Sermons on the Song of Songs40 Sermon XL. What is meant by the face of the soul ; what constitutes its beauty or its deformity, its solitude and its modesty

Y s HY cheeks are beautiful as the turtle-dove's. Tender and sensijf five is the modesty of the Bride, and I think that at the reproof of her Bridegroom her whole face was suffused with one blush, and its beauty made so strikingly apparent as to draw from Him the praise: Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtle-dove's. But, nevertheless, that is not to be understood in an outward and carnal sense, as if He spoke of the flush due to the blood coursing in the veins, mounting into the countenance, and mingling there swiftly with the pearl-white tints of the complexion. That causes, indeed, a beauty momentary and perishable, varying from one moment to another, as the bright colour now flames upon the cheeks, and now sinks into paleness; but it is not of this that He speaks. For the substance of the soul, which is incorporeal and invisible, is neither portioned into limbs and organs, nor shadowed with visible colours. Try, then, to reach, in a spiritual way, the conception of a substance wholly spiritual, and in order to estimate justly the comparison made by the Bridegroom, for the face of the soul understand the intention of the mind. For it is by that you judge of the rectitude of an action, just as it is by the face that you judge of the beauty of the body. Understand, then, by the colour which mounts into the cheeks, modesty, which is, more than any other, the quality which beautifies the soul, and adds grace to it. Thy cheeks, then, are beautiful as the turtle-dove's. He was able to describe her beauty as that of the face, according to the ordinary phrase, in which one, whose beauty is praised, is said to have a sweet or beautiful face’; but I know not what could have been the intention in speaking of cheeks' in the plural, yet I do not at all think that it was without an object. For it is the Spirit of wisdom who is speaking, and it is not permissible to attribute to Him a single word spoken in a faulty or even objectless way. There is undoubtedly some reason, then, whatever it may be. wherefore He preferred to speak of 'cheeks' in the plural, rather than of ' face' in the singular; and if you have nothing better to propose. I will explain my idea of what it is.

2. In an intention or purpose, which we have said to be the countenance of the soul, there are two elements necessarily required, namely, the act of the will, and the reason of that act; that is, the thing that you intend, and the reason why you intend it. And it is by these two that you form an opinion of the excellence (that is, the moral beauty) or the defect of that soul. So that one in whom these two things are correct and pure may rightly and truthfully be addressed as here: Thy cheeks are beautiful as a turtle-doves. But if any is wanting in one or the other of these qualities, this cannot be said of her, because of the want of symmetry which that defect causes. Much less is this praise due to her in whom both of these excellences are wanting. This will appear more plainly by examples. If, for instance, a person applies his mind to the discovery of truth, and does that from the love of the truth alone, does it not seem to you that the purpose, and the reason of it, are alike honourable, and that such a soul may rightly apply to itself what is said here: Thy cheeks are beautiful as a turtle-dove's? since on neither of them does a speck (navus) of blame appear? But if it seeks the truth, not from a pure desire of truth, but for vainglory, or in order to obtain some temporal advantage, whatever it may be, then, although on one side it may appear fair, yet you will not hesitate, I think, to pronounce that on the other it is deformed, since it is disfigured by the faultiness of the motive. But if you see a man who does not devote himself to any honourable pursuits at all, but is entangled in the nets of sensual pleasures, and given up to gluttony and self-indulgence, such as they are whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things (Phil. iii. 19), what of that man? will you not declare that he is wholly foul, and evidently condemned for both intention and act?

3. To have not God but the world for the motive and end is then the sign of a worldly mind, and it is to have none at all of this spiritual beauty. But to have a degree of regard for God, yet not to act wholly for the sake of God, is evidently the mark of a soul that is insincere. Although it has a fair appearance on one side, because it has a certain degree of regard and care for God, yet this insincerity not only destroys such beauty as there is in this, but spreads foulness over the whole countenance. If, again, the intention is directed towards God wholly or chiefly because of the necessities of the present life, that is not indeed insincerity, but it is a mark of lowness and poorness of heart which is far from being acceptable to Him. Further, to direct the mind towards some other object than God, though it be for the sake of God, is not the repose of Mary, but the care and trouble of Martha. I would by no means assert that a soul doing this has anything of deformity in it, yet I could not declare that it has reached the perfection of beauty, since, inasmuch as it is careful and troubled about many earthly things, it cannot help being covered, by the continual agitation in which earthly things continually exist, with some grains of the dust they scatter everywhere.

4. But why as a turtle-dove's? That bird is modest, and is said to consort not with many companions, but to lead its life with a single mate, so that, if it should lose that mate, it does not seek another, but thenceforth lives solitary. You, then, who listen to these words, and who wish to profit by these things which are written for your behoof, and which we are dwelling on and discussing now for your edification, you, I say, if you feel within you the urgings of the Spirit of God, and are earnestly desiring so to act that you may make your soul to become the Bride of Christ (Dei), do you make it your study that the two sides of your intention—the act and the motive of it—should alike be beautiful; be like that bird so modest and chaste; sit alone and keep silence, as says the Prophet, because thou hast laid it upon thee? (Lam. iii. 28). It is indeed an aim altogether above you to be espoused to the Lord of the Angels. Is it not above you to be joined to God, and to be one spirit with Him? Sit, then, solitary as the turtle-dove. Have nothing to do with crowds, nothing to do with the masses of mankind; forget, also, thine own people and thy father's house; so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty (Ps. xlv. 10, n). O holy soul, remain alone, so as to preserve thyself for Him alone, whom thou hast chosen to thyself from among all others. Avoid appearing in public, shun even those who dwell in the house with you, withdraw yourself from friends and intimates, yea, even from him who ministers to you. Do you not know that you have a Bridegroom who is diffident, and not willing to honour you with His presence when others are present? Withdraw thyself, therefore; I do not mean in body, but withdraw in mind, in intention, in devotion, in spirit. For the Lord Christ, who presents Himself to you, is a Spirit, and He requires solitude of spirit, not of body, although this last is sometimes not without its uses when you are able to maintain it, and especially in the time of prayer. You thus observe the precept of the Bridegroom and the practice He advises: Thou, when thou pray est, enter into thy closet and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray (Matt. vi. 6). And what He has said, that He Himself did. He would wear away the night alone in prayer, withdrawing Himself not only from the crowds which followed Him, but also from the company of His disciples and familiar friends (Luke vi. 12, 13). He had indeed taken with Him three of His Apostles when He was hastening of His own accord to meet death, yet He withdrew Himself even from them when He desired to pray (Matt. xxvi. 36-39). Do you, then, do likewise when you wish to pray.

What IS MEANT BY THE FACE OF THE SOUL 5. For the rest, the only solitude prescribed to you is solitude of mind and spirit You are alone if you are not thinking of common things, if you are not interested in things present to you, if you think little of that which many estimate highly, if you despise what all others desire, if you avoid disputes, do not take to heart losses, nor bear injuries in mind. Otherwise you are not really alone, though there be no one with you. Do you not perceive that it is possible for you to be alone when you are in the company of many persons, and to be in company with many persons when you are alone? However large be the throng of men in which you find yourself, you are alone, if only you take care not to listen eagerly to the conversation around you, nor to judge of it rashly. Even if you are witness of a bad action, do not judge your neighbour, but rather make excuses for him. Excuse the intention if you cannot the action; suppose that it was done in ignorance, or by surprise, or by accident. If the case is so clear that there is no room to palliate it, yet strive to persuade yourself that there was some excuse, and say to yourself: ' The temptation was very strong, and it prevailed. What should I have done if I had been similarly tried?' Now, remember that it is to the Bride I have said all this, not to the friend of the Bridegroom, who has another reason for being careful and observant not to commit sin, as also to examine whether he has failed in his duty, and to amend his conduct if in any respect he has done so. But the Bride is free from any such necessity; she lives for herself alone and for Him whom she loves, who is at once her Bridegroom and her Lord, who is above all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Of THE GREAT CONSOLATION WHICH THE BRIDE FEELS FROM THE CONTEMPLATION OF THE DIVINE GLORY BEFORE SHE ATTAINS TO THE CLEAR VISION OF IT.

THYneck is as chains of gold (i. 10). It is the custom to adorn the neck with necklaces, not to compare it to them. But those who load themselves with jewels are they who seek to obtain from external ornaments the beauty which they do not find in themselves. But in the case of the Bride, the neck is so beautiful and becoming in itself, as it was formed by nature, that nothing could be added to it by outward ornaments. For what need is there to adorn with borrowed hues that of which the natural and, as it were, innate beauty suffices, insomuch that it is fully equal to the soft splendour of the pearls which are so sought for in order to adorn