Chapter 3: What Greater Incentives Christians Have, More Than The Heathen, To Love God
Chapter 3: What Greater Incentives Christians Have, More Than The Heathen, To Love God
The faithful know clearly how much need they have of Jesus, and him crucified, when admiring and embracing the love in him who surpasses knowledge, they are not embarrassed at having no more than their own poor souls to give in return for such great and condescending charity. They love all the more, because they know themselves to be loved so exceedingly; but they to whom little is given, loves little (Luke 7:47). Neither Jew nor pagan is incited by pangs of love such as the Church feels, which says, "Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick with love" (Song of Solomon 2:5).
She beholds King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him; she sees the Only-begotten of the Father carrying the cross for himself; she sees the Lord of majesty bruised and spat upon, the author of life and glory transfixed with nails, smitten by the lance, overwhelmed with mockery, and finally laying down his beloved life for his friends. She beholds this, the sword of love pierces through her own soul also, and she cries aloud, "Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick with love." These are pomegranates which the spouse, brought into the garden of her beloved, gathers from the tree of life, (Song of Solomon 4:13), which borrow their taste from the bread of heaven, their color from the Blood of Christ. She sees death dead and the author of death overthrown: she beholds captivity led captive from hell to earth, from earth to heaven, so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth" (Philippians 2:10).
She sees the earth, which under the ancient curse brought forth thorns and thistles, now flowering again, restored by the grace of a new blessing. And in all these things, mindful of the verse, "My heart dances for joy, and in my song I will praise him," she longs for the fruits of his passion which she gathers from the tree of the cross, and with the flowers of his resurrection, by whose fragrance the spouse invites her to himself.
Then she says, "Behold you are fair, my beloved, and pleasant: our bed is green" (Song of Solomon 1. 16). The "bed" shows well what she desires, and the "green" indicates whence she expects to obtain it: not by her own merits but on account of the flowers of that field which God has blessed. Christ who willed to be conceived and brought up in Nazareth, delights in such blossoms. The bridegroom rejoices in such heavenly fragrance, and gladly frequents the heart's chamber which he finds adorned with fruits and decked with flowers - that is, meditating on the mystery of his passion or on the glory of his resurrection.
The tokens of the Passion we recognize as the fruits of the past ages, appearing in the fullness of time during the reign of sin and death (Galatians 4:4). But it is the glory of the Resurrection, in the new springtime of regenerating grace, that the fresh flowers of the later age come forth, which shall bring forth their general fruit at the future resurrection, and shall remain without end. It is written, "Now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth" (Song of Solomon 2:11 ff.), signifying that summertime has come with him who dissolves icy death into the spring of a new life and says, "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5). His flesh sown in death has blossomed in the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42); and at the odor of this blossoming, our valleys and fields which were barren or frozen, being dead, glow with reviving life and warmth.
In the freshness of those flowers and fruits, and the beauty of the field which breathes forth such heavenly fragrance, the Father delights in Christ who makes all things new, and says, "See the smell of my Son is as the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed" (Genesis 27:27). Blessed to fullness, since of his fullness we have all received (John 1:16). But the Bride may come when she pleases and gather flowers and fruits with which to adorn the inmost places of her conscience, so that the chamber of her heart may be redolent with perfume when the Bridegroom enters.
So we, if we would have Christ as a frequent guest, should prepare our hearts with faithful meditations both on the mercy he showed in dying for us, and on his power in rising again from the dead, as David said sang, "Two things I have heard: that power belongs to God; and that thou, Lord, art merciful" (Psalm 62:11f), since Christ died for our sins, rose again for our justification, ascended into heaven for our protection, sent the Holy Spirit for our comfort, and will come again for our final consummation. In his death he displayed his mercy, in his resurrection his power; both manifest his glory.
These are the apples, these are the flowers, with which the bride desires to be stayed and comforted, I believe because she perceives that the strength of love in her could easily languish and grow cold, if it were not nourished by such helps, until she has entered into the bridal chamber, where, received his long-desired embraces, she will say: "His left hand is under my head and his right hand has embraced me" (Song of Solomon. 2:6).
Then she will understand how all the testimonies of love, which she received in the former coming, as though from the left hand, are nothing in comparison with the sweetness of the right hand's embrace. She will understand what she heard: "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing" (John 6:63).
She will approve what she read: "My spirit is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance sweeter than the honey-comb" (Ec 24:20). What follows, "My memory remains forever and ever," is said because, as long as the present age is seen to stand, in which a generation comes and a generation goes, the consolation of memory will not be absent to the elect, who are not yet privileged to enjoy the full presence. Hence it is written, "They will show the memory of your sweetness" (Psalm 145:7), which doubtless refers to those of whom the Psalmist had said just before: "One generation shall praise thy works to another generation" (Psalm 145:4).
Therefore in the age of the world there is memory, while in the kingdom of heaven there is his presence. In that presence those who have attained it glory, while by that memory those who are wayfarers on the way to the Fatherland are comforted..