Chapter 3
[Song of Solomon 3:1] -- On my bed I sought him by night, etc. For a long time, he says, I have sought the Lord with great enthusiasm, whom my soul now wholly loves; whom I also loved even then, though not yet known, insofar as I loved the reasoning of wisdom, truth, and divine worship. But because I sought him in my bed, that is, still subjected to the allurements of my flesh, and because I sought him by night, that is, in the darkness of profound ignorance (for no angel, no prophet, no unquestionable teacher showed me the light of divine knowledge), I did not prevail to find him whom I sought. When I truly realized this, I proposed in my mind to rise from the bed of carnal pleasures, to gird myself for the labor of salvific inquiry, to wander lands and seas, to approach the teachings of all whom I heard to be wiser, and to diligently seek if I might find any true wisdom, or any certain thing that would lead to eternal blessedness. But although I traversed the world with great labor, distinguishing the words of the wise, I could learn nothing certain and indubitable about the way of truth. These were the aspirations of a pagan desiring to know God yet not knowing Him, as attested by the studies of philosophers who explored so many lands and composed so many volumes in search of truth and wisdom, as attested by Scripture, which says, "Now all the Athenians and the strangers staying there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing." This is also attested by the sermon of the Apostle, who, speaking in the council of the Athenians, said, "As I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you: the God who made the world and all things therein, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands" (Acts XVII). This is attested by the devotion of the centurion Cornelius, who learned to seek knowledge of divine worship from God through prayers and alms. This is also attested by the work of the Ethiopian, who, coming from the ends of the earth to the temple of the Lord, approached to worship Him whom he did not know, and burned with such love of the truth that he did not know, that sitting in his chariot he diligently studied the readings, which were frequently proclaimed to be divine. But seeing his persistence in the search for truth, the Lord at length deemed to manifest Himself to him who had long sought Him, and to whom He had inspired to seek, He also granted to find. As He Himself had long ago promised through the prophet, saying: "The afflicted and the needy seek water, and there is none, their tongue is parched with thirst; I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys" (Isaiah XLI). Clearly, those are the fountains of which the Psalmist, thirsting, said, "As the deer desires the water brooks, so my soul desires You, O God" (Psalm XLI); those are the rivers He promises to His faithful, saying, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water" (John VII). Hence it is rightly added:
[Song of Solomon 3:3] -- "The watchmen who go about the city found me," etc. The watchmen who go about the city are the heralds of truth, who always keep watch with devout care for the protection of the holy Church, which is spread throughout the entire world, and who strive to ensure that it is not corrupted by the faithless through the word of preaching. These watchmen found the pagan world in its anxious search for truth and showed it what it sought, when Philip revealed the light of the Gospel to the eunuch and instructed him in the knowledge of the prophetic words he was reading; when Peter infused Cornelius and his household with heavenly grace, which he so greatly desired; when Paul made known to the Athenians the God whom they worshipped in ignorance; and when others revealed to many others the long-sought and long-desired presence of their Creator. It is as if the pagan world, which by God's grace was to be transformed into the bride of Christ, said to the city's watchmen, "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?" as they eagerly accommodated their ears to the teachers coming to them and intently sought to discern if the way they preached was indeed the way of truth.
[Song of Solomon 3:4] -- After I had slightly passed by them, etc. The one who wishes to enjoy the teaching of truth should not approach it hastily and negligently: for the one who desires to meet the beloved must necessarily pass very diligently by those who proclaim his name, and familiarly insert himself among their assemblies, so that he may thus more closely deserve to attain the knowledge of him whom they preach. For we also say that we have passed through a book when we have read it to the end. Therefore, the angel said to Daniel about the mysteries he was seeing, "Many shall pass through and knowledge shall be multiplied" (Dan. XII). Therefore, after I had slightly passed by them, he says, I found him whom my soul loved. For a seeker of truth ought to pass through the watchmen, that is, to mingle and unite himself with the assemblies of the faithful teachers, as has been said, and to run through their sayings or writings with frequent meditation. When he does this even slightly, he soon finds the beloved whom he sought, because according to the voice of Paul and Isaiah, "The Lord will accomplish his word upon the earth briefly" (Rom. IX), specifically what he said, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark XVI). And of which the Apostle says, "But what does the Scripture say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth'" (Rom. X). This is the word of faith which we preach; "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. X).
[Song of Solomon 3:4] -- I held him and will not let him go, etc. All the more fervently, she says, I held the one found, because it took longer to find the one I was seeking. I proclaim that I will never let him go, but instead strive to persevere and progress continually in his love, so that I may also endeavor to call the Synagogue, through which I received the hearing of the word and the ministry of regeneration, back to faith in his name. For it is established that at the end of the age, Judea shall receive the faith which it now opposes in unfaithfulness, which can only happen through the teaching and ministry of those who will then be found faithful among the Gentiles. For the Apostle plainly says, "Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom. XI). Indeed, what the Church says, "I held him and will not let him go until I bring him into my mother's house, and into my mother's chamber," should not be understood as though she will let Christ go after she has instructed the Synagogue's people in faith in his name, but rather that she loves him with such affection, seeks what is his with such zeal, that she endeavors to subject even her kindred people to him, according to the Psalmist’s words, "Our eyes are upon the Lord our God, until he has mercy on us" (Ps. XXIV). For certainly, no one who raises their eyes to God to ask for mercy lowers them again after finally receiving that mercy, since it is the greatest sign of received mercy for someone to always have their eyes intently on God and to contemplate his glory without end. It should be noted, however, that the sequence of this chapter was also fulfilled literally in Mary Magdalene, who held the type of the Church: for when the Lord, whom she loved with all her heart while alive, was taken from her sight by death and burial, she sought him in her bed, held captive by such love for him that the memory of him did not leave her heart even when her limbs were given to rest. She sought him through nights, namely those two in which he rested in the tomb; yet she did not find him, as the time for his resurrection had not yet come. She arose in the morning with spices, and anxiously searching, she came to the tomb; and even then, she did not immediately find the one she was seeking, but first the angels, certainly guardians of the Church, found her. Inquiring about the Lord from them, and hearing that he had risen, she finally came to see him. She held him, and no longer let him go, having truly recognized that he had triumphed over death. And she hastened to bring him into her mother's house, for she proclaimed his resurrection to the assembly of the disciples, who had preceded her in Christ and had encouraged her to piety by their examples.
[Song of Solomon 3:5] -- I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, etc. If we look at the preceding verses, we will not find in them that the bride reached rest or sleep, but rather that, leaping from the bed, with the greatest effort of searching, she reached the discovery of her beloved. And how now does the same beloved adjure the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken her, nor to cause her to wake, unless perhaps because the soul, as though tranquil in the most blessed sleep, knows how to rest in divine love? Just as someone sleeping has closed the bodily eyes to external things and has often opened the eyes of the heart in the vision of hidden things; so indeed, the mind given to the love of heavenly matters withdraws from the concerns of the visible, so that it may keep watch more perfectly and freely in the contemplation of the invisible. And it is no wonder that love is compared to sleep, for it averts the sense of the mind from the desire for the visible and turns it to the desire for the invisible, just as it is compared even to death, with the same song saying, “Love is as strong as death”: because just as death destroys the body, so too does the brilliance of internal life extinguish external delights. Hence, it is rightly that the daughters of Jerusalem are adjured, that is, the souls of the faithful, sighing with an anxious mind for the companionship of the heavenly citizens, not to awaken the beloved, that is, not to hinder a mind devoted to God from the intention of heavenly desire with an untimely interruption. This too can rightly be understood concerning the general state of the Church, whose peace to disturb is to oppose the will of Christ: concerning whom, as enough has already been said above, now it may suffice to speak more sparingly. Let the reader remember only this, that for this reason the verse is repeated in the song of love so that the Lord may signify that He has no less care for the Church gathered from the gentiles than for that gathered from the Jews, but He bears equal concern for the peace of both, as both are united in His singular most beloved house and family. Once upon a time, Judaea believed that it was alone loved by God, that the word of salvation was entrusted only to itself, not also to the uncircumcised gentiles, as evidenced by Luke, who says: “And the apostles and brethren who were in Judaea heard that the gentiles also had received the word of God. When Peter had come to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ ” Also, in another place, “On the next Sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy; and contradicted the things spoken by Paul” (Acts XI). Hence, the adjuration of the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken the beloved can also rightly be taken to mean that He commands those who had gone ahead in faith from the Jews not to trouble those or contradict the salvation of those who had come to faith from the gentiles. Where also, what He says, “Until she pleases”, can be understood in this way, that the Church from the gentiles would of its own accord submit itself to watchings and labors for the Lord. Therefore, it is next added that the same daughters of Jerusalem are astonished because the grace of the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the nations.
[Song of Solomon 3:6] -- Who is this that ascends through the desert? etc. Who is this, they ask, worthy of such praise, of such wonder, who has not been cleansed by the mystery of circumcision, nor yet washed in the font of regeneration, and already is imbued with the new grace of the Holy Spirit, already speaks in tongues, and magnifies God? such as we have never remembered happening in our nation, since either the testament of circumcision was given to the fathers, or the washing of baptism was given to us. Who ascends through the desert: rises from the depths of pleasures to the heights of virtues, lifting eyes to the eternal mountains; indeed, lifting, and longing to reach Him who dwells in heaven. Yet ascends through the desert, that is, through the midst of those nations which were not fruitful in any virtues, which no prophet of God, no patriarch, no angel coming, had instructed in the worship of a healthier life, whose faith is of greater miracle, because she most recently recognized and accepted this invincibly, according to what the Lord Himself attests in her praise, saying: I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, and you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith (Rev. 2). But this is said as an example of the Israelite people, who, freed from the darkness of Egyptian servitude, ascended through the desert's journey to the promised land. Hence, the desert can also rightly be taken in a good sense, that is, denoting that way of life which is separated from the enticements of the world, devoted solely to the scrutiny of God's law and the observance of heavenly precepts, which, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, is fed only by the manna of the heavenly word, and drinks from the fountain of life that emanates from the spiritual rock. Hence, ardently and fervently singing: My soul thirsted for you, my flesh how many times to you in a dry and barren land without water (Psalm 62). Therefore, the Church ascends through the desert, to reach the promised kingdom; and also, how she ascends is shown when it is added, Like a pillar of smoke from spices. Smoke is usually born from fire, born seeking the heights, to be consumed, and gradually withdraw from human sight. In this way, the Church ascends, which, kindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit in the love of its Creator, strives with all effort of virtues towards the heavenly; nor does it desist from its beginnings, until, abstracted from human things, it is seized into the invisible joys of heavenly life; and just as smoke, at one and the same time, can be seen to arise and disappear in the higher parts where it was first seen, so the Church is always newly born through the grace of the Holy Spirit in some of its members until the end of the world; in some, which were first born to God, it is always gathered to the heavenly. Which rightly is not simply compared to smoke, which can be dispersed anywhere, but to a pillar of smoke, so that both the unity of her faith and the simple ascent to the heights may be signified. Moreover, concerning the enemies of God, who are elevated not by any heavenly desire, but solely by the pride of arrogance, it is said that once they have been honored and exalted, they will fail like smoke; and just as in the mind of the depraved, worldly greed burns, conversely fervor burns in the heart of the good, and the virtue smokes, so it was right to say, "Like a column of smoke," adding:
[Song of Solomon 3:6] -- "From the aromatics of myrrh," etc. Indeed, myrrh, which is suitable for embalming bodies, as the arrangement of the sacred burial of the Lord also proves, signifies the chastity of the flesh. Frankincense, which is accustomed to be offered to God in prayers, expresses the virtue of prayer; as the Psalmist also attests in prayer, "Let my prayer be set before You as incense" (Psalm 140). The entire powder of the perfumer signifies all the works of virtues, which are therefore not compared with complete spices, but reduced to powder, so that we may be reminded to distinguish the good works we do with diligent intention and to examine them with the sieve of careful discernment to ensure that nothing unseemly remains in them. The perfumer, who prepares and sifts this powder, is understood to be either the person himself who strives for virtues or the Lord, the giver of virtues. Moreover, it should be noted that when mentioning aromatics, he rightly first calls myrrh, then frankincense and the entire powder of the perfumer, according to that order which the Lord also sets in the Gospel, saying, "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning" (Luke 12). Which is to say in other words, "Depart from evil and do good" (Psalm 34). Mortify the desires of the flesh and offer to God the pleasing vows of the heart. Thus the beloved of the heavenly bridegroom ascends through the desert like a column of smoke from the aromatics of myrrh and frankincense and the entire powder of the perfumer, because whether the holy Church or any perfect soul grows in the higher virtues through daily progress, which by the flame of charity renders to its author the most delightful fragrance of chastity and prayer, indeed of all spiritual fruits; although it can also be rightly understood that the beloved of Christ ascends, like a column of smoke from the aromatics of myrrh, frankincense, and the entire powder of the perfumer, because his one and the same Church is built from many faithful persons, each flourishing in diverse virtues, some insist more greatly on mortifying the pleasures of the flesh after the example of him who said, "I discipline my body and keep it under control" (1 Corinthians 9); some are peculiarly dedicated to frequent prayers like the symbol of frankincense; others labor to offer God the fruits of good works. Yet all are inflamed by the one same fire of the Spirit, like one single column of smoke, with undivided zeal and common devotion seeking the heights of heavenly life. Nor should it seem contradictory to the diligent reader but rather sufficiently consistent to understand, that the same beloved both is said to be asleep and to ascend through the desert: for she is shown to sleep when the daughters of Jerusalem are adjured not to awaken her. And the same daughters of Jerusalem testify that she ascends, when they immediately respond, "Who is this coming up from the wilderness?" At one and the same time, she both sleeps and ascends, when the soul, as much as it can, distances itself from external cares and carnal desires, and approaches the vision of its Creator by the progress of good operation or thought; which when it is said to ascend through the desert, it is indicated to where it ascends and what is the cause of its ascent, with the voice of the Church that ascends being added.
[Song of Solomon 3:7] -- Behold, the little bed of Solomon, etc. Thus, to the little bed and chariot of Solomon, that is, of the peaceful king, evidently our Lord and Savior, is his ascent: namely, to the little bed in which he rests eternally in peace; and to the chariot, from which he is refreshed by the feasts of life without end. The cause of ascending, however, is that the middle of his chariot, to which he ascended, is spread with love; to which, even if the ascent is purple, that is, bloodied by intense struggle, nevertheless the sweetness of love, which is known to reside in it, greatly invites the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, the souls of a religious mind, to ascend to it. Therefore, the little bed of Solomon is the glory of supreme blessedness, in which the king of peace himself perpetually rests with his saints; toward which little bed the beloved of the king himself, that is, the Church through the desert of this world, strives daily, and partly has already reached, as much as she has sent her faithful toward future rewards. But she will reach it entirely, when at the consummation of the world, the Creator himself and the king of that same heavenly city will have gathered his chosen from the four winds, and as he says elsewhere, He will have girded himself and made them recline, and passing by will have ministered to them. But even in this life, the little bed of Solomon is the quiet behavior of the saints, secluded from worldly tumults, which, with the conflicts of vices now suppressed or put to sleep, imitates the happiness of perpetual peace. Hence also the prophet, And his place was made in peace, and his habitation in Zion (Psalm LXXI), that is, in the sublime contemplation of future goods. And the apostle Peter, If you are reproached in the name of Christ, you are blessed; for the Spirit of the glory of God rests upon you (I Peter XLIX). To each of these couches, what is suitably said applies: "Because Solomon's bed is surrounded by sixty mighty ones of Israel's mightiest," because both the present peace and rest of the Church are defended by holy preachers against the attacks of heretics, and the internal rest of the heavenly homeland is contemplated with firm intent by the more perfect ones. Therefore, it is well said of that bed of the king of peace that it is surrounded by mighty ones. It is also fittingly added, "From the mightiest of Israel." For indeed, Israel is interpreted as "man seeing God"; because those who wish to either protect the present peace of the Church by preaching or contemplate that peace which is in heaven, must be vigilant, stand in faith, act manfully, be strengthened, and strive to render themselves worthy of the divine vision. "From the mightiest," he says, "of Israel"; because all who strive towards the joys of the divine vision are rightly called by the name Israel. But "the mightiest," he says, "among them" are undoubtedly those who are either exalted by the heavenly gift of contemplation or undertake the ministry of preaching properly. They are aptly designated by the number sixty, for such ones surely expect the denarius of eternal reward for the perfection of good deeds: for God perfected the adornment of the world in six days and rested from His works on the seventh, rightly implying by the number six the light of perfect action, for which eternal rest is hoped. Furthermore, that the rewards of good works are symbolized by the number ten, everyone knows who understands why those laboring in the vineyard of Christ received a denarius in payment. "All holding swords," etc. Those holding swords of which the Apostle says: "And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6), skilled in those battles of which he admonishes, saying, "Put on the armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil; for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers," etc. (Ibid.). And rightly skilled, for great skill in war is needed by those who, enclosed in flesh and placed on earth, fight against spiritual wickedness in the heavens with great skill, rather they need great grace from God, since the frailty of the flesh fights when stirred up against the archangel with battles of so many thousands of years.
[Song of Solomon 3:8] -- Each man has his sword on his thigh, etc. By the thigh, carnal propagation is usually designated; hence it is written: All the souls that came out of the thigh of Jacob were seventy (Exod. I). Soldiers of Christ have a sword over their thigh when they suppress the movement of carnal desires with the severity of the spiritual word. And this is because of the night terrors, that is, lest they be struck down by the traps of the ancient tempter if they are found secure and unarmed, lest, having been overwhelmed, the bed of the true Solomon, which they ought to have guarded, be defiled; this applies to both beds of the eternal King that we mentioned, that is, both the present peace of the Church and the future one can equally be understood. For holy teachers fear lest the status of the present Church be violated by the darkness of heretics; they fear, those who have accustomated to open the eye of the mind to the contemplation of future joys, lest the light of divine revelation be obscured in them by the nocturnal disturbance of demonic perturbation. But if the strongest from Israel, in whom there is no deceit, who are the most skillful in wars, have a sword over their thigh because of the night terrors, what should I and those like me do? With how much fear should we serve the Lord, who are less skilled in spiritual combat and less strong in performing the things we speak of? One refuge alone remains for us, to adhere to Him, to place our hope in Him whom we know cannot be overcome, to seek His protection with the prophet, often saying: The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? (Psalm XXXVI). My light, indeed, to train me for battle; my salvation, to make me strong and invincible in battle. For if we persist in preaching, perhaps we too will deserve to hear with the same prophet. His truth will surround you with a shield; you will not fear the terror of the night (Psalm XC). Some strong ones who surround the bed of Solomon interpret this over the angels, who fight against the aerial powers for the peace of the holy Church, whose understanding seems to contradict what is said: Each man has his sword on his thigh; for how can they suppress the enticement of the flesh with the sword of continence, or assess it, who have no nature of flesh from which they subsist? So the Church, coming from the Gentiles, says, Behold the bed of Solomon, seventy strong ones surround it from the strongest of Israel, and so forth; as if to clearly say: Why are you surprised, O daughters of Jerusalem, that is, believing people from Judea, that I ascend through the desert in the manner of sweet-smelling spices of virtues? See that the king, to whose company I hasten, is peaceful, that bed of his inner peace is safe from the snares of the wicked and accessible only to the good, towards which I strive to arrive. But if it delights to hear, I will recount even more of his riches.
[Song of Solomon 3:9] -- King Solomon made himself a palanquin, etc. It is called a palanquin because it carries the bodies of those seated or reclining at a banquet, or because it is usually carried from place to place according to the opportunity of the times. The holy Church is rightly compared to this, as it lifts believers to the feast of eternal happiness and is carried throughout the entire world by the ministry of its preachers. But the Lord made this palanquin for Himself from the woods of Lebanon, because He built the Church from souls strong in spirit and steadfast in constancy. Indeed, the woods of Lebanon excel greatly in height, appearance, and their incorruptible nature.
[Song of Solomon 3:10] -- He made its columns of silver. James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be columns. He made these columns of silver, in truth, because He established holy teachers in the splendor of the heavenly word to confirm the faith and to uplift the state of the Church.
[Song of Solomon 3:10] -- Its recliner of gold. He made a recliner in the palanquin when He promised the faithful the hope of perpetual rest. "Take my yoke upon you," He says, "and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew XI). And He made this recliner of gold because He prepared for us the resplendent glory of the eternal divine vision. Hence it is said, "Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father; and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (John XIV).
[Song of Solomon 3:10] -- Its ascent of purple. True purple is dyed with the blood of shellfish. Therefore, the ascent of Solomon's palanquin is purple because our King and Lord loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation I). And no ascent to this palanquin is found but purple, because no one enters the Church unless imbued with the sacraments of the Lord’s passion. Hence He Himself said, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John VI).
[Song of Solomon 3:10] -- In the midst of love He established it, etc. With that very love with which He suffered for us: for no one has greater love than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15). And as the Apostle says, But God commends His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5), for through this middle part He prepared His Church's stratum place, where faithful souls might rest softly, because He filled it entirely within with the love of heavenly things. And this is what He added, For the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, for the souls burning with the desire of heavenly things. For as much as God commended His love toward us by suffering for us, He kindled more souls to love Him in return and to suffer for Him. The purple ascent can also be specially understood in those who shed their blood for Christ. They are rightly said to have ascended to the golden headrest by the purple ascent, because they reached the love of perpetual rest through the labor, the art of tribulation. To whom it aptly applies what follows, because He established it in the midst of love. For this reason, they are ready to shed their blood for the heavenly King, because He inflamed their hearts, which are the middle part of His couch, with His love. Whence the Apostle, while describing the purple ascent of the couch, said: But we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works patience, patience works proof; immediately he took care to add about the golden headrest, saying: Proof however works hope, and hope does not disappoint. And then he concluded about the love, with which the middle is established, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts (Rom. 5). Therefore, to the daughters of Jerusalem who are amazed and praising the Church from the nations, which ascends to heaven like a colonnade of smoke from aromatic spices, He Himself returns the reasons for His ascent, explaining that the bed of the peaceful king to which He hastened, is safe from the incursions of evil; and that His couch, where He hopes to be refreshed, although the ascent is arduous, nevertheless has a headrest shining like gold; and established in the midst of His love, for which reason He hastens to ascend, knowing that God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him (1 John 4). With these words having been said, in a wonderful and proper order, after narrating the gifts of His King, He also begins to extol His own appearance and adornment, inviting everyone to see this, and after He has been called Himself, He also takes care to call others, having taken up the task of evangelizing, while it is subsequently added:
[Song of Solomon 3:11] -- Go forth, and see, daughters of Zion, King Solomon. The daughters of Zion are also the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, souls longing for the joys of the heavenly homeland. For Zion means watchtower, or the watchman, Jerusalem means vision of peace: both names fittingly apply to the inhabitants of the same heavenly city, where they enjoy eternal peace and always behold the face of their Creator. Therefore, go forth, he says, daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon. Go forth from the tumultuous life of the world so you may be able to see the King of Peace; go forth in mind and action from the midst of Babylon, you who desire to have a part in the heavenly Jerusalem, according to the command of that true Solomon, who says: Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins; thus he himself, wishing to separate us from the company of the world and to provoke us to heavenly joys, willed to suffer outside the city walls for our sake, as the Apostle beautifully and fully explains, saying: Jesus, to sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate, let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one to come (Hebrews 13). And because our Lord Jesus Christ must be confessed to be not only the true Son of God but also the true Son of Man: the Son of God indeed eternally born before the ages; the Son of Man, in time made at the end of the ages, rightly, after it was said: See, daughters of Zion, King Solomon, it was immediately added.
[Song of Solomon 3:11] -- In the diadem with which his mother crowned him. For this is clearly to say, "Behold the Lord in the humanity which, taken from the Virgin mother, he placed at the right hand of the paternal majesty." Indeed, his mother crowned him with a diadem when the blessed and undefiled virgin, conceiving by the Holy Spirit, provided to him from her flesh the material of that most holy flesh, in which appearing to the world and dwelling among us, he would destroy the reign of death by dying and restore life to us by rising again, and by ascending to the heavens, would exalt it with the glory of the everlasting kingdom. Therefore, the daughters of Zion, seeing King Solomon in his natural beauty, also marvel at the diadem with which his mother crowned him, because the elect, believing and confessing the glory of the Son of God equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit, also recognize the assumption of the human nature in which he overcame the dominion of death to be clarified forever, not by the power of his own substance, but by the work of the Word who assumed it, that is, the only Son of God; whose vision of the diadem, one of the daughters of Zion, herself most noble and already departing from the bounds of earthly desire, admiringly said, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death" (Hebrews 2).
[Song of Solomon 3:11] -- On the day of her betrothal, etc. At the time of his incarnation, when he proceeded from the virginal womb to marry the Church, as a bridegroom from his chamber, it was a day of the joy of his heart, for he rejoiced that through the dispensation of his incarnation the world would be brought to the knowledge and vision of eternal divinity. Hence, when many flocked to his faith, it is written: "At that hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to little ones' (Luke 10). Hence the Redeemer himself, having led humanity through his blood to the heights, speaks to the citizens of heaven, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost' (Luke 15). Because therefore the daughters of Jerusalem, marveling at the coming of the bride, said, 'Who is she who comes up through the desert,' and so on; she aptly praises the bed, praises the litter of the bridegroom, and finally praises the bridegroom himself, to whose embrace she hastens. She remembers the humanity assumed for her in God, which at the time of her response created the mystery of the incorrupt mother; so that it shows she rightfully aspires to the glory of his divine vision, for which he himself would have taken on the habit of human nature. Hence rightfully, she, who so subjugated herself to the praises of her Redeemer, who invites her own cohorts, namely the daughters of Zion, to praise with maternal affection, also received a worthy recompense of praise from that same bridegroom and Redeemer; to whose voice it is joined.