Sermon 56 on the Song of Songs — Bernard of Clairvaux
That Sins and Vices Are as Walls, Standing Between God and the Sinner.
1. "Behold, he himself stands behind the wall, looking through the windows, gazing through the lattices" (Song 2:9). According to the letter indeed he seems to say that he who was seen approaching with leaps had drawn near even to the dwelling of the bride, and standing behind the wall was peering in more curiously through the windows and cracks, and bashfully did not presume to thrust himself in. According to the spirit, however, he is understood to have drawn near no less, but in another way, in such a manner assuredly as it was fitting both for the heavenly Bridegroom to act and for the Holy Spirit to speak. For the true and spiritual understanding will admit nothing that would be unbecoming either to the author or to the narrator. Therefore he drew near to the wall when he adhered to flesh. The flesh is the wall, and the drawing near of the Bridegroom is the incarnation of the Word. Furthermore, the lattices and windows through which he is said to look are, as I suppose, the senses of the flesh and human affections, through which he took up experience of all human necessities. For "he himself bore our weaknesses, and he himself carried our sorrows" (Is 53:4). Therefore he used human affections and bodily senses as openings and windows, so that, having been made man, he might know the miseries of men by experience, and might become merciful. He knew even before, but in another way. For the Lord of hosts himself knew the virtue of obeying, and yet, as the Apostle attests, "he learned obedience from the things which he suffered" (Heb 5:8). In this manner he also learned mercy, even though the mercy of the Lord is from eternity. The same teacher of the nations teaches this also, where he asserts that he was "tempted in all things according to likeness, without sin, that he might become merciful" (Heb 4:15). Do you see that he was made what he was, and learned what he knew, and sought for himself among us cracks and windows, through which he might explore our calamities more diligently? And he found as many openings in our ruinous wall full of cracks as he felt experiences of our weakness and corruption in his own body.
2. Thus therefore the Bridegroom was standing behind the wall and looking through windows and lattices. And rightly standing, because he alone truly stood in the flesh who did not experience the sin of the flesh. We can also faithfully hold this, that he stood by the power of divinity who fell by the weakness of the flesh, as he himself said: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mt 26:41). But I think that also that other passage lends support to this meaning, which holy David, as a prophet of the Lord and prophesying, spoke of the Lord in this mystery; and indeed speaking of Moses, but looking to the Lord. For he himself is the true Moses, who truly came through water, and not in water only, but in water and blood. And so the aforementioned prophet said: "He said that he would destroy them" (for he was speaking of the Father), "if Moses his chosen one had not stood in the breach in his sight, to turn away his wrath, lest he destroy them" (Ps 105:23). In what way, I ask, did Moses stand in the breach? How, I say, did he either stand, if he was broken; or if he stood, how was he broken? But I will show you, if you wish, who truly stood in the breach. I know no other who could do this, except my Lord Jesus, who certainly was living in death, who, broken in body on the cross, was standing by divinity with the Father; in the one supplicating with us, in the other propitiating with the Father. And he was standing behind the wall, since what lay prostrate in him was manifest in the flesh, and that by which he stood was hidden in him as if behind the flesh; one and the same indeed, man manifest and God hidden.
3. But also for each one of us who desire his coming, I think he stands no less behind the wall, while this body of ours, which is certainly of sin, hides from us in the meantime his face and shuts off his presence. For: "As long as we are in this body," he says, "we are pilgrims from the Lord" (2 Cor 5:6). Not because we are in a body, but because we are in this body, which assuredly is of sin and is not without sin. And that you may know that it is not bodies but sins that obstruct, hear the Scripture: "Our sins," it says, "separate between us and God" (Is 59:2). And would that only one wall of the body stood in my way, and I suffered only the obstacle of that which is the sin in the flesh, and that not many partition walls of vices stood between! For I fear that beyond that which is in nature, I have added very many from my own iniquity, by the interposition of which I have set the Bridegroom exceedingly far from me; so that, if I wished to speak the truth, I should confess that he stands behind walls rather than behind a wall for me.
4. But I say this more plainly. The Bridegroom indeed is equally and indifferently present everywhere, by the presence assuredly of the divine majesty, and by the greatness of his power. Yet by the exhibition or withholding of grace he is said to be far from some and near to others, that is, of angels and men, that is, of rational creatures. For "salvation is far from sinners" (Ps 118:155). And holy David likewise says: "Why, O Lord, have you withdrawn far off?" (Ps 9:1). But from the saints, by a pious dispensation, he makes himself far for a time and not entirely, but according to something, sometimes. But from sinners of whom it is said: "The pride of those who hate you ascends always" (Ps 73:23); and likewise: "Their ways are defiled at all times" (Ps 9:5); he is always and very far away, and this in wrath and not in mercy. Wherefore the saint prays to God and says: "Do not turn away in anger from your servant" (Ps 26:9); knowing that he could also turn away in mercy. The Lord is therefore near to his saints and his elect, even when he seems to be far away; and not equally to all, but to some more, to others less, according to the diversity of merits. For even if the Lord is near to all who call upon him in truth, and is close to those who are of a troubled heart; yet not to all perhaps, so that they may be able to say that he himself stands behind the wall. But how near he is to the bride, who is separated by only one wall! For this reason she desires to be dissolved, and with the middle wall broken through, to be with him whom she trusts to be behind the wall.
5. But I, since I am a sinner, do not desire to be dissolved but dread it, knowing that "the death of sinners is most wretched" (Ps 33:22). How is death not most wretched where Life does not come to aid? I dread going out, and I tremble at the very entrance of the harbor, since I do not trust that he who would receive me as I go out stands near. For what? Do I go out securely, if the Lord does not guard my going out? Alas! I shall be a mockery of demons intercepting me: with none standing by to redeem, nor to save. Nothing such was to be feared by the soul of Paul, for whom only one wall stood in the way from the sight and embrace of the Beloved, namely the law of sin, which he found in his members. This is the concupiscence of the flesh, which he could not entirely lack as long as he was in the flesh. With this one wall surely interposed, he was not wandering far from the Lord; whence also he wished, crying out: "Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24). Knowing that by the shortcut of death he would immediately arrive at life. By this one law therefore Paul confessed himself to be held, namely concupiscence, which, immovably implanted in his flesh, he endured unwillingly; for the rest: "I am conscious," he says, "of nothing against myself" (1 Cor 4:4).
6. But who is like Paul, who does not, namely, sometimes consent to this concupiscence so as to obey sin? Let him know therefore, he who has consented to sin, that he has set up another wall against himself, namely that very depraved and illicit consent: nor can he who is of this kind boast that the Bridegroom stands behind a wall for him, when already walls stand between, not a wall. Much less if the consent has proceeded to effect, since now a third wall also bars and impedes the access of the Bridegroom, namely the very act of sin. What if habit has perhaps led the sin into use, or use even into contempt? As it is written: "The impious one, when he has come into the depth of evils, shows contempt" (Prov 18:3). Will you not, if you go out in such a state, be devoured a thousand times by those roaring ones prepared for food, before you can reach the Bridegroom, who is now shut off from you not by one wall but by so great a number of walls? The first is concupiscence; the second, consent; the third, the act; the fourth, habit; the fifth, contempt. Take care therefore to resist the first concupiscence with all your strength, lest it drag you into consent; and every structure of malice thereafter vanishes: nor is there anything at all to prevent the Bridegroom from drawing near to you, except only the wall of the body, so that you may be able to boast, you too, saying of him: "Behold, he himself stands behind the wall."
7. But this too you must provide for with all vigilance, that he may always find open the windows and certain lattices of your confessions, through which he may kindly look upon you within, since his looking upon you is your progress. They say that lattices are narrower than windows, such as those assuredly who copy books are accustomed to fit for themselves to receive light upon the pages. Whence also I think those are called chancellors who are deputed by office to the writing of documents. Since therefore there are two kinds of compunction, one in sorrow for our transgressions, the other in exultation for divine gifts, as often surely as I make that confession of my sins which is by no means done without anguish of heart, I seem to myself to open a lattice, that is, a narrower window. Nor is there doubt that he who stands behind the wall, the pious searcher, willingly looks through this one, because "a contrite and humbled heart God will not despise" (Ps 50:19). For he also exhorts to this very thing: "Declare you," he says, "your iniquities first, that you may be justified" (Is 43:26). But if at times, with heart enlarged in charity, on account of the consideration of the divine condescension and compassion, it pleases to release the mind into a voice of praise and thanksgiving, I think I am opening no longer a narrow but a most ample window for the Bridegroom standing behind the wall, through which, unless I am mistaken, he looks all the more willingly, inasmuch as "the sacrifice of praise honors him" the more. It is ready at hand from the Scriptures to approve both of these confessions; but I speak these things to those who know, and you are not to be burdened with superfluous things, who scarcely suffice for investigating the necessary ones. For so great are the mysteries of this wedding song, and the proclamations of praise that are sung in it to the Church and to her Bridegroom Jesus Christ our Lord, who is over all things God blessed forever. Amen.
Translated from the Latin by AI. Source: Migne, Patrologia Latina 183.