Sermons on the Song of Songs17 Sermon XVII. That it is needful to observe with care the approach and the departure of the Holy Spirit; and of the envy of the devil towards the human race

Do you think that we have made sufficient advance in the sanctuary of God to venture to examine an admirable mystery? or, rather, to follow the Holy Spirit into the deeper recesses of truth, and to search out that which still remains unknown to us? For that Spirit searcheth, not the hearts and reins of men only, but also the deep things of God; and I follow Him with safety whithersoever He shall lead, whether it be into the heights or into the depths of our own nature. Only, may He guard our hearts and our intellects that we may not believe Him to be present when He, perhaps, shall be absent, and be led into error by following the impulses of our own mind or senses in the belief that they are from Him. For He comes and goes according to His own will; nor is it easy for any to know whence He cometh or whither He goeth (John iii. 8). But it is possible to be ignorant upon those points without risk to our salvation; but not to know when the Holy Spirit comes to us, or when He goes from us, is manifestly full of peril. For when these comings of the Spirit, in His dealings with the soul, and His goings, are not sedulously observed, it follows that you do not ardently desire His coming when He is absent, nor give Him glory when He is present. Indeed, He retires from the soul for the very reason that He may be sought for the more eagerly again; and how can He be sought for if He is not known to be absent? And, again, when He deigns to return in order to console the soul, how shall He be received with the reverence due to His Majesty if His presence is not even perceived? The soul,. then, which is unaware of His departure lies open to be seduced, and that which is not aware of his return will be unthankful for the honour done to it in His coming.

2. Once, when the prophet Elisha had learned that the departure from the earth of his master [Elijah was about to take place, he made a certain request of him, and he obtained it, as you know, upon this condition only: that Elisha should behold him at the moment of his departure (2 Kings ii. 9, 10). This happened unto them in figure, and was recorded on account of us. We are taught and warned by the prophet's example to be watchful and careful in the work of our salvation, which the Holy Spirit is incessantly carrying on in the depths of our souls with all the wonderful resource and sweetness of His Divine skill. Let that sacred and directing unction 1 Alta is the uniform reading of the MSS., not alia.

3. To doubt respecting the truth is another danger, which it is necessary to endure when the breathing of the Spirit is not granted to us; and still another is that of embracing erroneous opinions, but this latter is easily avoided by keeping in mind our ignorance, so as to say also: Be it indeed that I have erred> mine error remaineth with myself (Job xix. 4). That is the declaration of holy Job: recognise it. Ignorance is the worst of mothers, and she has two daughters as evil—falsehood and doubt; the one the more miserable, the other the more pitiable; the former more hurtful, the latter more full of discomfort. When the Spirit speaks, both the one and the other of these give place; and not only to truth, but to assured truth. For that is the very Spirit of truth, to whom falsehood is absolutely contrary. And He is also the Spirit of wisdom, since He is the very Light of eternal life; and reaching everywhere, because of His purity, He suffers neither obscurity nor the uncertainty of doubt. When that Spirit does not speak, there is great need to beware, if not of unhappy doubt, assuredly of harbouring that which is completely false. There is a great difference between being in a state of uncertainty whether to think this or that, and rashly affirming as true that of which you are ignorant. Either, then, let the Holy Spirit always speak, though that, indeed, does not at all depend upon our will; or when it pleases Him to be silent, let His silence at least have a significance to us, and point out to us this one fact; lest, falsely supposing that He goes before us, we should follow in place of Him APPROACH AND DEPARTURE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT our own error, with a false and dangerous confidence. And if He holds our spirit in suspense, let it, at all events, not be left to fall into falsehood. There are those who doubtfully advance a statement which is untrue, yet these do not lie; and there are others who affirm for truth that of which they know nothing, and these do lie. For the one class do not affirm that which is not the case, but that which they believe to be the case, and they speak truthfully, even though that which they believe be not true; whereas the other class declare themselves certain of a thing of which they are not certain, and these oo not speak truthfully, even though the thing which they assert should be true.

4. Having said thus much by way of caution to those who have no experience in such things, I shall now follow the Spirit, who is, as I have a good trust, leading me on; yet observing, as far as I can, the same rule of caution of which I have spoken, and endeavouring to practise myself that which I have urged upon others, that it may not be said of me too, Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself (Rom. ii. 21)? The distinction is carefully to be observed between things which are manifest and others which are doubtful; and as the one class are not to be brought into doubt, so the other are not rashly to be affirmed. Which, indeed, is to be hoped for from the authoritative guidance (magisterid) of the Spirit; for our own care and pains will not suffice to obtain it What man is there who knows, for example, whether the judgment, of which I spoke in a former sermon (the third before this, if I recollect rightly), as pronounced by the Lord between men, was preceded by a judgment pronounced in the heavens?

5. A thought which occurs to my mind is this: Do you suppose that Lucifer, son of the morning, who lifted himself up by a presumptuous pride, that he, too, envied the human race this outpouring of the oil of Divine grace before he was cast forth into outer darkness; and that in his indignation and jealousy he murmured in a manner to himself, saying, ' To what purpose is this waste?' I do not assert that the Spirit says this, but neither would I assert the contrary; I simply do not know. It may have been the case (nor does it seem incredible) that, being filled with wisdom and raised to a high degree of glory, he may have foreseen the creation of men, and that some of them would attain to an equal degree of glory with that he then held. But if he foresaw this he saw, without doubt, that [it would come to pass in God the Word; and in his malice he envied men, and, scorning to have them as companions, determined to render them subject to himself. 'They are,' he said, 1 weaker than I, and inferior by nature; it is not fitting that they should be fellow-citizens with me, and equals in glory/ Perhaps that ascension which he presumed 1 Sermon XIV.

2 In mosi MSS. the words pracesserit, uirumnam videlicet Lucifer qui, etc. (as in n. 5), are read here in a parenthesis; and the first printed edition also has them.

6. Therefore, as even in heaven he conceived sullen anger, so in Paradise he brought forth iniquity, the offspring of malice, the mother of miseries and of death; and of all these the first parent was pride. For, although through the envy of the devil came death into the world (Wisd. ii. 24), yet of every sin pride is the beginning (Ecclus. x. 13). But what has it profited him? None the less art Thou in us, O Lord, and upon us is Thy Name invoked; none the less does the people whom Thou hast gathered, the Church of Thy redeemed, thankfully say, Thy Name is as oil poured forth. When I am cast forth [for my sin], this oil [of consolation Thou dost pour around and upon me, since even in Thy anger Thou didst remember mercy. Yet Satan received dominion over all the sons of pride; he has become prince of the darkness of this world, so that even pride should strive in favour of the kingdom of the humble, and whilst his temporal and proud dominion exists, should establish many humble persons in a sovereignty exalted and eternal Joyful will be the judgment to see that proud persecutor of those who are humble preparing for them, without knowing it, everlasting crowns, and while he attacks all, succumbing to the efforts of all. For the Lord shall judge the peoples everywhere and for ever: He shall save the children of the poor, and shall cast down him who treats them wrongfully. Everywhere and always He will protect His own; He will put to flight the persecutors, nor suffer the rod of sinners to come into the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity (Ps. cxxv. 3). There shall come even a time when He shall destroy the bow, and break the weapons, and the shields He shall burn in the fire (Ps. xlv. 10, Vulg. and Douay). As for thee, unhappy one, thou settest a seat for thyself in the north, a place of cloud and cold; and lo! the poor are raised out of the dust, and the needy out of the dunghill, that they may sit with princes, and occupy a throne of glory, whilst thou shalt lament to see those words accomplished: The poor and needy shall praise Thy Name (Ps. lxxiv. 21).

7. Thanks be to Thee, O Father of orphans and Judge of the helpless, a mountain fat and fertile has communicated to us its warmth; the heavens have dropped dew from the presence of the God of Sinai, a saving oil is poured forth, a Name is spread abroad, a Name which the enemy envied for us and for himself; it is spread abroad, I say, APPROACH AND DEPARTURE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT even into the hearts and into the mouths of children, and in the mouths of babes and sucklings is perfected praise. These things the sinner shall behold in useless anger; and as his wrath shall be implacable, so the fire shall be inextinguishable which is prepared for him and for his angels. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this. How great is the love, O my God, the object of my deepest affection (amor mens), wherewith Thou dost love me! Everywhere Thou hast been mindful of me; everywhere earnestly desiring the salvation of one poor and needy, and that in opposition not only to proud men, but also to proud and rebellious angels! In heaven and on earth Thou, O Lord, dost judge those who do me harm, and repulse those who take arms to attack me. Everywhere Thou dost help and assist me; and Thou art ever at my side, O Lord, that I may not be overwhelmed. These blessings I will celebrate in praises unto the Lord as long as I live; I will praise my God while I have my being. These are His wonders; these the mighty works which He hath done. This, the first and greatest of His judgments, it is which the [B.] Virgin Mary, conscious of His secret works, has revealed unto me in the words: He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away (Luke i- 52» 53)- Tne second also, which you have already heard, is similar to the first: That they which see not might see: and that they which see might be made blind (John ix. 39). In these two judgments let the poor be comforted, and let him say: I remembered Thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself (Vs. cxix. 52).

8. But let us return to ourselves, and let us examine our ways. And that we may be enabled to do this in truth, let us invoke the Spirit of Truth; let us recall Him from that height of heaven whither He has led us [in thought], so that He may guide us thither to go ourselves; for without Him we can do nothing. We need not fear that He will disdain to condescend to us, since, on the contrary, He would have reason to be indignant with us if we should endeavour to accomplish even the least spiritual work without His assistance. He is not a Spirit which departs and does not return; He leads, and continues to lead us on from glory to glory as being the Spirit of the Lord. Sometimes He draws us to Himself, and into the sphere of His own Light; sometimes, accommodating Himself to our capacities, He enlightens our darkness, so that whether He is above us, or whether He is in us, we should be always in the light, and walk as children of light. We have passed out of types and shadows; we have reached the region of moral truths. Our faith has been built up, let our life and conduct be ruled and directed; and as the understanding has been trained, let the actions be prescribed by it. Since a good understanding have all they that do the commandments of God (Ps. cxi. 10), let our acts and our understanding also be directed to the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is above all, God blessed for ever. Amen.