Sermo 56
The Bridegroom at the Wall
Bernard introduces Christ standing behind the wall, peering through the windows and lattice-work, and interprets the wall as the flesh he assumed and the openings as the human affections through which he bore our weaknesses.
Look, he himself stands behind the wall, peering through the windows, gazing through the lattice-work.✦ On the literal level, then, the text seems to be saying that the one who was seen approaching with leaps had drawn near to the bride's dwelling, and that standing behind the wall he peered more closely through the windows and cracks, yet modestly did not presume to thrust himself inside.✦ On the spiritual level, however, he is indeed understood to have drawn near, though in a different way — precisely as it was fitting for the action to come from the heavenly Bridegroom and for the words to come from the Holy Spirit. For a true and spiritual understanding will admit nothing that would be unbecoming either to its Author or to its narrator. Therefore he came to the wall, since he clung to flesh. Flesh is the wall, and the Bridegroom's drawing near is the incarnation of the Word. Furthermore, the lattice-work and windows through which he is said to look back signify — as I understand it — the senses and human affections of the flesh, through which he gained experience of all human necessities.✦ In the end, he himself bore our weaknesses, and he himself carried our sorrows.✦
Learned Mercy Through Suffering
Christ used human senses and affections as openings to experience our miseries and become merciful, learning obedience and mercy through suffering even though his mercy is from eternity.
So he used human affections and bodily senses as openings and windows, so that by becoming human he might come to know by experience the miseries of humanity, and so become merciful. He knew even beforehand, but in a different way. In short, the Lord of hosts himself knew the power of obeying; and yet, as the Apostle testifies, he learned obedience from what he suffered. In this way he also learned mercy, even though the Lord's mercy is from eternity. The Teacher of the nations teaches this too, where it claims he was tempted in every way like us, yet without sin, so that he might become merciful. Do you see that what he was, he became; and what he had known, he learned; and he sought out for himself among us cracks and windows through which he might more carefully explore our calamities? Yet he finds as many openings in our wall, ruined and full of cracks, as the experiences of our weakness and corruption that he felt in his own body.
Standing in the Breach
Christ alone truly stood in the flesh without sin, standing through divinity where the flesh is weak, and is the true Moses who stood in the breach to turn away wrath.
So the bridegroom stood behind the wall, looking through the windows and the lattice-work. And he stood well, because he alone truly stood in the flesh, who did not feel the sin of the flesh. We can also faithfully understand this, because he stood through the power of divinity, who through the weakness of the flesh fell, as he himself said: 'The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'1 But I think that this also supports the view that holy David, as a prophet of the Lord and prophesying, was speaking about the Lord in this mystery; and indeed, he was speaking of Moses, but beholding the Lord. For he himself is the true Moses, who truly comes through water, and not in water only, but in water and blood. The aforementioned prophet said, therefore: 'He spoke to scatter them' (he was speaking of the Father), 'if Moses, his chosen one, had not stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath, so that he would not scatter them.'2 In what way, I ask, did Moses stand in the breach? How, I say — did he stand, if he is broken? Or if he stood, how is he broken?
The One Who Stood in the Breaking
Only Christ could stand in the breach, broken on the cross yet standing in divinity, interceding for us as man while making atonement with the Father, visible as man but with God hidden behind the flesh.
But I'll show you, if you're willing, the one who truly stood in the breaking. I know of no one else who could have done this except my Lord Jesus, who was certainly alive in death — broken in body on the cross, yet standing in his divinity with the Father; on our side interceding with us in one nature, and on the Father's side making atonement with him in the other. And he stood behind the wall, while what lay in him was visible in the flesh, yet the one standing in him was hidden as if behind the flesh — truly one and the same person, man made visible and God hidden.
Hidden Behind This Body
For believers who long for Christ's coming, the body shaped by sin hides his face, and it is not embodiment itself but sin that separates us from God, with our own wickedness adding many walls beyond the natural one.
And yet I think that for each of us who long for his coming, he nonetheless stands behind a wall, while this body of ours — which is certainly shaped by sin — hides his face from us for a while and cuts us off from his presence. In fact, as long as we are in this body, we are away from the Lord. Not because we are in a body, but because we are in this body, which is certainly derived from sin and cannot be without sin. And so that you may know that it is not bodies but sins that stand in the way, hear the Scripture: 'Our sins,' it says, 'separate us from God.' And would that only one wall stood before me, and that I suffered only this single barrier — the sin that is in the flesh — and that so many torments of vice did not stand between. For I fear that beyond what belongs to nature, I've added far too much from my own wickedness, and that through these things I've put the Bridegroom at too great a distance from me — so much so that, if I wanted to speak the truth, I'd have to confess that he stands behind many walls for me, not just one.
Near and Far in Mercy
God is everywhere by divine presence but near or far in the giving of grace, withdrawing from sinners in anger yet only temporarily and mercifully from the saints, so the holy pray not to be turned away in wrath.
But I'll put this more plainly. The Bridegroom is equally and without distinction present everywhere, by the divine presence of his majesty and the greatness of his power. Yet in the giving or withholding of grace, he is said to be far from some and near to others — but only of angels and men, that is, of rational creatures. In short, salvation is far from sinners. And yet holy David still says: Why, Lord, have you withdrawn far away? But from the saints he withdraws, by a merciful dispensation, only for a time and not completely — only in some respect, and at certain times, does he make himself distant. For sinners, however — of whom it is said, The pride of those who hate you rises always, and again, Their ways are defiled at every time — he is always, and very greatly, distant, and that in anger, and not in mercy.✦ Therefore the holy one prays to God and says: Do not turn away in anger from your servant, knowing that he could also turn aside in mercy.
The Bride's Near Longing
The Lord is near to those who call on him in truth, but to the bride he is especially near, separated by only a single wall, which is why she longs to be set free and united with the one she trusts is behind it.
So the Lord is near to his holy and chosen ones, even when he seems far away; and not equally to all, but to some more, to others less, according to the diversity of their merits.✦ For even if the Lord is near to all who call upon him in truth, and close to those whose hearts are troubled—not, however, to all perhaps, so that they could say that he himself stands behind the wall.✦✦ But to the bride—how near he is, separated only by a single wall!✦ That is why she longs to be set free, and, with the intervening wall broken, to be with him whom she trusts to be behind the wall.✦
Afraid to Depart
Unlike Paul, the sinner fears death because life does not come to help, dreading to go out without the Lord watching and facing demons with no one to redeem, whereas Paul had only one wall of concupiscence between him and the Lord.
But I, because I am a sinner, do not long to be set free; I'm afraid, knowing that the death of sinners is the worst. How could death not be the worst, when Life itself does not come to help? I'm afraid to go out, and I tremble at the very entrance to the harbor, because I'm not confident that someone is standing by to receive me as I depart. What then? Do I go out safely, if the Lord does not watch over my departure? Alas! I'll be mocked by the demons waiting to seize me, with no one standing by to redeem me and no one to save me. There was nothing like this for Paul's soul to fear.
Paul's Single Wall
Paul had only one wall between him and the Beloved—the concupiscence of the flesh—and so he longed to be freed from the body of death, knowing that through death he would arrive at life without delay, while confessing he was held by one law.
But only one wall stood between that person and the sight and embrace of the Beloved — namely, the law of sin, which he found at work in his own members. That obstacle is the concupiscence of the flesh, which he could never be completely free of as long as he was in the flesh. Because of this one intervening wall, he was not far from the Lord in his pilgrimage; and so he longed, crying out, 'Who will free me from this body of death?' He knew that through death's shortcut he would arrive at life without delay. So then, Paul confessed that he was held fast by one law — namely, the concupiscence rooted immovably in his own flesh, which he endured against his will. Otherwise, he said, 'I am conscious of nothing against me.'
The Walls We Build
Those who consent to sin add wall after wall—desire, consent, act, habit, and contempt—shutting the Bridegroom farther away, but resisting early desire destroys the whole structure so only the single wall of the body remains.
But who is like Paul, who clearly would never go along with this desire in order to obey sin? Let anyone who has given in to sin know this: that he has also put up another barrier against himself — that corrupt and wrongful consent itself. And such a person can't boast, because the Bridegroom stands behind the wall for him, when there are now walls between them, not just one wall. It's far less the case if consent has reached the point of affection, since now a third wall — the Bridegroom's — also holds you back and blocks your approach, namely the very act of sin itself. What if custom, perhaps, has led sin into habitual use, or use even into contempt? As it is written: When the wicked one has come into the depth of evils, he despises. Won't you, if you go out in this way, be able to be devoured a thousand times over by the roaring ones made ready for their prey, before you can reach the Bridegroom — who is now shut off from you not by just one wall, but by such a great number of walls? First, desire; second, consent; third, the act; fourth, habit; fifth, contempt. So resist the earliest desire with all your strength, so that it doesn't drag you into consent. And every structure of malice that follows after disappears, and there's nothing at all that keeps the Bridegroom from drawing near to you — except the single wall of the body — so that you may be able to glory, and you yourself say about him: Look, he stands behind the wall.
Windows of Confession and Praise
Confession of sins opens a narrow lattice through which the Bridegroom looks kindly, while praise and thanksgiving open a wide window, and both kinds of confession are confirmed by Scripture for those who know these things.
But this too you must provide for with all your vigilance: that he always find open windows and certain lattice-work of your confessions, through which he may look kindly on you within, because his looking on you is your progress. They say that lattices are narrower than windows, like the ones those who copy books are accustomed to fit to their pages to let in the light. And so I think that scribes are called cancellarii — those who are assigned by office to writing documents. Since there are, then, two kinds of compunction — one in grief over our offenses, the other in exultation over God's gifts — whenever, plainly, I make the confession that is never made without constriction of heart, that is, the confession of my sins, it seems to me that I am opening a lattice, that is, a narrower window. There is no doubt that the kind watcher who stands behind the wall will gladly look in through that opening, because God will not despise a contrite and humbled heart.✦ And indeed Scripture urges us to this very thing: 'Say first,' it says, 'your iniquities, that you may be justified.'✦ But if at times, with heart expanded in love, from reflecting on God's own dignity and mercy, you are glad to release your mind into the voice of praise and thanksgiving, I think I am opening for the Bridegroom standing behind the wall not a narrow window now but a very wide one, through which, unless I am mistaken, he looks in all the more willingly the more the sacrifice of praise honors him.✦ It is easy to confirm both kinds of confession from Scripture; but I am speaking to those who know these things, and I should not burden you with extras, since you can scarcely manage even the essentials.
Amen
The wedding song's sacraments and praises are proclaimed to the Church and its bridegroom, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
So great are the sacraments of this wedding song, and the proclamations of praise that are sung in it to the Church and to its bridegroom, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Read the original Latin
En ipse stat post parietem, respiciens per fenestras, prospiciens per cancellos. Secundum litteram quidem videtur dicere, quia is qui cum saltibus adventare prospiciebatur, appropiasset usque ad contubernium sponsae, et stans post parietem curiosius introspiceret per fenestras et rimas, et verecunde non praesumeret sese ingerere. Secundum spiritum autem appropiasse quidem nihilominus intelligitur, sed aliter, ita sane quemadmodum et a coelesti sponso agi oportuit, et a Spiritu sancto dici. Nil quippe quod vel auctorem dedeceat, vel narratorem, verus et spiritualis intellectus admittet. Ergo appropiavit parieti, cum adhaesit carni. Caro paries est, et appropiatio Sponsi Verbi incarnatio. Porro cancellos et fenestras per quas respicere perhibetur sensus, ut opinor, carnis et humanos dicit affectus, per quos experimentum cepit omnium humanarum necessitatum. Denique languores nostros ipse tulit, et dolores nostros ipse portavit.
Humanis ergo affectionibus sensibusque corporeis pro foraminibus usus est et fenestris, ut miserias hominum homo factus experimento sciret, et misericors fieret. Sciebat et ante, sed aliter. Sciebat denique virtutem obediendi ipse Dominus virtutum, et tamen, teste Apostolo, didicit ex his quae passus est obedientiam. In hunc modum et misericordiam didicit, etsi misericordia Domini ab aeterno. Docet hoc quoque idem gentium Doctor, ubi eum asserit tentatum per omnia pro similitudine absque peccato, ut misericors fieret. Videsne factum esse quod erat, et quod noverat didicisse, et sibi apud nos quaesisse rimas et fenestras, per quas calamitates nostras diligentius exploraret? Tot autem in nostro ruinoso et pleno rimarum pariete invenit foramina, quot nostrae infirmitatis et corruptionis in suo corpore sensit experimenta.
Sic itaque sponsus post parietem stans, et per fenestras et cancellos respiciens erat. Et bene stans, quia solus revera in carne stetit, qui carnis peccatum non sensit. Possumus et hoc fideliter sapere, quia stetit per divinitatis potentiam, qui per carnis infirmitatem occubuit, dicente ipso: Spiritus quidem promptus est, caro autem infirma. Ego autem puto etiam illud huic sententiae suffragari, quod sanctus David in hoc mysterio, utpote propheta Domini et prophetans, de Domino loquebatur; et quidem Moysen loquens, sed Dominum intuens. Ipse enim verus est Moyses, qui vere per aquam venit, et non in aqua tantum, sed in aqua et sanguine. Ait itaque memoratus propheta: Dixit ut disperderet eos (Patrem siquidem loquebatur), si non Moyses electus eius stetisset in confractione in conspectu eius, ut averteret iram eius, ne disperderet eos. Quonam modo, quaeso, Moyses stetit in confractione? quemadmodum, inquam, aut stetit, si confractus est: aut si stetit, quomodo confractus est?
At ego tibi ostendo, si vis, qui vere stetit in confractione. Ego alium novi neminem qui hoc potuerit, nisi Dominum meum Iesum, qui certe in morte vivebat, qui corpore fractus in cruce, divinitate stabat cum Patre; in uno nobiscum supplicans, in altero cum Patre propitians. Et stabat post parietem, dum, quod iacebat in illo manifestum erat in carne, et quo stabat in ipso quasi post carnem latebat; sane unus idemque homo manifestus, et Deus absconditus.
Sed et unicuique nostrum, qui desideramus adventum ipsius, puto illum nihilominus post parietem stare, dum corpus hoc nostrum, quod certe peccati est, abscondat interim nobis faciem eius, et praesentiam intercludat. Denique: Quandiu sumus in hoc corpore, inquit, peregrinamur a Domino. Non quia in corpore, sed quia in corpore hoc, quod utique de peccato est, et sine peccato non est. Et ut scias quoniam obstant non corpora, sed peccata, audi Scripturam: Peccata nostra, inquit, separant inter nos et Deum. Et utinam unus mihi tantum obstet paries corporis, solumque obicem patiar id quod est in carne peccatum, et non multae intersint maceriae vitiorum. Vereor enim ne etiam praeter illud quod in natura est, quam plurima de propria iniquitate adiecerim, quorum a me interiectu nimium elongaverim Sponsum; ita, ut, si verum dicere velim, post parietes magis mihi illum stare fatear, non post parietem.
Sed dico hoc planius. Sponsus quidem aequaliter atque indifferenter praesto ubique est, divinae utique praesentia maiestatis, et magnitudine virtutis suae. Gratiae tamen exhibitione seu inhibitione quibusdam longe, quibusdam prope esse dicitur, angelorum duntaxat et hominum, id est rationalium creaturarum. Denique longe a peccatoribus salus. Et sanctus David nihilominus dicit: Utquid, Domine, recessisti longe? Caeterum a sanctis pia dispensatione ad tempus et non ex toto, sed iuxta aliquid aliquando longe se facit. Peccatoribus autem de quibus dicitur: Superbia eorum qui te oderunt, ascendit semper; et item: Inquinatae sunt viae illorum in omni tempore; semper, valdeque longe est, atque in ira hoc, et non in misericordia. Quamobrem orat ad Deum sanctus, et ait: Ne declines in ira a servo tuo; sciens quia et in misericordia potuerit declinare.
Prope est ergo Dominus sanctis et electis suis, etiam cum longe esse videtur; et non aequaliter omnibus, sed aliis plus, aliis minus, pro meritorum diversitate. Nam etsi prope est Dominus omnibus invocantibus eum in veritate, et iuxta est his qui tribulato sunt corde; non tamen omnibus forsitan, ita ut dicere possint quia ipse stat post parietem. Sponsae vero quam prope est, qui uno tantum pariete dividitur. Propterea cupit dissolvi, et rupto medio pariete cum illo esse quem post parietem esse confidit.
Ego autem, quoniam peccator sum, dissolvi non cupio, sed formido, sciens quia mors peccatorum pessima. Quomodo non pessima mors, ubi non subvenit Vita? Formido exire, et in ipso contremisco portus ingressu, dum non confido prope assistere qui excipiat exeuntem. Quid enim? securene exeo, si non Dominus custodiat exitum meum? Heu! ero ludibrio daemonum intercipientium me: non assistente qui redimat, neque qui salvum faciat. Nil tale verendum erat animae Pauli.
cui ab aspectu et amplexu Dilecti unus tantummodo paries obsistebat, videlicet lex peccati, quam inveniebat in membris suis. Ipsa est carnis concupiscentia, qua carere omnino non potuit, donec in carne fuit. Hoc sane uno interiecto pariete non longe peregrinabatur a Domino; unde et optabat clamans: Quis me liberabit de corpore mortis huius? Sciens se mortis compendio continuo ad vitam perventurum. Hac ergo Paulus se fatebatur una lege teneri, scilicet concupiscentia, quam carni suae immobiliter insitam tolerabat invitus; de caetero: Nihil, inquit, mihi conscius sum.
Verum quis similis Paulo, qui non videlicet huic interdum consentiat concupiscentiae ad obediendum peccato? Noverit proinde is qui peccato consenserit, et alterum sibi se opposuisse parietem, ipsum utique pravum illicitumque consensum: nec potest gloriari qui huiusmodi est, quia stet sibi post parietem Sponsus, quando iam parietes intersint, non paries. Multo minus si consensus pervenerit ad affectum, cum tertius quoque iam paries sponsi arceat impediatque accessum, actus videlicet ipse peccati. Quid, si et consuetudo forte peccatum in usum, aut usus etiam in contemptum perduxerit? sicut scriptum est: Impius cum venerit in profundum malorum, contemnit. Nonne si ita exieris, millies ante a rugientibus praeparatis ad escam poteris devorari, quam pervenire ad Sponsum, non uno siquidem iam, sed tanta a te parietum numerositate interclusum? Primus, concupiscentia; secundus, consensus; tertius, actus; quartus, consuetudo; quintus, contemptus. Cura ergo concupiscentiae priori totis resistere viribus, ut non pertrahat in consensum; et omnis deinceps malignitatis fabrica evanescit: nec est omnino quod Sponsum prohibeat appropinquare tibi, praeter solum parietem corporis, quatenus gloriari possis et tu dicens de illo, quia en ipse stat post parietem.
Sed et hoc tibi tota vigilantia providendum, ut apertas semper inveniat fenestras et cancellos quosdam confessionum tuarum, per quos te intus benigne respiciat, quoniam respectus eius profectus tuus. Aiunt cancellos angustiores esse fenestras, quales utique hi qui libros describunt, aptare sibi solent ad recipiendum lumen paginis. Unde et puto cancellarios eos appellari, qui chartis conscribendis ex officio deputantur. Cum ergo sint duo genera compunctionis, unum in moerore pro nostris excessibus, alterum in exsultatione pro divinis muneribus, quoties sane eam, quae sine angustia cordis minime fit, peccatorum scilicet meorum facio confessionem; videor mihi cancellum, id est, angustiorem aperire fenestram. Nec dubium quin libenter per istam respiciat is, qui stat post parietem pius explorator, quia cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non despiciet. Denique et hortatur ad hoc ipsum: Dic tu, inquiens, iniquitates tuas prior, ut iustificeris. Quod si interdum corde dilatato in charitate, pro consideratione divinae dignationis ac miserationis, libet animum laxare in vocem laudis, et gratiarum actionem, puto me non iam angustam, sed amplissimam stanti post parietem Sponso aperire fenestram, per quam, ni fallor, tanto libentius respicit, quanto amplius sacrificium laudis honorificat eum. Ad manum est de Scripturis utramque hanc approbare confessionem; sed scientibus ista loquor, et non estis superfluis onerandi, qui vix necessariis indagandis sufficitis.
Tanta quippe sunt sacramenta epithalamii huius, et laudem praeconia, quae in eo decantantur Ecclesiae et sponso eius Iesu Christo Domino nostro, qui est super omnia Deus benedictus in saecula. Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Song.2.9 — My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
- ↩Song.2.9 — My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
- ↩Song.2.9 — My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
- ↩Isa.53.4 — And Surely he carried our sicknesses and bore our pains, yet we considered him stricken, struck by God, and afflicted.
- ↩Ps.73.3 — For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- ↩Ps.145.18 — The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
- ↩Ps.145.18 — The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
- ↩Ps.34.18 — They cried out, and the LORD heard, and from all their troubles he delivered them.
- ↩Song.2.9 — My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
- ↩Phil.1.23 — But I am hard-pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for it is far better;
- ↩Ps.51.17 — Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
- ↩Isa.43.26 — Remind me — let us argue the case together; state your case, you, so that you may be proved right.
- ↩Ps.50.23 — Whoever offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me, and whoever sets a right path I will show him the salvation of God.
Notes
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