Sermon XXII. On the Four Ointments of the Bridegroom and the Four Cardinal Virtues

"Draw me; we will run to the odour of Thy ointments."

If, my brethren, the ointments of the Bride are so exceedingly precious and magnificent, as you learned was the case when I was treating of them, what are the Bridegroom's likely to be! And although I am quite unequal to the task of describing and explaining these in a manner worthy of their intrinsic nobility, nevertheless, the greater excellence of their virtue and the superior efficacy of their grace may be clearly inferred from this single fact, that the sweetness of the odour they exhale causes to run, not alone the "young maidens," but even the Spouse herself. For, as you may have noticed, she does not promise any such effect in the case of her own ointments. She does indeed glory in and boast of their excellence, but she does not pretend that she has been excited to run by them, or that she would be so at a future time. It is only with regard to her Beloved's ointments that that she makes such a claim or promise. And if she can thus be induced to run by the exhilarating influence of so slight a perfume, wafted to her senses from the unction, what would she not do were she to feel the ointment itself poured out upon her? It would surely be strange if she did not fly. But perhaps some of you may feel tempted to say to me, "Have done with commendations. When thou proceedest to explain to us in what the essence and nature of these ointments consist, it shall then be sufficiently evident what kind their properties are." No, my friends. I can by no means undertake to give you any such explanation. And I must ask you to believe me when I confess that I am not even sure as to whether those things, which I feel suggested to my mind and am going to speak of, are really the ointments of the Bridegroom, or merely the creations of my own fancy. In my opinion, then, the Bridegroom possesses numerous spices and unguents of various kinds. Of these there are some whose fragrance it is given onty to the Spouse to enjoy, because of her singular intimacy and familiarity with Him. The perfumes of others reach the "young maidens." Others again diffuse their sweet odours even to those who are far remote and extern, so that "there is none who can hide himself from His heat." But although "the Lord is sweet to all," He is so "especially to those of the household"; and, as I think, the nearer the soul approaches Him by the merit of her life and the purity of her conscience, the fresher are the spices and the sweeter the ointments whose perfume she is permitted to inhale. Furthermore, in such matters the understanding is altogether unable to transcend the bounds of experience. And I am not so rash as to arrogate to myself that which is the prerogative of the Spouse. None but the Bridegroom Himself can tell with what infusions of spiritual delight He ravishes the soul of His best-beloved, with what aromas of sweetness He intoxicates her senses, with what inspirations He wondrously illuminates and refreshes her mind. Let Him have for her as for His own Bride a private fountain of graces, in which the stranger shall have no share, nor shall the unworthy drink thereof. For it is a "Sealed Fountain," a "Garden Enclosed." Still, the waters flow forth therefrom into all the public ways. These waters, I confess, are always within my reach and at my service, provided no man shows discontent or ingratitude when I draw from the common source for the use of myself and others. Now, with your good leave, I will, after the example of St. Paul, commend "my ministry in this part a little." To me, then, it is certainly something of a weariness and a labour to go forth day by day¹ to draw from the common streams of Holy Scripture, in order to minister to the wants of all of you, so that each may have at hand a supply of spiritual water for his every need, viz., for cleansing, for drinking, or for preparing his food. For the word of God is the salutary water of wisdom, useful not only for drinking, but also for purifying. Hence the Lord said, "And you are clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." But the same divine word may be employed to cook the crude thoughts and feelings ot the carnal mind, using the fire of love kindled by the Holy Spirit, and transforming them in the process into spiritual reflections such as may serve as nourishment for the soul, so that she may exclaim with the Psalmist, "My heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire shall break out."

Those amongst you, my brethren, who by reason of the great purity of their conscience, are able of themselves alone to attain to loftier things than I am engaged in treating of, shall certainly encounter no opposition from me. On the contrary, I offer them my sincere congratulations. But I expect that they, on their side, will suffer me to provide simpler fare for souls more simple. Oh, who will grant me that you may all so abound with the light of the Holy Spirit as to be qualified to discharge even the functions ot the prophetic office! Would to God the case were so! Then there would be no necessity for me to occupy myself with these instructions. Would to God that this duty had devolved on some other! Or, at any rate — which, indeed, I should much prefer — that none of you stood in need of such instruction, but were "all taught of God," so that I might '* be still and see "that the Bridegroom of my soul is none other than my Maker. But now, in the meantime — although I am unable to say it without tears — it is not permitted me to seek after, much less to contemplate "the King in His beauty," "seated upon the Cherubim," "sitting on a throne high and elevated," in that Divine Form in which He was begotten, equal to the Father "before the day-star, in the brightness of the saints," in which the angels desire to behold Him, God with God. Yet, a man myself, I will speak to men of Him as Man, according to the human form wherein, of His exceeding condescension and charity, in order to reveal Himself to us, He made Himself a "little less than the angels," and "hath set His tabernacle in the sun, and He as a Bridegroom coming out of His bridal-chamber." I will speak of Him rather as sweet than as sublime, rather as anointed than elevated. I will speak of Him as anointed by the Spirit and "sent to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the contrite of heart, to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Leaving, then, to each whatever more sublime and delicate perfumes, so to speak, of grace and sanctity it may have been given him to feel and to enjoy from the Bridegroom's ointments, I shall expend for the common use what I have received from the common source. For the very "Fountain of life," the "Sealed Fountain" issuing forth from the interior of the "Garden Enclosed," through the orifice of St. Paul's mouth, as being truly that wisdom, which, according to the words of holy Job, "is drawn out of secret places" — this Fountain, I say, divides its waters into four streams and through these pours itself out upon the common ways. There it represents to us Him, Who for us has been "made of God Wisdom, and Justice, and Sanctification, and Redemption." These four streams are also four most precious ointments. For there is nothing to prevent the same thing being conceived as both water and ointment, water in so far as it cleanses, ointment inasmuch as it perfumes. From these streams, therefore, which are at the same time odoriferous ointments, produced from celestial elements on the aromatic hills, such an odour of sweetness filled the nostrils of the Church, that, attracted in her members by the sweetness of the fragrance from the four corners of the world, she hastened to her Beloved, as being indeed that "queen of the south" who hurried from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, drawn by the pleasant odour of his fame.

It is clear that the Church was not able to run to the odour of her Solomon, until He, Who from eternity was the Wisdom of the Father, was made by the Father Wisdom also in time, tor her sake, in order that she might enjoy His divine fragrance. So, too, was He made Justice, and Sanctification, and Redemption, all for her, that she might also run to the odours of such ointments, though in Himself the Bridegroom was all these equally from all eternity. For even "in the beginning (He) was the Word." Yet it was only after the announcement of His having been made Flesh that the shepherds came in haste to see Him. They said to each other, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and let us see this Word that is come to pass which the Lord hath made and hath shewed to us" And the Evangelist adds that "they came in haste." Previously, whilst the Word was only with God, they could not move at all. But when the Word, Which was in the beginning, was made Flesh in time, was made Flesh and shown to them by the Lord, then "they came in haste," then they ran. And just as He was the Word in the beginning, but was the Word with God only, and was made Flesh that He might be also the Word with men; in the same way, He was in the beginning Wisdom, and Justice, and Sanctification, and Redemption, yet to the angels only. But that He might be so to men as well He was made all these by the Father, forasmuch as He is a Father. "Who was made," says the Apostle, "for us Wisdom of God." He does not say simply "Who was made Wisdom," but "Who was made for us

Wisdom." For what He was to the angels already, that He now was made for us.

But some of you may say, "I fail to see how He was Redemption to the angels. For there is nothing anywhere in the Holy Scriptures to show that they were ever captives to sin or subject to death, so as to be in need of redemption, except indeed those who, by committing the irremediable sin of pride, placed themselves beyond all hope of redemption. Thus, therefore, the angels have never been redeemed, some not needing it, others undeserving oi it; some because they never fell, others because their fall was irrevocable. How, then, canst thou assert that the Lord Jesus has been to them Redemption? "My answer shall be short. He who lifted up man after his fall, gave to the angel who stood that he should not fall, preserving the latter from the same captivity from which He delivered the former. In this way, then, He was equally Redemption to both, by preventing sin² in the one case, and re-mitting it in the other. Hence it is evident that Christ the Lord was Redemption to the angels, as He was Justice, and Wisdom, and Sanctification. And, nevertheless, these four things He was visibly made for the sake of men who can clearly see the invisible things of God only as "understood by the things that are made." Thus He was made for us all that He was for the angels. What is that? It is Wisdom, and Justice, and Sanctification, and Redemption. Wisdom in His preaching, Justice in the remission of sin, Sanctification in His familiar intercourse with sinners, Redemption in His Passion endured for sinners. When, therefore, He was made all these "of God" then the Church perceived His odour, then she began to run.

Contemplate, now, my brethren, this fourfold unction. Consider the abounding and inexpressible sweetness of Him Whom the Father "hath anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows. "Thou wert sitting, O man, in darkness and in the shadow of death by reason of thy ignorance of the truth. Thou wert seated in fetters, bound with the chains of thy sins, and He descended to thee into the prison, not to torture thee, but to rescue thee from the power of darkness. First ot all, as the Doctor of truth, He dispelled the clouds of thy ignorance by the light of His own wisdom. Next, by the "justice which is of faith," He loosed the bonds of sin, "justifying the sinner freely." By these two benefits was fulfilled the word of David, "The Lord looseth them that are fettered; the Lord enlighteneth the blind." To these He added the example of His holy life, lived amongst sinners, thus exhibiting to them a model for their imitation, and, as it were, marking out the way whereby they might return to their fatherland. Lastly, to crown the largesses of His piety, He delivered up His Soul to death for them, and from His own Heart produced the price of their redemption and of their reconciliation with the Father. In this way, He plainly appropriated to Himself the verse, "With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him plentiful redemption." Plentiful surely, for not in drops, but in streams, the Precious Blood issued through the Five Wounds of His Sacred Body.

My brethren, what ought He to have done for us, and has not done it? He has enlightened our blindness, He has loosed our bonds, He has brought us back from our wanderings, He has made satisfaction for our sins. Can anyone be unwilling to run gladly and eagerly after Him who delivers us from present errors and overlooks all those of the past, Who by His life wins for us merits and by His death obtains rewards? What excuse can he have who does not run to the odour of these ointments, unless perchance he be one whom the odour has not reached? But that odour of life has gone out over the whole earth, because "the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord," "and His tender mercies are over all His works." He, therefore, who is not sensible of this vivifying fragrance everywhere diffused, and hence does not run to it, is either corrupt or a corpse. This odour is the good fame of Christ, which spreads itself abroad like a sweet perfume, exciting us to run, leading us to the experience of His unction here, and to the vision of Him as our reward hereafter. All who enjoy that bliss, all who have attained to that crowning vision, cry out exult ingly, with one acclaim, "As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts." Yes, O Lord Jesus, we will run after Thee, on account of the sweetness which is proclaimed to be characteristic of Thee, for we are told that Thou dost not spurn the needy nor abhor the guilty. Thou certainly didst not show any abhorrence of the confessing Thief, nor of the weeping Magdalen, nor of the suppliant Canaanite, nor of the woman taken in sin, nor of him that sat in the Publican's office, nor of that other Publican who prayed in the temple, nor of the Apostle who denied Thee, nor of Paul, the persecutor of Thy followers, nor even of those who nailed Thee to the cross. Yes, we will run to the odour of such examples, of such ointments! We also inhale the sweet perfume of Thy wisdom from what we have heard, namely, that if any one wants wisdom, he has only to ask it of Thee, and Thou wilt give it to him. For we are told that Thou givest to all abundantly and upbraidest not. But so great and all-pervading is the odour exhaling from Thy justice that Thou art called, not just, but Justice Itself, and Justifying Justice. And as able as Thou art to justify Thou art equally "bountiful to forgive." Wherefore, whoever feels compunction for his sins, and hungers and thirsts after justice, let him believe in Thee Who justifiest the impious, and thus, justified by faith alone,³ he shall have peace with God.

Not alone Thy life, but even Thy conception is most sweetly and abundantly redolent of the fragrance of Thy sanctity. For Thou wert as free from inherited as Thou art from personal guilt. Let those, therefore, who, justified from their sins, desire and determine to pursue after holiness, without which no one shall see God, let such, I say, listen to Thee commanding, "Be ye holy, because I am holy." Let them consider Thy ways and learn of Thee, because Thou art just in all Thy ways and holy in all Thy works. Oh, how many have been induced to run by the most sweet odour of Thy redemption! Ever since Thou wert lifted up from the earth, Thou surely hast been drawing all things to Thyself. Thy sacred Passion is our last refuge, our sole remedy. When wisdom is wanting to us, when justice falls short, when the merits of sanctity fail to secure us, even then we find support and deliverance in Thy Passion. For who can presume on his own wisdom, or justice, or sanctity as sufficient to save him? Hence the Apostle, "not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." Therefore, "when my virtue fails," I shall not lose peace, I shall not lose confidence. "I know what I will do": "I will take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord." 0 Lord, enlighten my eyes, "that I may know what is acceptable with Thee at all times." So shall I be wise. "The sins of my youth and my ignorances do not remember." So shall I be just. "Conduct me, O Lord, in Thy way," and so I shall be holy. Yet, after all, unless Thy Blood makes intercession for me, I shall not be saved. It is because of all these odours that we run after Thee. Grant our petitions and so send us away, because, like the Canaanite woman, "we cry after Thee."

But, my brethren, we do not all run equally to the odour of all the ointments. You may observe some more ardent in the pursuit of wisdom, others more incited to penance by the hope of pardon, others again more drawn to the practice of virtue by the example of the Saviour's life and conversation, still others more inflamed with love by the memory of His Passion, 1 think I can present you with instances of persons specially attracted in these several ways. They ran to the odour of His Wisdom, who, sent to Him by the Pharisees, reported on their return that "never man spoke as this Man." For, being filled with admiration of His doctrine, they acknowledged the greatness of His Wisdom. To the same odour ran holy Nicodemus who, though he "came to Jesus by night," indeed, yet walked in the resplendent illumination of Divine Wisdom, and returned instructed and enlightened about many things. Mary Magdalen, to whom "many sins were forgiven, because she hath loved much," ran to the odour of His Justice. Just and holy she was in truth, and no longer a sinner, so as to deserve the reproach of the Pharisee, who knew not that justification and sanctity are the gifts of God, not the works of man; and that he to whom the Lord imputes not sin, is not only just, but blessed as well. Or had this Simon forgotten how Christ, by His touch, had healed instead of contracting the corporeal leprosy of himself or of some other Simon? For the Just One, when touched by the sinner, did not lose, but communicated, His justice; nor did He soil Himself with the filth of sin from which He cleansed the penitent woman. To this odour also ran the Publican, who, after humbly imploring pardon for his sins, "went down to his house justified," as Justice Himself bears witness. To the same ran St. Peter. For after his fall "he wept bitterly," in order to wash away his sin, and recover grace. David, too, ran to this odour, when, by acknowledging and confessing his fault, he deserved to hear from Nathan, "the Lord also hath taken away thy sin." St. Paul testifies of himself that he ran to the odour of Sanctification, when he boasts that he is "an imitator of Christ," saying to his disciples, "Be ye imitators of me, as I also am of Christ." To the same ran all the Apostles, who said, by the mouth of Peter, "Behold we have left all things, and have followed Thee." The desire, that is to say, of following Christ, led them to abandon all else. All men in general are invited to run to this odour by the words of St. John, "He who saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also to walk, even as He walked."

Now, if you wish to know who they are that ran to the odour of Redemption, I tell you, my brethren, that these are all the martyrs. Thus I have set forth for you the four precious ointments of Wisdom, Justice, Sa ratification, and Redemption. Remember their names, and enjoy their odours. But do not ask me about the manner of their composition, nor about the number of spices from which they are produced. For, as regards the ointments of the Bridegroom and the elements thereof, such questions are not so easy to answer as in the case of the unguents and spices of the Spouse, of which I have treated in an earlier sermon. The reason is that in Christ these ointments are without either number or measure; since "of His Wisdom there is no number"; and "His Justice is as the mountains of God," as the eternal hills; and His Sanctity is infinite, and His Redemption ineffable.

This also I must say: Vainly have the wise of this world disputed so much concerning the four cardinal virtues, which they were quite incapable of understanding, since they knew not Him "Who for us was made Wisdom of God" to teach us prudence, and Justice to satisfy for our sins, and Sanctification to give us in His mortified life an example of temperance, and Redemption to exhibit to us in His patiently-suffered death a model of fortitude. But perhaps some one will say to me, "Thy other remarks are well enough, but it hardly seems proper to refer sanctification to the virtue of temperance." To this I reply, first, that temperance and continence are one and the same thing; secondly, that it is usual in Scripture to put sanctification for continence or purity. Then, what else are those numerous sanctifications prescribed by Moses except so many purifications, or exercises of temperance in food, and drink, and such like? But above all, hear how familiar it is with the Apostle to use or to intend the word sanctification in this sense. "This," he says, "is the will ol God, your sanctification, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the passion of lust." Again, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto sanctification." Evidently, in these passages sanctification is put for temperance.

Having now, as I hope, placed in light what appeared to be somewhat obscure, I return to the point whence I digressed. To the worldly-wise pagans, therefore, I say, what have you to do with the virtues, who know not Christ, the "Virtue of God"? Where, T ask, will you find real prudence, except in the doctrine of Christ? Where true justice, save from the mercy of Christ? Where true temperance, except in the life of Christ? And where true fortitude, but in the Passion of Christ? Consequently, only they deserve to be called prudent, who are instructed in His doctrine. Only they just, who, of His mercy, have obtained forgiveness of their sins. Only those temperate, who study to imitate the example of His life. And those alone possessed of fortitude who, in adversity, conform with constancy to the model of His patience. It is vain, therefore, for anyone to labour for the acquisition of virtues, if he expects to obtain them otherwise than from Him Who is named the "Lord of Virtues," and Whose doctrine is the seed of prudence; Whose mercy, the source of works of justice; Whose life, the mirror of temperance, and Whose death is the glory and the model of fortitude.

To Him be honour and glory for endless ages. Amen.

Footnotes

1. We have here evidence that St. Bernard was in the habit of preaching daily to his community. — (Translator.) ↩

2. In the same way John Duns Scotus showed that our Lady's Immaculate Conception was quite consistent with the universality of Redemption. But the idea of preventive Redemption was no discovery of the Irish Doctor, as some have supposed. The above passage makes that clear. — (Translator.) ↩

3. That is, by "the Faith which worketh through charity," and so includes the practice of all the virtues. — (Translator.) ↩