Sermon 83 on the Song of Songs — Bernard of Clairvaux
How the Soul, However Much Corrupted by Vices, Can Still Return Through Chaste and Holy Love to the Likeness of the Bridegroom, That Is, of Christ.
1. As much as the regular hour permitted, which we have appointed for ourselves for speaking, this period of three days [or, two days] has been spent in demonstrating the affinity of the Word and the soul. What profit is there in all this labor? Surely this. We have taught that every soul, though burdened with sins, entangled with vices, captured by allurements, captive in exile, imprisoned in the body, stuck in the mud, fixed in the mire, fastened to its members, nailed at the calves, stretched out with occupations, contracted with fears, afflicted with sorrows, wandering with errors, anxious with solicitudes, restless with suspicions, and lastly a stranger in the land of enemies, according to the voice of the prophet, defiled with the dead, reckoned among those who are in hell (Bar 3:11); though, I say, thus condemned, and thus despaired of, we have taught nevertheless that this soul can discover in itself, not only that from which it may breathe again into the hope of pardon, into the hope of mercy; but also that from which it may dare to aspire to the nuptials of the Word, may not tremble to enter into a covenant of fellowship with God, may not be afraid to draw the sweet yoke of love with the King of angels. For what may it not safely dare before him, whose distinguished image it perceives in itself, whose illustrious likeness it knows in itself? What, I say, should it fear from his majesty, when confidence is given it from its origin? It need only take care to preserve the nobility of its nature by the honesty of its life, or rather let it strive to adorn and decorate the heavenly beauty, which is originally in it, with certain worthy colors of conduct and affections.
2. For why should diligence slumber? A great gift of nature in us is indeed this very thing: which if it should fail to carry out its part, will not all that remains of nature in us be entirely disturbed, entirely covered over as if by a certain rust of antiquity? This indeed is an injury to the Author. And assuredly for this reason the Author himself, God, willed that the mark of divine nobility be perpetually preserved in the soul, so that the soul may always have in itself from the Word that by which it is admonished either to stand with the Word, or to return, if it has been moved. Not moved as if migrating in places, or walking with feet, but moved (as indeed it belongs to a substance that is certainly spiritual to be moved by its own affections, or rather defections) it goes from itself in a certain way into something worse, when it makes itself unlike itself by the depravity of life and conduct, rendering itself degenerate: which unlikeness, however, is not an abolition of nature, but a vice, elevating the good of nature itself by comparison with itself as much as it defiles it by conjunction with itself. But indeed the return of the soul is its conversion to the Word, to be reformed through him, to be conformed to him. In what? In charity. For he says: "Be imitators of God, as most beloved children; and walk in love, as Christ also loved you" (Eph 5:1-2).
3. Such conformity weds the soul to the Word, when, namely, to him to whom it is similar by nature, it shows itself no less similar by will, loving as it has been loved. Therefore, if it loves perfectly, it has been wedded. What is more delightful than this conformity? What more desirable than charity, by which it comes about that, not content with human instruction, through yourself, O soul, you confidently approach the Word, constantly cling to the Word, familiarly question the Word, and consult it about every matter, as much daring in desire as you are capable in understanding? Truly this is the contract of a spiritual and holy marriage. I have said too little, a contract: it is an embrace. An embrace indeed, where to will the same thing and to not will the same thing makes one spirit out of two. Nor should it be feared that the disparity of persons may cause the agreement of wills to limp in any respect, because love knows no reverence. For love is named from loving, not from honoring. Let him honor who shudders, who is astonished, who fears, who marvels: all these things are absent in the one who loves. Love is sufficient unto itself; love, where it has come, draws all other affections into itself and takes them captive. Therefore she who loves, loves, and knows nothing else. He himself who is deservedly held in honor, deservedly the object of astonishment and wonder: yet he loves more to be loved. They are Bridegroom and bride. What other bond or connection do you seek between spouses, besides to be loved and to love? This bond conquers even what nature has more tightly bound, the bond of parents to children. For "on account of this," he says, "a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his bride" (Mt 19:5). You see how this affection in spouses is not only more powerful than other affections, but even more powerful than itself.
4. Add that this Bridegroom is not only loving, but is love. Is he honor? Let someone contend that he is: I have not read it. But I have read that God is charity (1 Jn 4:16); and I have not read that he is honor, or dignity. Not that God does not will honor, who says: "If I am a father, where is my honor?" But that is as Father. But if he presents himself as Bridegroom, I think he will change his voice, and will say: "If I am a Bridegroom, where is my love?" For even before he spoke thus: "If I am the Lord, where is my fear?" (Mal 1:6). God therefore requires to be feared as Lord, to be honored as father, and as Bridegroom to be loved. Which of these excels, which stands out? Surely love. Without this, fear has its punishment, and honor has no grace. Fear is servile, so long as it is not set free by love. And honor that does not come from love is not honor, but flattery. And indeed to God alone be honor and glory: but neither of these will God accept, if they have not been seasoned with the honey of love. Love is sufficient in itself, love is pleasing in itself and on account of itself. It is its own merit, it is its own reward. Love requires no cause beyond itself, no fruit. Its fruit is its use. I love, because I love; I love, in order that I may love. Love is a great thing, if only it runs back to its own beginning, if, restored to its origin, if poured back into its own fountain, it always draws from it whence it may continually flow. Love alone, out of all the motions, senses, and affections of the soul, is that in which the creature can respond to the Author, even if not as an equal, or repay a mutual exchange from something similar. For example, if God is angry with me, shall I similarly be angry with him in return? Not at all, but I shall fear, I shall tremble, I shall beg for pardon. So if he rebukes me, he will not be rebuked by me, but from me rather he will be justified. Nor, if he judges me, shall I judge him, but I shall adore him: and saving me, he does not himself require to be saved by me, nor does he in turn need to be freed by anyone, who frees all. If he rules, I must serve; if he commands, I must obey, and not in turn demand either service or compliance from the Lord. Now you may see how different it is with love. For when God loves, he wills nothing other than to be loved: for he loves for no other purpose than that he may be loved, knowing that those who have loved him are made blessed by that very love.
5. Love is a great thing; but there are degrees in it. The bride stands at the summit. For children also love, but they think of the inheritance: and while they fear to lose it by any means, they revere him from whom the inheritance is expected more than they love him. That love is suspect to me which the hope of obtaining something else seems to support. It is weak, which is perhaps extinguished or diminished if hope is withdrawn. It is impure, which desires something else as well. Pure love is not mercenary. Pure love does not draw its strength from hope, nor yet does it suffer the losses of distrust. This belongs to the bride, because this is what a bride is, whoever she is. The one possession and hope of the bride is love. In this the bride abounds, with this the Bridegroom is content. He seeks nothing else, nor does she have anything else. Hence he is the Bridegroom, and she is the bride. This is proper to spouses, which no other may attain, not even a son. For to sons he cries: "Where is my honor?" and not "Where is my love?" he says; reserving the prerogative for the bride. But also man is commanded to honor his father and his mother (Deut 5:16), and about love there is silence: not because parents are not to be loved by children, but because many children are more inclined to honor parents than to love them. Granted that the honor of the king loves judgment: but the love of the Bridegroom, or rather the Bridegroom who is Love, requires only the exchange of love and faithfulness. Let it be permitted therefore for the beloved to love in return. Why should not the bride love, and the bride of Love? Why should Love not be loved?
6. Rightly, renouncing all other affections, she devotes herself solely and wholly to love, who must respond to Love itself by loving in return. For even when she has poured out her whole self in love, how much is this compared to the perennial outpouring of that fountain? Not indeed with equal abundance do the lover and Love flow, the soul and the Word, the bride and the Bridegroom, the Creator and the creature, no more than the thirsty one and the fountain. What then? Shall the vow of the one about to be wed perish on account of this, and be wholly emptied out — the desire of the one sighing, the ardor of the one loving, the confidence of the one presuming — because she is unable to run equally with the giant, to contend in sweetness with honey, in gentleness with the lamb, in whiteness with the lily, in brightness with the sun, in charity with him who is charity? No. For even if the creature loves less, because she is less; yet if she loves with her whole self, nothing is lacking where the whole is present. Therefore, as I have said, to love thus is to have been wedded: because she cannot love thus and have been loved too little, so that in the consent of the two the marriage may stand whole and perfect. Unless anyone doubts that the soul is loved by the Word both first and more. She is altogether anticipated in loving, and surpassed. Happy is she who has merited to be anticipated in the blessing of such great sweetness! Happy is she to whom it has been granted to experience the embrace of such great delight! Which is nothing other than a love holy and chaste, a love sweet and delightful; a love of as much serenity as sincerity; a love mutual, intimate, and strong, which joins two not in one flesh, but plainly in one spirit, making two no longer two, but one, as Paul says: "He who clings to God is one spirit" (1 Cor 6:17). But now let us rather hear her herself on these matters, whom the anointing, itself a teacher, and frequent experience have easily made a teacher of all things. Unless perhaps we better reserve this for the beginning of another sermon, lest we compress a good thing within the constraints of this one now nearly coming to an end. And if you approve, I will make an end even before the end, so that, hungry, we may come together in timely fashion tomorrow to the delights of the holy soul, with which she merits to enjoy blessedly with the Word and from the Word, her Bridegroom indeed, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is God blessed above all things forever. Amen.
Translated from the Latin by AI. Source: Migne, Patrologia Latina 183.