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A COMMENTARY

ON

THE SONG OF SONGS.

CHAPTER I.

1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's. Song of songs. “As we have been taught by Moses Origen. that there are not only holy places, but a Holy of holies, that there are not only other Sabbaths, but Šabbaths of sabbaths; so now we are taught, by the pen of Solomon, that there are not only songs, but a Song of songs. Blessed, truly, is he who enters into the holy place, but more blessed he who enters the Holy of holies. Blessed is he who keepeth the Sabbath, but more blessed who keepeth the Sabbath of sabbaths. So, too, blessed is he who understands songs, and sings them, for no one does sing save on high festivals, but much more blessed is he who sings the Song of songs. And as he, who enters into the holy place, still needs much ere he is able to proceed into the Holy of holies, and as he who keeps the sabbath enjoined on the people by the LORD, wants many things that he may keep the Sabbath of sabbaths, so too he who traverses all the songs of Holy Writ, finds it no easy thing to ascend to the Song of songs. Thou must needs go out of Egypt, and, issued thence, cross the Red Sea, that thou mayest sing the first song, saying, 'I will sing unto the LORD, Exod. xv. 1. for He hath triumphed gloriously.' And even though thou mayest have sung this first song, thou art still far from the Song of songs. Pass spiritually through

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17.

1.

Judg. v. 1.

2.

Isa. v. 1.

Targum.

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Numb. xxi. the wilderness, till thou comest to the well, which the princes dug, that thou mayest there sing the second song. Afterwards approach the borders of the Holy Land, and, standing on Jordan's banks, sing the song Deut. xxxii. of Moses, Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.' Yet again, thou needest soldiers, and the inheritance of the Holy Land, and that a bee should prophesy to thee and judge thee-for Deborah is, by interpretation, a bee-that thou mayest utter that hymn also, which is contained in the Book of Judges. Ascending to the record of the Kings, come to the song when David escaped from the hands of all his enemies, and from 2 Sam. xxii. the hand of Saul, and said, 'The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer.' Thence thou must reach Isaiah, that thou mayest say with him, I will sing to my Beloved a song of my Beloved touching His vineyard. And when thou hast traversed all these, go up yet higher, that thou mayest with pure soul cry unto the Bridegroom this song of songs." The Targum counts up ten songs, adding to Origen's list those of Adam, sung after his fall and pardon; Joshua's at Ajalon; and a tenth, never yet uttered, to be sung by the people of GOD at the end of their long captivity, to which applies that Isa. xxx. 29. prophecy, "Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept." This one, however, is the Song of songs, because as CHRIST our LORD, as Man, surpassing all Apostles, Patriarchs, Prophets, and heavenly powers, is King of kings, and LORD of lords, so this song, since entirely concerning Him and His Bride, excels, and includes in itself, all the hymns of victory, of thanksgiving, of instruction, and of lamentation in Holy Writ, just as the bridal feast surpasses all others, and since no blessing which other songs commemorate can be compared with the Incarnation. And as the Apostle tells his hearers to speak to themEph. v. 19. selves "in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs," we understand that psalms, accompanied by an instrument, denote the active life of charity, and hymns the contemplative life, and songs, embracing these two, are the life of the righteous, who give soul and body to S. Bernard. GOD; while the Song of songs, that holy secret which only GoD's unction can teach, only spiritual experience can make clear, is the life of the perfect. The Song is Solomon's, the third in order of his books, following Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, to teach us that after the

Aponius.

Ricard. Victorin.

Rupert.

Theodoret.

Nicol. Argent.

Honor. Aug.

S. Greg.

Magn.

have passed the purgative way, by following the moral precepts of the first of these; and the illuminative way, S. Greg. M. by learning in the second that all earthly things are vanity, and GOD alone to be desired; we attain in the third place to the unitive way, and by it make our en- Origen. trance into the Holy of holies, where the High Priest,

our Bridegroom, stands, that we may there learn and Nic. Argent. sing the song of perfect love,-there only, for "how Ps. cxxxvii. shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land ?" It 4.

Nyss.

is Solomon's, for Solomon means Peaceful, and CHRIST, S. Greg. to Whom it in truth appertains, is "our Peace," having Eph. ii. 14. been "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and 1 Cor. i. 30. sanctification, and redemption."

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his

mouth for thy love is better than wine.

:

First, say the Fathers in general, it is the cry of the Omn. Patr. Synagogue, GoD's ancient Church, yearning for the Incarnation of CHRIST, and desiring that GOD would no more speak to her only by the voices of angels and prophets, but face to face. I care not, she says, to s. Bernard. hear Moses, who is slow of speech to me, the lips of Isaiah are unclean, Jeremiah cannot speak, for he is a child, and all the Prophets are tongueless. Let Him

of Whom they speak, Himself speak, let Him kiss me Dion. Carth, with the kisses of His mouth. And His answer is set down for us by the Apostle: "GOD, Who at sundry Heb. i. 1. times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His SON." She asks for His kiss, because as two separate bodies unite in the act of kissing, so CHRIST, by His becoming flesh, united GOD and The Gloss, man together, two natures in One Person. And as a kiss denotes peace and reconciliation, it is the fit greeting of Him, our peaceful Solomon, Who came to S. Justus us as GoD and SAVIOUR. It is also the cry of the Orgel. Gentile world, yearning for the teaching of the HOLY Hen. Harph. SPIRIT, for as the breath of one that kisses is felt by the one that is kissed, so by the kiss of CHRIST, we S. Ambros. understand the inspiration of the HOLY GHOST Whom He hath sent. Next, the words belong to every faith- s. Greg. M. ful soul which desires the presence of its LORD. See, S. Bernard. exclaims a Saint, how sudden is the opening of her cant. address. Asking a great thing from a mighty Person, she uses no customary flattery, she takes no indirect

Serm. vii. in

S. Bernard.
Serm. viii.

S. John v. 14.

Hugo Card.

way to that which she longs for. She makes no preface, she seeks not to conciliate good-will, but breaking out from the abundance of her heart, says, in plainest and boldest words, Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth. His mouth. Yes, but it is not every one who dares ask this, but only such as have already received the pledge of love, and desire it again. For us sinners it is fitter to fall down trembling at the feet of our righteous LORD, like the publican, not daring to look up, but like the sinful woman, content to kiss His feet, and to bathe them with our tears. Then, when He hath said, "Thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to thee," we may dare to rise a little, and kiss the Hand which has cleansed and lifted us, giving Him the homage and glory which are His due. At last, after many tears and prayers, we may, in fear and trembling, lift our heads to His glorious mouth, not merely to gaze upon it, but to kiss it. To Thee, O LORD JESU, to Thee has my heart fitly said, Thy Face, LORD, will I seek. For Thou madest me to hear of Thy mercy betimes in the morning, when, as I lay in the dust, kissing Thy sacred footsteps, Thou forgavest me the sins of my life. Then, as the

day grew on, Thou madest glad the soul of Thy servant, bestowing on me the grace of holy living in the kiss of Thy Hand. And now what remains, O gracious LORD, save that in the fulness of light, in the fervour of the Spirit, Thou, mercifully admitting me to the kiss of Thy mouth also, wouldst fill me with joy with Thy countenance ? Note, too, how it is said Let HIM kiss me, with no name particularized, no context to explain who is meant. And that because to the Bride there can be but One to think of, because her word ever is, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee ? and there Ps. lxxiii. 24. is none on earth I desire in comparison of Thee." She asks, too, not for a single kiss, but for kisses, for those seven great gifts of the SPIRIT which CHRIST bestows, and for other graces besides. And He gives them in four ways, by His Incarnation, by His conversation amongst men as their Teacher, by mystical incorporation with us for our redemption, and by the final glory which He promises. Peace with GOD in CHRIST, is then the scope of the Bride's longings, as she prays for illumination, for love, for perfect union with Him of Whom she says, "Full of grace are Thy lips, wherefore GOD hath blessed Thee for ever." His lips, which give

De Ponte.

Parez.

S. Greg.
Nyss.

Ps. xlv. 3.

"The Pseudo

de Sacr. 2.

the kiss, are His truth and sweetness, hers, which re- Henr. ceive it, are her understanding and affection. And He Harph. has heard the cry of His Bride, and answered it, giving her more than she asked, giving her Himself again and again in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. soul," observes an ancient writer, "sees herself cleansed Ambros. from all her sins, and fitted to approach the Altar of CHRIST. She sees the wondrous Sacrament and saith, Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, let CHRIST Himself impress His kiss on me.' And Simeon Metaphrastes, in that hymn which the Eastern Church puts in the mouth of her children before Communion, speaks of the kiss which the penitent soul offers in turn to her LORD in that sacred rite :

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More than the harlot I have erred, who, learning Thine abode, Zúvols.
Made purchase of the precious nard, and boldly took her road
To seek and to anoint Thy feet, O CHRIST, my GOD and LORD,
And, as she came with love to greet, was not by Thee abhorred.
So, WORD of GOD, calm Thou my fears, and give me, not de-
spised,

Thy feet to clasp, and kiss, and wash with tears, that nard un-
priced.

The soul may kiss her LORD also by acts of love and Nic. Argent. compassion towards His poor, and will be rewarded by Him therefor with that last kiss which He will give at the Doom, saying, “Come, ye blessed." But they who have not so kissed Him here, shall see His face no more, for He will turn His back upon them. And that which is true of the Church, and true of every believing soul, is especially true of her who is the Church's fairest ornament, the purest and most blessed of Saints, the Virgin Mother of GOD. The words are her prayer Rupert. to GOD the FATHER, that by the breath of His mouth, which is the HOLY GHOST, He may give her that ineffable kiss, His Only-begotten SoN. When the Angel brought her the marvellous tidings of her true betrothal, then by her answer, "Behold the handmaid of S. Luke i. the LORD, be it unto me according to thy word," she did in truth say, Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth. And after His nativity, the prayer was yet more literally answered, when the tender Mother Corn. à Lap. hung over her infant LORD, and clasped Him to her breast. And His love so endured that even at the last moment of life He bent to offer His kiss. "He bowed Tauler, de His head to His Mother," says a holy writer, "and to Pass. Dom. all mankind, as though bidding His last farewell, and

38.

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