hard, but the kernel lies hidden, so in the present life the things of our conscience are closed and do not appear, until, the shell of the body being broken, they are made manifest. The Church, therefore, goes down into the garden of nuts, when through her teachers she considers the life of individuals. Whence follows: « that I might see the fruits of the valleys. » The fruits of the valleys are the virtues, which are seasoned with humility. « I went down (she says) into the garden, that I might see the fruits of the valleys, » that is, that I might consider the saints, endowed indeed with excellence of virtues, but pressed down with humility. « And I would look if the vineyard had flourished. » That is, that I might consider who were making progress in the pursuit of the holy virtues. « And if the pomegranates had budded. » That is, that I might also seek out those 340Dwho are now fit to imitate the passion of Christ. For the pomegranates, as has often been said, signify the mystery of the passion of Christ. The Church therefore considers, through her prelates, who are in the virtues, or who are already perfect, so that, imitating the passion of Christ, they too may be fit to shed their blood for him — such as were those to whom the Apostle said: « To you it is given, not only that you believe in Christ, but that you suffer for him. »

« I knew not. » It is the voice of the Synagogue. Seeing so great a grace of the Church when the truth of the Gospel is beheld, she grieves that she had not before known the faith of Christ, and, as it were excusing herself that she was converted late, she says: I knew not, O spouse of Christ, the Church. I knew not, that is, I did not 341Arecognize so great a grace and so great gifts of spiritual virtues bestowed upon thee by thy spouse. « My soul troubled me for the chariots of Aminadab. » I have been troubled (she says) with too great anxiety of mind, because of so sudden a preaching of the Gospel. For I knew the law and the prophets to be given by God, and therefore, when I suddenly saw the Gospel preached, I was troubled for the chariots of Aminadab. Aminadab was the great-great-grandson of Judah, through whom the generation of Christ is woven. Aminadab is interpreted "spontaneous of my people," because, although he was God, of his own accord he became man; although he was the founder and creator, of his own goodness alone he became a portion of his people. And the sense is: I have been troubled (she says) because of the sudden preaching of the Gospel, which, like most swift chariots, suddenly flew through the whole 341Bworld. And well does he call this preaching not a chariot but chariots, because the preaching of the Gospel rests on the authority of the four evangelists, and the four Gospels are as it were the four-horse chariots of the New Testament, over which Christ himself presides as charioteer, tempering and disposing the very course of the Gospels.

« Return, return, O Shulamite. » It is the voice of the Church, inviting the Synagogue to the faith: « Return, return, O Shulamite. » Return, O Synagogue, from unbelief to faith, return from hatred to love. Shulamite is interpreted "captive" or "despised." Such was the Synagogue before the coming of Christ, namely captive by the chain of the devil, and despised by God, because it did not recognize Christ, sent for its own salvation. « Return, return, that we may behold thee, » that is, that 341Cwe may look upon the beauty of thy chastity.

« What shalt thou see in the Shulamite but the companies of camps? » It is the voice of the spouse. Who, hearing the Synagogue invited to the faith by his spouse the Church, says: « What shalt thou see in the Shulamite but the companies of camps? » As if he said: Thou indeed, O spouse, grievest over the perdition of the Synagogue, and because it comes late to the faith; but the time is at hand when it shall be converted, and then thou shalt see in it nothing but the companies of camps, that is, nothing but the concord of charity and the steadfast strength of faith, by which it will fight for the defense of my faith. For choirs are of those who sing, but camps of soldiers who fight. In the Shulamite, therefore, the companies of camps shall be seen, because the Synagogue, once converted, will both harmoniously 341Dpreach Christ with the Church, and will fight for the faith of Christ even unto death. « How beautiful are thy steps! » From this place the spouse begins to set forth the praises of his spouse. And it is to be noted that he begins from the steps to weave together her beauty, and ends her praises at the mouth, just as above he had begun from the eyes. And this he did either to vary the beauty of the song, or also because it is thus most fitting for the mysteries. « How beautiful (he says) are thy steps! » He saw the Church not standing idly in one place, but wandering through the whole world with swift preaching, and therefore he began to praise her from the steps. For the steps of the Church are the swift preaching of the apostles, through whom the Gospel resounded in all the earth. « In sandals, » that 342Ais, in the examples of the fathers who went before. For sandals are made from dead animals. And the sandals of the Church are the examples of the fathers who went before, by which she has her steps fortified, so that she may walk the more safely by imitating him, and without stumbling. « O daughter of the prince. » Another translation says, « daughter of Aminadab. » Aminadab (as was said above) is called "spontaneous of my people," who rightly holds the figure of Christ; for the Church is both daughter and spouse. Daughter, because redeemed by his blood, regenerated by his baptism; spouse, because she is joined to him by the endowment of the Holy Spirit. « The joints of thy thighs are like jewels that are wrought by the hand of a craftsman. » By the thighs or by the loins Holy Scripture is accustomed to designate the offspring of generation. Whence of Jacob we read: « All the souls that came out of the thigh of 342BJacob. » The thighs of the Church, therefore, are the spiritual generation of the believing people through the word of preaching and the laver of regeneration. The joints of the thighs are the joining of the two peoples in one faith, the Jewish and the Gentile. And well are these joints compared to jewels, because the faith of each people is manifested chiefly in works. For « faith without works is dead. » And they are wrought by the hand of a craftsman, that is, of God almighty, by whose gift the power of good work is granted to believers. This is that craftsman of whom Paul spoke, when he made mention of the patriarch Abraham: For he looked for a city that hath abiding foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

« Thy navel is like a turned bowl, never lacking cups. » The navel is the coldest part of the body, 342Cand therefore by the navel we ought to understand the frailty of our mortality. But a bowl is a larger cup, having handles on either side. The navel of the Church, therefore, is a turned bowl, because the more the teachers of the Church remember their own frailty, the more they persist in the word of preaching, so that, offering the alms of the word of God, they may themselves obtain mercy from God. And well is it called a turned bowl. For with the lathe we work more easily, by which is signified the ease of dispensing the word or of giving alms. For alms is to be given neither peevishly nor with hesitation, according to what Solomon says: « Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give to thee, when thou canst give at once. » And what is made with the lathe needs no rule or line applied from outside, but is completed unerringly of itself. 342DThe navel of the Church, therefore, is a turned bowl, because whoever either preaches or gives alms ought to do this for love alone and for the expectation of the heavenly reward. For whoever either preaches or shows mercy to his neighbors for temporal recompense or praise is a bowl, but not a turned one. And this bowl never lacks cups, because to preachers the preaching of the word of God is never wanting, since he himself whom they preach supplies to them the cups of knowledge and the strength of constancy. Whence also the Psalmist: The Lord shall give the word to them that preach the gospel with great power.

« Thy belly is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies. » The same frailty which was designated by the navel is shown in this place by the belly, because the belly is pressed by no firmness 343Aof bones. Well, therefore, is the belly of the Church compared to a heap of wheat, because all the saints, the more they are mindful of their own frailty, the more zealously they persist in bringing forth the fruits of good works. And rightly he says not an abundance of wheat, but a heap of wheat, that by this he may signify the increases of the virtues, which, like a heap, climb by growing from the lower parts to the higher. For just as a heap spreads out below with broad breadth, but above is drawn in with a certain narrowness and comes to a point, so in the Church there are many who live more indulgently, but few who press on toward the highest perfection. For more are found who give alms of their goods than who leave their goods for God's sake. This heap is said to be set about with lilies, because the saints do the good that they do for 343Bthe desire of the heavenly brightness and whiteness. For by the lilies that heavenly brightness is designated. By the belly of the Church can also be understood the divinely given font of baptism, by which the faithful are regenerated into a new creature. This belly, therefore, is compared to a heap of wheat set about with lilies, because those regenerated by the font of baptism are taught to sweat over good works, and always to yearn after gazing upon the glory of the heavenly brightness.

« Thy two breasts are like two young twin fawns of a roe. » The breasts of the Church, as has already been said above, signify the holy teachers, who instruct the little ones (that is, those newly regenerated in Christ) with the milk of a more open and easier doctrine. And well are they called two breasts, because from two peoples, namely the Jewish and the Gentile, the faithful are gathered together, and are nourished with the milk of spiritual doctrine. 343CThese two breasts are said to be like two twin fawns of a roe. The two fawns are the two Testaments, on which all the preaching of these same teachers rests, of which Testaments the one author and promulgator is Christ, according to what Solomon says: The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in, which are given by one shepherd, namely Christ. For the roe rightly signifies Christ, because both in sight and in swiftness he surpasses the other animals, and it is a clean animal, dividing the hoof and chewing the cud. For such are the members of Christ, namely the teachers, distinguished by the sight of knowledge, and with that swiftness forsaking earthly things and hastening toward the heavenly. Dividing the hoof, that is, having the discernment of good and evil; and chewing the cud, that is, with diligent 343Dmemory meditating upon the precepts of God.

« Thy neck is like a tower of ivory. » The holy teachers, who are designated by the breasts, are themselves designated also by the neck. For through the arteries of the neck the voice goes forth, and by the ministry of the neck the vital nourishments are supplied to the other members. So the holy teachers both announce the words of life to the peoples, and nourish them with the food of heavenly doctrine. The neck of the Church, therefore, is compared to a tower of ivory, because the holy teachers furnish to this same Church both beauty and strength. Beauty indeed, which is designated by the whiteness of ivory, by living chastely and sincerely. But they furnish strength, which is signified by the tower, when they fortify this same Church against the temptations of the devil or the assaults of the heretics. 344A« Thy eyes are like the fishpools in Heshbon, which are in the gate of the daughter of the multitude. » That is, the teachers themselves, who were designated by the neck, are designated also by the eyes. For the eyes themselves provide for the whole body of the Church, and show the way which it ought to enter upon. These eyes of the Church are compared to the fishpools of Heshbon in the gate of the city, because the holy teachers wash the peoples who believe in Christ with the vital laver, and refresh them with the draught of saving doctrine. And Heshbon, according to the letter, is called the daughter of the multitude, because of the multitude of peoples flowing together therein. So also the holy Church is rightly called the daughter of the multitude, because daily she gathers a great number of the nations. And Heshbon is interpreted "the girdle of sorrow." The eyes of the Church, therefore, are compared to the fishpools of Heshbon, because the holy teachers, 344Bneglecting the fleeting joys of the world, gird themselves with the girdle of sorrow, because, living chastely and soberly in this world, they also weep for their errors, so that, mourning in the present, they may be able to come to the true and eternal joys. And these fishpools are said to be in the gate of Heshbon, because no one can enter the Church unless he first be washed with the water of baptism, and unless he be given to drink of the font of saving doctrine. This also that bronze laver signified, which Solomon had placed in the porch of the temple, so that the priests, about to enter the temple and to offer the victims, might there wash their bodies.

« Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon, that looketh toward Damascus. » Because by the nose we discern stenches and good odors, rightly by the nose of the Church these same holy teachers are understood. For they themselves have known how sagaciously 344Cto discern between the doctrine of the frailty of the Catholic faith and the death-bearing stench of the heretical body. For also among the divine graces, which are distributed through the Holy Spirit, it is said: To another is given by the Spirit the discerning of spirits. The nose of the Church, therefore, is compared to the tower of Lebanon, because the holy teachers both hold the highest place in the Church, and, as it were, stand upon Mount Lebanon, and defend the Church from the assaults of the malignant spirits. This tower is said to be toward Damascus. Damascus is the metropolitan city of Syria, which once fought against the sons of Israel, having, as it were, most mighty and most cruel kings. And Damascus is interpreted "the drink of blood," or "the eye of blood." They say that Abel was slain there, and therefore it signifies the powers of this world, which thirst for the drink of blood, 344Dbecause they delight in the pleasures and enticements of flesh and blood. It signifies also the airy powers, which thirst for the gore of our souls. This tower, therefore, is toward Damascus, because this Church, fortified by the help of Christ, ever resists the devil and his members.

« Thy head is as Carmel. » The head of the Church, then, is understood as the ruling part of the mind of the faithful; for just as by the head the other members are ruled, so by the mind the thoughts are ordered. And well is the head of the Church compared to Carmel. For Carmel, which is also called Carmel, is interpreted "the knowledge or science of circumcision." Therefore the head of the Church is likened to Carmel, because it has known that circumcision, once bodily 345Acelebrated, must now be spiritually observed by it, according to what the Prophet says: « Be circumcised to the Lord in your hearts. » This understanding of circumcision the Jews did not have, and therefore they are rebuked by the blessed Stephen, the protomartyr, saying: « You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you have always resisted the Holy Spirit. » In the book of Kings also it is read that Elijah ascended into Mount Carmel, and there by praying watered the dry earth with heavenly rains, after the long drought of three years and a half. This history breathes a beautiful allegory. For Elijah, who is interpreted "my God the Lord," signifies Christ. Who, although he is God and Lord of all and of the whole creation, is in a special way his own, that is, the proper, God and Lord of the Church. This one ascends into Carmel, 345Bwhen by his grace he mounts up into the minds of his faithful, and through them bestows upon the parched world the rains of his graces. Rightly, therefore (as was said), the head of the Church is compared to Mount Carmel, because the mind of the saints is sublime in its manner of life, and offers to Christ an ascent into itself through the advance of the virtues.

« And the hairs of thy head are like the king's purple bound in the channels. » If by the head of the Church the mind is understood, by the hairs of the head we ought to understand the thoughts of the mind, which continually issue from it. But the purple color, which has the appearance of blood, signifies the mystery of the Lord's passion. According to the letter, when he says « the king's purple bound in the channels, » it signifies wool already dyed with the purple color and not yet 345Cdrawn out into threads, but still set in the channels, which the Greeks call batia, in which the blood of the shellfish is accustomed to flow down and to turn the wool into a purple color. Mystically these channels signify the humility of the saints, in which the purple of the eternal king is dyed, when all the saints, by imitating the humility of their Redeemer, strive to become conformed to his sufferings, so that they may be turned into the dignity of purple; that is, laboring for Christ, they may deserve to reign with Christ. And this purple is said to be bound, because the hearts of the saints are fixed and made steadfast in the fear and love of their Redeemer, nor can they ever be separated from his charity.

« How beautiful art thou, and how comely, dearest, in delights. » How beautiful art thou, namely in faith, and 345Dcomely in operation, dearest in delights. Above it was said of the Church: « Fair as the moon, chosen as the sun, terrible as an army set in array; » but here it is said, « Beautiful and comely, dearest in delights; » which seem to be as it were contrary. For to be set in array like an army, and to be in delights, is repugnant, because delights are accustomed to enervate the strength of soldiers. But the holy Church does both. She is set in array like an army, because she resists the unbelieving heretics, and by her holiness and perfection terrifies the malignant spirits. She is also in delights, because she continually tastes the sweetness of the heavenly sweetness with the palate of the mind, and amid the pressures of this world desires to attain those delights and continually to be satisfied with them. Whence deservedly 346Ashe who is such is said to be dearest to her spouse Christ.

« Thy stature is likened to a palm tree. » The stature of the Church is her perfect uprightness. For she is not bent toward vices, but stands upright and unmoved. Whence the Psalmist said, in the voice of those who wait: « I am bowed down and humbled exceedingly. » And the prophet, under the figure of Jerusalem, says to the sinning soul concerning the malignant spirits: « Because they have humbled thee, and have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may pass over. » But on the contrary the holy Church stands upright, and never consents to be bent, hearing from the Apostle: « Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, do manfully and be strengthened, and let all your things be done in charity. » And the Lord speaks to the sons of Israel: « I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of 346Bthe prison-house of the Egyptians, that you might walk upright. » The stature of the Church, therefore, is likened to a palm tree, which in all that it does ever keeps in memory the heavenly recompense. For the palm adorns the victorious hand, and therefore signifies that reward which is to be given to the victorious saints in the heavens. « And thy breasts to clusters of grapes. » The breasts of the Church (as was said above) are the holy teachers, who nourish those regenerated in Christ with the milk of simple doctrine. But these breasts are likened to clusters, when these same teachers announce more perfect things to the perfect, just as the Apostle, speaking to the simpler, said: « I could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal; as unto little ones in Christ I gave you milk to drink, not meat. » Behold breasts full of milk. Which breasts 346Cwere turned into clusters, when he said: « We preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, and we speak wisdom among the perfect. »

« I said, I will go up into the palm tree, and will take hold of the fruit thereof. » That it might be shown that all this excellence and greatness of the gifts of the Church comes from the grace of God, the same spouse is introduced saying: « I will go up into the palm tree. » As if he said: Thence hast thou breasts to nourish the little ones, whence thou hast clusters, by which thou mayest offer to the more perfect the more perfect doctrine, because I by my grace have gone up into thee, and have granted thee this perfection. « I will go up (he says) into the palm tree. » The palm signifies the Church, or also the soul of any of the faithful, who is mindful of the Lord his God who says: Have confidence, I have overcome the world. She too strives to be the victor over all 346Dvices and iniquity. And well is he said here to have gone up into the palm, when above he is read to have gone down into the garden. For the Church said: « My beloved is gone down into his garden. » The garden is the same as the palm, namely one and the same Church. But into her the Lord goes down, and to her he goes up. He goes down into her, sending her an abundance of his grace from the heavens; he goes up to her, increasing his gifts in her, and raising her up by certain advances, as by certain steps, to higher things. But this too concerning the nature of the palm is to be known, that in the lower parts it is rough, in the higher parts most beautiful with the grace of leaves and the beauty of fruits. So also the holy Church in the lower parts 347Aendures the roughness of labors and sufferings for Christ; but in the higher parts, that is, in the heavens, she awaits the beauty and sweetness of rewards. By the palm also can be expressed the tree of the Lord's cross, into which our Redeemer ascended for the redemption of the human race, and on which he overcame the enemy of the human race. He says, therefore: « I said, I will go up into the palm; » that is, through my prophets I have spoken, and have promised that I will come to the passion, and will redeem my Church. « I will take hold (he says) of the fruit thereof; » that is, of the fruit of the good works and labors, in which the Church sweats, by recompensing them; or also according to my meaning, by which the cross is understood by the palm. « I will take hold of the fruit, » that is, the triumph of the passion accomplished, I will come to the glory of the resurrection, 347Band will grant spiritual gifts to my apostles. « And thy breasts shall be like the clusters of the vine. » This has already been expounded above: for the breasts of the Church are the teachers, when they nourish the little ones with simple doctrine; but they become clusters of the vine, when they announce sublime things to the more perfect. For the blessed Paul at one and the same time had breasts and clusters, when, speaking of Christ, he said: « Whose fathers, and of whom is Christ. » Behold breasts, that is, the simple preaching concerning Christ. But these breasts were turned into most sweet and most strong wine, when he added: Who is God blessed forever.

And the odor of thy mouth like that of apples. Thy throat like the best wine. » The mouth and the odor of the Church are her present preaching, which by report or by writing reaches 347Cto those absent from her. But the throat is the very voice of the preacher, which is heard in the present. The odor, therefore, of the mouth of the Church is compared to the odors of apples, because the very report of her preaching is full of sweetness and grace. But the throat is likened to the best wine, because the very voice of those preaching showed in itself great power to the hearers. And that the odor of apples is in newness, but that of wine in age, signifies that the preaching of the Church has all sweetness and grace both in its newness and also in its perfection. « Worthy for my beloved to drink, and to be chewed by his lips and teeth. » It is the voice of the Church. Who, hearing herself praised by the spouse, joyfully answers: « Worthy for my beloved to drink. » As if she said: My spouse has compared my throat to the best wine, 347Dand that wine is worthy to be drunk by my beloved himself, that is, the evangelical preaching which he has placed in my mouth is to be announced in the world through him, and not through another. For it was not fitting that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven be preached in the world through any other than through the mediator of God and men. « And to be chewed (he says) by his lips and teeth. » The lips and teeth of the spouse, as was said above, are the holy teachers. That best wine, therefore, is to be chewed by the lips and teeth of the spouse, because the evangelical preaching is to be handled and expounded by the teachers. Nor is it absurd that, though wine be drunk and not chewed, here nevertheless it is said to be chewed by the lips and teeth, which belongs rather to food 348Athan to drink. For the holy teachers chew the spiritual wine, when they diligently search out the evangelical precepts, and investigate them by frequent meditation and confer them one with another.

« I am my beloved's, and his turning is toward me. » « I am my beloved's, » understand: I render the obedience of justice and devotion: to him, and to no other, I promise my faith and my service. « And his turning is toward me, » that he may protect me in the present amid the labors and troubles of this life, and in the future lead me to the joys of the heavenly life. This can also be the voice of the Synagogue, in the person of the holy Fathers, desiring the coming of Christ. As if she said: I know (she says) that he is always present to me by his spiritual presence, and therefore I desire to serve my beloved with all devotion, but 348Bat length « his turning is toward me, » because I wish that at length, as he promised, he may appear to me in my own substance. For the spouse had said above: « I will go up into the palm; » that is, he had promised that he would come in the flesh, and would suffer for the human race, and thence she joyfully said, « I am my beloved's, and his turning is made toward me; » that is, I believe that he will come as man, and, in my substance, be manifested as man to the world.

« Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us abide in the villages. » It is the voice of the same Synagogue, « Come, my beloved, » that is, appear through the man thou hast assumed. Such also is that of the Psalmist, « Stir up thy might and come; » and of Isaiah, « O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, and come down. » « Let us go forth into the field. » 348CThe field is this world. « Let us go forth (she says) into the field, » that is, let us preach to the world. « Let us abide in the villages, » that is, let us announce thy faith also to the very pagans. No one is ignorant that the pagans are named from the village, because pagos in Greek is "village" in Latin. Thence they are called pagans, because they are far from the city of God. It can also be the voice of the Church, « Come, my beloved. » As if she said: Thou hast now, by the mystery of the ascension, raised the man thou didst assume up to the heavens, but come, by visiting me more often with the presence of thy divine majesty. « Let us go forth into the field. » In the same sense as above, Let us preach the faith of thy incarnation to the world. « Let us abide in the villages; » that is, let us announce thy faith even to the pagans who know thee not, and not in passing, but let us abide there, until we make them Catholics out of pagans, thine own 348Dout of strangers.

« Let us get up early to the vineyards. » The morning is the rising of the new grace, when, namely, the darkness of unbelief passing away, the Gospel began to be preached to the world. « Let us see if the vineyard flourish. » That is, let us inspect the Church, if she has now taken up the first rudiments of faith. « If the flowers bring forth fruits. » Let us inspect also if the flowers bring forth fruit, that is, if those who have now believed in Christ are fit for doing good. For the Church puts forth flowers, when the faithful first come to the faith. But the flowers bring forth fruits, when by that same faith and love she works well, lest the faith itself be idle, or dead without works; for, as James says, « faith without works is dead. » 349A« If the pomegranates flourish. » The pomegranates (as was said above) have a reddish or blood-colored rind, and therefore signify the passion of the Lord, or of his members. He says, therefore, « If the pomegranates flourish, » that is, if the saints who are now perfect in faith and in work are also fit to imitate the passion of Christ and to suffer for him. Pomegranates were those to whom the Apostle said: « To you it is given, not only to know, but also that you suffer for him. » « There will I give thee my breasts. » The breasts of the Church are the teachers, who first train the faithful to the faith. When (she says) we have gone out to the vineyards, there I will give thee, O spouse, my breasts, that is, I will beget thee sons. Whence there is further added:

« The mandrakes have given a smell in our gates. » 349BThe mandrake is an aromatic herb, whose root has the likeness of a human body. Its apples are of the best smell, in the likeness of the Matian apple, which our people call an apple of the earth. This herb is most fit for medicinal purposes. For they say that those who labor under the trouble of sleeplessness are relieved by a draught of this apple, and can sleep. Likewise they say that those who for the sake of a cure are to be cut, if they drink the outer rind of this apple, do not feel the cutting or the burning. All of which, if anyone should wish to inquire into mystically, he will find there spiritual meanings, and ones suited to the Church. He says, therefore, « The mandrakes have given a smell in our gates. » The gates of the Church are the apostles and their successors, because no one enters the city of God (that is, the Church) unless through the holy teachers he be regenerated by the water of baptism 349Cand instructed in the vital doctrine. Of these gates the Psalmist said: « The Lord loveth the gates of Sion above all the tabernacles of Jacob. » And the mandrakes designate the fragrance of the virtues. In the gates of the Church, therefore, the mandrakes have given a smell, when the apostles or their successors scattered far and wide the report of a most sweet reputation and the odor of the virtues. And therefore she invites her spouse to come, because now his name is announced far and wide through the apostles, and the odor of the preaching of Christ is dispersed far and wide. « All the apples, new and old, my beloved, I have kept for thee. » That is, the precepts or promises of the Old Testament and the New I have kept for thee, O my beloved. For she knew that all the things which were announced in the Old Testament could not be fulfilled except through Christ and in 349DChrist. And therefore she said, For thee I have kept the apples new and old, that is, I await thee, that through thee there may be fulfilled in the New Testament what was foretold in the Old. Whence also in his passion, already hanging on the cross, when he had tasted the vinegar, he said: « It is consummated. » And after the resurrection, to the apostles: It is necessary that all things be fulfilled which are written in the law and the prophets and the psalms concerning me. By the apples new 350Aand old can also be understood the persons of the just, who were either in the Old or in the New Testament. The Church says, therefore, I have kept for thee the new and the old, that is, the just who went before in the Old Testament, or followed after in the New, I have kept for thee, that through thee they might receive the rewards of their labors. For none of the just could enter the kingdom of heaven, except through Christ; because he first ascended, and to his following members opened heaven.

« Who shall give thee to me for my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother? » From these words it is understood that this whole song is divine and spiritual, and has in it nothing that could be understood according to the letter. For 350Bwhat lover ever wished this, that he whom she loves should be made a little child, and her brother, and, turned into an infant, should suck the breasts of his mother? It is, therefore, the voice of that Church which preceded the coming of Christ, whom we call the Synagogue (that is, the congregation). « Who (she says) shall give thee to me for my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother? » And the sense is: Thou who now art in the bosom of the Father, who will grant that thou be made man, and, existing as a partaker and sharer of my nature, be called my brother? For he himself deigned to call himself the brother of the apostles, saying through the Psalmist: « I will declare thy name to my brethren. » And after the resurrection to the women, « Go, he said, tell my brethren. » « Sucking the breasts of my mother, » he says, that is, fulfilling all things that belong to human nature, 350Csin excepted. For the mother of the Synagogue is understood in this place to be human nature itself, from which the Synagogue itself sprang. « Sucking (he says) the breasts of my mother, » that is, enduring all things that pertain to human frailty. « That I may find thee without. » That is, that I may see thee, made man, in the open. For God was, as it were, within, when he yet lay hidden in the bosom of the paternal majesty, but he was found without, when, made man, he offered himself as lowly offspring to men, and, being incomprehensible, willed to be comprehended. « And I may kiss thee. » And I may kiss thee, he says, that is, I may behold with manifest vision him whom now I hold only in the kiss of faith — which she desired at the beginning of this song, saying: « Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth, » that is, let him now come through himself, that he may appear to me. 350DFor the beloved, as it were, kissed the Church through the prophets, when he promised his coming through them. She desires, therefore, that, coming through himself, he may kiss her, that is, may display his presence in his own flesh. « And now let no one despise me. » For the Synagogue was, as it were, despised before Christ came, because, given up now to the observances of the law, she preached the coming of Christ under a type and figure, and not in truth. 351ABut after Jesus appeared, and by the grace of his coming brightened the world, now no one despised her; nay rather she was terrible to her enemies as an army set in array, because throughout the whole world she preached Christ, and subjected the worldly empire to herself. Nor ought it to seem a wonder if we now call the Church the Synagogue. For there is one Church in the preceding and in the following Fathers.

« I will take hold of thee, and lead thee into the house of my mother. » O beloved, by cleaving to thee through faith and charity, I will lead thee into the house of my mother. The mother of the Church, in this place, is understood as the heavenly Jerusalem, of which Paul says: But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother. « I will lead thee (she says) into the house of my mother, » that is, I will follow after 351Bthee returning into heaven, after the act of thy incarnation and the mystery of thy passion. And "I will lead thee," she says, for that which is "I will conduct and follow after," because the apostles conducted with their eyes the Lord ascending into heaven, and with devout gaze followed after him until the cloud received him, until the angels standing by said: « Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven. » « There thou shalt teach me. » This is referred to the words above, where it is said: « I will find thee without. » When (she says) I have found thee without, that is, when I have beheld thee in the assumed flesh, there thou shalt teach me, because to all that I shall wish to ask, thou wilt answer. For often the Lord anticipated even the apostles wishing to ask, 351Cand instructed them. It can also be joined to this place, where she says: « I will lead thee into the house of my mother, there thou shalt teach me. » When (she says) thou hast been received into heaven, and hast taken me also with thee into heaven, there thou shalt teach me, and lead me into all truth, which is impossible for man in the present life to be able to attain; hence it is that the Lord promises to the apostles, saying: « The hour cometh, when I will no more speak to you in proverbs, but will show you plainly of the Father. » Therefore there thou shalt teach me, that is, thou wilt reveal to me, in open vision, thee and the Father, that is, thou wilt show me thy divinity face to face. « And I will give thee a cup of spiced wine. » By the wine is understood the fervor of charity and love. I will give (she says) thee wine, that is, I will show with how 351Dmost fervent charity I love thee. And this wine will not be simple, but spiced, namely with good works and virtues. For the love of God, as blessed Gregory says, is never idle; it works great things if it be present. For if it refuses to work, it is not love. For spiced wine is love with operation. Whence also the Lord in the Gospel: « If any one love me, he will keep my word. » The proof of love is the showing of the work. « And the new wine of my pomegranates. » The pomegranate is the same as the Punic apple. And it is called a pomegranate (malum granatum), because it is full of a multitude of seeds (grana). It is a Punic apple, because it abounds most greatly in Africa. For Punica is Africa itself. And it has 352Aa rind of a blood color, and therefore (as has often been said) holds the figure of the Lord's passion. For the new wine of pomegranates is the love of the holy martyrs, who so loved God that they did not hesitate to die for him. And well is it called new wine, and no other cup whatever, because new wine is most fervent, so that in its exceeding fervor it boils off and purges from itself all filth. The Church, therefore, will give the beloved the new wine of her pomegranates, that is, she will show in the sufferings of the holy martyrs with how great charity Christ is loved.

« His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. » By the left (as blessed Gregory says) are understood all the prosperous things of the present life; but by the right the future blessed life in 352Bthe heavens is understood. The Church, therefore, has the left hand of the spouse under her head, and his right hand embraces her, because whatever prosperous things of the present world flatter her, she counts as nothing, and despises all that smile upon her temporally; and while she strives toward the vision of the heavenly blessedness alone, she desires to embrace that alone.

« I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please. » The Church has within her certain persons who are reborn by the baptism of Christ, and marked with the name of Christianity, yet in their morals and manner of life serve the world, and strive to disquiet the Church, lulled in most sweet rest, and to rouse her to endure tumults. These, therefore, on account of the grace of the mysteries of Christ which 352Cthey have received, are called daughters of Jerusalem in this place, although in their morals they do contrary things. And the spouse adjures them that they stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, that is, that they rouse not her — set in the sleep of most sweet rest, that is, in the contemplation of her Maker — by their disquiet, and compel her to awake to the solicitudes and cares of the world. « Till she please; » that is, until, the office of due service accomplished, by which in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs she serves God, she be admonished again by the care of bodily frailty to return to the use of the world.

« Who is she that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon my beloved? » It is the voice of the Synagogue, marveling at the Church gathered from the nations. 352DWho is she, she says, that is, of what kind is she, of what merit, who cometh up from the desert? For she had been forsaken by God through idolatry and ignorance of the truth. She was coming up, therefore, by the steps of the virtues from the desert, that is, from the error of unbelief, in which for a time she had been forsaken. « Flowing with delights, » that is, abounding in virtues. « Leaning (she says) upon my beloved, » that is, acting confidently in Christ, and referring all her virtues and all her good things to his grace, she knew that she could accomplish no good by her own strength, and therefore said with the Apostle: « By the grace of God I am what I am. » And it is to be noted that she says, Upon my beloved. For the Synagogue thought that she alone had the knowledge of God, the other nations being left in 353Aignorance. « For God is known, » as the Psalmist says, « in Judea; in Israel his name is great. » But to the Synagogue thus marveling, her own spouse and beloved answers that which follows.

« Under the apple tree I raised thee up. » By the apple tree we ought to understand the Lord's cross, from which tree the Synagogue was raised up, because she was redeemed from the transgression of original sin and the power of the devil through the cross of Christ; there was she raised up who was dead in sins. And well does he say the apple tree. For, as was said above, to this tree he compared Christ, saying: « As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. » « There was thy mother corrupted, there was she deflowered that bore thee. » By the mother and her that bore the Synagogue he means the greater and more principal 353Bfathers of the Jewish people, such as were the Scribes and Pharisees, who delivered Christ to Pilate, who ought to have ruled and instructed the rest of the people as a mother and one who bears, and such as were those who, at the urging of those princes, wickedly cried out: « Crucify, crucify him. » This mother of the Synagogue, therefore, was corrupted and deflowered under the apple tree, when she bound herself and her posterity with a cruel curse, saying: « His blood be upon us and upon our children; » for these too were under the cross of Christ, though not by faith and devotion, yet by the cruel imprecation of vengeance upon themselves and their posterity.

« Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm. » Because (he says) under the apple tree I raised thee up, that is, because by my passion 353Con the cross I redeemed thee, set me as a seal upon thy heart, that is, hold me always in memory, and forget not me, how much I endured for thy salvation. Set me (he says) as a seal upon thy heart through faith, set me as a seal upon thy heart through worthy operation. For we too, when we wish to hold something in memory, are accustomed to set a seal upon the finger or the arm, so that, admonished by it, we may remember that thing for which we have care. And we ought to set Christ as a seal upon our heart and arm, so that we may always have his memory, and, rightly believing in him, may adorn that very faith with good works. And if we do this, he too will take us up as a seal, and will remember us, according to what he promises to Zerubbabel the leader of Judea: 353D« And I will set thee as a seal in my sight. » For if we have forgotten his benefits, and have not rendered him worthy thanksgivings, he too will forget us, as is said of the impious king Jeconiah the son of Joachim: « If he were a ring on my right hand, thence would I pluck him off. » « For love is strong as death, jealousy hard as hell. » The love of Christ is strong as death. For just as death separates the soul from the body, and now nothing is it permitted to man to desire, nothing to strive after in the present life, so the love of Christ, which has truly pervaded anyone, mortifies him wholly to this world, and renders him as it were insensible, and, living for Christ alone, he is dead to the world. The same is the sense when he says: « Jealousy hard as 354Ahell. » For just as hell never restores those whom it once receives, but ever retains them, so the true love of Christ, which it has once received, it never lets go; whence the Apostle says: « Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or the sword? » But also the love of Christ can be understood in this place, whose love was strong as death, because he so loved us that, being immortal, he took death for us. His jealousy was hard as hell, because hell knows not to have mercy or to be softened by the punishments of the wretched, so also the love of Christ could not cease from mercy, or by any wickednesses of persecutors be removed from the love of the human race. Some refer this that is said, « Jealousy is hard as hell, » 354Bproperly to the Synagogue, which was jealous of the nations, and envied their salvation. Christ therefore admonishes by saying this, that she cease from envy, and rejoice together at the salvation of the Church. « The lamps thereof are lamps of fire and of flames. » That is, the lamps of love are lamps of fire and of flames. The lamps of love are the hearts of the saints, in which, as in vessels, love dwells. These lamps, therefore, are indeed lamps of fire, because they burn in the heart through love; but they are lamps of flames, because outwardly they shine through operation.

« Many waters cannot quench charity, neither shall the floods overwhelm it. » The waters and the floods are the violent threats of persecutors, or also the enticements, by which they strive to separate the saints from the love of God. 354COf which the Lord says in the Gospel, concerning the man who built his house upon a rock: « The floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. » « Many waters, therefore, cannot quench charity, » because no tribulation, no distress, will be able to separate the saints from the love of God. « If a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing. » This little verse needs no exposition. For no substance of the world, no riches, are anything in comparison with love. We read indeed that the saints left their goods for the love of Christ, but yet they seemed to themselves to leave nothing in comparison with the charity of Christ, whom they loved. Whence the Apostle, when he left not only earthly substance, but 354Dalso the paternal traditions for Christ, said: « All these things I count and esteem as dung, that I may gain Christ, » that is, that I may acquire his love.

« Our sister is little, and hath no breasts. What shall we do to our sister in the day when she is to be spoken to? » It is the voice of the beloved, speaking to the Synagogue on behalf of the Church of the nations. « Our sister, » he says, that is, the Church of the nations, « is little, and hath no breasts; » and with great condescension, the name being shared with the Synagogue, he says, « Our sister: » because he assumed flesh from the Jews, therefore he tempers himself, as it were, to the Synagogue and makes himself its equal. « Our sister (he says) is little. » Just as the age of some man is described, 355Aso also the age of the Church is described. For the Church, as yet gathered from the nations, was little in the very times of the Lord and the apostles, because both by the smallness of believers she was little; and she had not yet breasts, that is, she was by no means able, by preaching, to beget spiritual sons to God. He says, therefore, as if seeking the counsel of the Synagogue, « What shall we do to our sister in the day when she is to be spoken to? » The speaking to the Church is when God admonishes the soul of each of the faithful, either inwardly by hidden inspiration, or outwardly by open preaching. And the sense is: When through my apostles I shall speak to the Church gathered from the nations, what shall we do? how shall we commit to her the heavenly precepts? Namely whether we shall commit to her the least precepts, or, that she may be made the greater, 355Bshall we hand over to her the more perfect mysteries of the heavenly secrets? For God almighty tempers the word of preaching according to the measure and capacity of the human mind, considering the strength and capacity of the hearer. But while the Synagogue was silent, the spouse himself answered for her:

« If she be a wall, let us build upon it bulwarks of silver; if she be a door, let us join it together with boards of cedar. » If (he says) our sister be a wall, let us build upon it bulwarks of silver. As if he should say: When my apostles shall have begun to preach to the Church gathered from the nations, if the hearers shall be such as by the merit of perfection can be called a wall — that is, when, being either endowed with natural genius, or excelling in philosophical learning, they can as it were 355Cdefend and fortify others in the stead of a wall — let us build upon such a wall bulwarks of silver, that is, let us add to them the eloquences of the divine Scriptures. For, as the Psalmist says: « The words of the Lord are chaste words, silver tried by the fire. » But if the hearers shall be such as can by no means resist the enemy, nor repel the darts coming against them, but shall be a door, as, announcing simple things, they can bring some into the Church and to the faith — such as are priests of a lesser grade, who, by baptizing in the Church, and initiating men into the divine mysteries, introduce them into the Church — let us join that door together with boards of cedar; that is, let us set before them the examples of the fathers who went before, who, like cedars — namely incorruptible wood, that is, imperishable works 355D— have works, and, like boards, are spread out with breadth of knowledge and charity. For the breadth of the boards signifies the breadth of the heart or of knowledge, the Psalmist saying: « I have run the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart. » With these boards of cedar, then (that is, with the examples of the saints), let us join that door together, so that, namely, their examples, to be imitated, may open to others, as a door, an entrance for entering the Church.

« I am a wall, and my breasts are as a tower. » It is the voice of the Church. Who, when she had heard her beloved taking counsel for her salvation, herself joyfully answers: « I am a wall, and my breasts are as a tower. » I (she says) am a wall, I am founded upon the firm rock, and made solid with the glue of divine charity. Or I am a wall, 356Abecause I am built of living and chosen stones (that is, of the saints); « and my breasts are as a tower, » because I contain within me such as, in the stead of breasts, can nourish others with spiritual doctrine, and, in the stead of a tower, can defend and fortify others, and who, as towers stand out in the wall, so by the merit of doctrine and manner of life excel my other members. And this I have not by my own merits, nor by the liberty of my own will, but by the gift and grace of my spouse. « Since I am become in his presence as one finding peace. » That is, since he shed his blood for me, and, propitiating God the Father toward me, dissolved the enmities which were between God and man, and made heavenly things peaceful for me. Since, then, I have found this peace, I have deserved to be a wall, and to have breasts in the stead of towers. 356B

« The peaceable had a vineyard, » that is, my beloved, who is the true peaceable one, because through him all things were made peaceful that are in the heavens and on the earth. Whence also by the Prophet the Father of the world to come, the prince of peace, is he called, in whose type — the true peaceable one — Solomon the peaceable, the author of this song, went before. To this one, then, there was a vineyard, that is, the holy Church. « In that which hath peoples. » This he says to show that he sings of the Church of the nations, not of the Synagogue. For the Synagogue was of one nation only. But the Church has peoples, because she takes and receives all the nations within her most capacious bosom. « He delivered it to keepers. » The keepers of this vineyard (that is, of the holy Church) are the prophets, the apostles, and the successors of the apostles. 356COr also the keepers of this world are the angelic powers, which keep the Church from the assaults of temptations and demons. « A man bringeth for the fruit thereof a thousand pieces of silver. » By men he means the strong and the perfect, for vir (man) is named from virtus (strength). The fruit of the Church is the recompense of the heavenly life, for which the holy Church ceases not to labor in the present. And the thousand pieces of silver, which the man brings for the fruit, signify all the things that can be possessed in this world. For the number of a thousand is set for the highest perfection and fullness. The man, therefore, brings for the fruit of this vineyard a thousand pieces of silver, because the saints leave all their goods, and dispense them to the poor, that they may obtain the fruit of this vineyard (that is, the heavenly reward). Such is that which the Lord says in the Gospel: 356D« The kingdom of heaven is like to a treasure hidden in a field, which a man having found, hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. »

« My vineyard is before me. » It is the voice of the spouse. Thou (he says) sayest that I delivered my vineyard to keepers, yet the vineyard is always before me, because, although I have committed it to my keepers, I nevertheless always have care of it, nor do I ever cease to be solicitous for it, but I am with it even to the consummation of the age. « A thousand are thine, O peaceable one, and two hundred to them that keep the fruit thereof. » A thousand are thine — understand pieces of silver, which thou hast given for the fruit of the vineyard — they are at peace with thee. As if he said: O faithful soul, be not doubtful 357Aconcerning the eternal reward, for which thou hast given all thy goods, because the thousand pieces of silver are at peace with thee, that is, that sure recompense awaits thee, and thou art about to obtain from thence the true fruit. And two hundred — understand pieces of silver — are at peace with them that keep my fruits. As by the number of a thousand is designated the fullness of perfection, so also by the number of a hundred the highest perfection is designated, because the hundred is transferred from the left hand to the right. Two hundred pieces of silver, then, which is the doubled hundred, signify those who are perfect in doctrine and in holy operation, who, by living justly and piously, keep themselves, and also, by preaching, convert others. To such, then, the two hundred pieces of silver are at peace, because a doubled recompense awaits them in the heavens. Of such it is said through Daniel: « And they that instruct 357Bmany unto justice shall shine as stars for all eternity. » For the Apostle commands these to be doubly honored, saying: « The priests that are among us, let them be esteemed worthy of double honor, especially they that are set over you and labor in the word. »

« Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the friends hearken; make me hear thy voice. » It is the voice of the beloved speaking to the spouse: O Church, that dwellest in the gardens, that is, that persistest in tending the shoots of the virtues. For the garden is the Church herself, whom (as was said above) he often promises to visit. The Church, then, dwells in the gardens, because she continually nourishes the plantings of the virtues, nor, about to withdraw for a little while in passing, does she there set up a hut, but with fixed station she dwells. « Make me (he says) to hear thy voice, » that is, preach the Gospel to whom 357Cthou art able, announce the precepts of my law together with the promise of the heavenly rewards. For this is pleasant and delightful to me, that I may hear thy voice, that is, that I may hear thee announcing the words of eternal salvation. But « the friends hearken, » that is, the angelic spirits delight to hear thy voice, whom I made thy friends by the shedding of my blood, and whom I appointed as helpers and protectors against the malignant spirits. Or the friends, that is, the spirits of the just, hearken, whom I took up from thy company to me into the heavens. For they rejoice together at thy preaching and the salvation of the brethren. The spouse herself at once answers her beloved:

« Flee away, my beloved, and be like to the roe and to the fawn of the harts upon the mountains of aromatical spices. » A wonderful 357Danswer. She is invited to preach, and that the spouse may hear her voice, but she exhorts her spouse to flee. 358ABut great is the sequence of the mystery. For because the nativity of Christ had been foretold above, when she said: « Who shall give thee to me for my brother, sucking the breasts. » For his passion had been foretold, where it was said: « Under the apple tree I raised thee up, » now consequently she exhorts the spouse to flee, that is, most swiftly to return to the Father by the ascension. And the sense is: Dost thou bid me to preach? dost thou wish to hear my voice? Flee, my beloved, that is, the mystery of thy incarnation and passion accomplished, return to heaven, so that now I may begin to think of thee not as man, but as God above all things. For then thou shalt hear my voice, because then I shall preach thee more freely to all the world. And this is what the Lord says in the Gospel: 358B« I tell you the truth: it is expedient for you that I go. » For it was expedient for the apostles and for the whole Church that Christ should return, and should absent his bodily presence, because while he was present in the body, they could not otherwise love him in spirit, they could not think of him whom they beheld as man, as invisible God and everywhere present. But after he himself ascended into the heavens, the Church began to love him spiritually, and so now to think of him as God and to preach him. And this is what the Apostle says: « And if we have known Christ according to the flesh, but now we know him no longer. » Therefore, my beloved, if thou wishest me thus to preach thee, flee (that is, withdraw) to the heavenly things, and thou who wast comprehensible through the humanity, become incomprehensible through the divinity; yet nevertheless forsake me not 358Cin the present without thy visitation, but deign to seek me again with thy frequent visitation, and to offer thyself more often to me to be seen. And this is what she says: « Be like to the roe and to the fawn of the harts upon the mountains of aromatical spices. » As (she says) the roe and the fawns of the harts, being untamed animals, flee human company, and yet are more frequently seen upon the mountains, so also thou, after thy ascension, though invisible, yet deign more often to appear to me by the gift of thy grace, and this upon the mountains of aromatical spices. The mountains of aromatical spices are the saints of God, near to heaven by the excellence of their holy manner of life, and fragrant far and wide with the odor and report of the virtues. Hence the Apostle says of himself and those like him: « Our conversation is in heaven. » And elsewhere: « We are the good odor of Christ in 358Devery place. »