“my soul loveth. Tell me where Thou feedest, where Thou liest down in the midday; lest
haply I light, as one veiled, upon the flocks of Thy companions.”4145
7. It seems obscure, obscure it is; for it is a mystery of the sacred marriage bed. For she
says, “The King hath brought me into His chamber.”4146 Of such a chamber is this a mystery.
But ye who are not as profane kept off from this chamber, hear ye what ye are, and say with
her, if with her ye love (and ye do love with her, if ye are in her); say all, and yet let one say,
for unity saith; “Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth. For they had one soul to Godward,
and one heart.4147 Tell me where Thou feedest, where Thou liest down in the midday?”
What does the midday4148 signify? “Great heat, and great brightness.” So then, “make known
to me who are Thy wise ones,” fervent in spirit, and brilliant in doctrine. “Make known to
me Thy Right Hand, and men learned in heart, in wisdom.”4149 To them may I cleave in
Thy Body, to them be united, with them enjoy Thee. Tell me then, “tell me, where Thou
feedest, where Thou liest down in the midday;” lest I fall upon them who say other things
of Thee, entertain other sentiments of Thee; believe other things of Thee, preach other things
of Thee; and have their own flocks, and are Thy companions; for that they live of Thy table,
and handle the sacraments of Thy table. For companions are so called, because they eat to-
gether,4150 messmates as it were. Such are reproved in the Psalm; “For if Mine enemy had
spoken great things against Me, I would surely have hidden Myself from him; and if he that
hated Me had spoken great things against Me, I would surely have hidden Myself from him;
but thou a man of one mind with Me, My guide, and My familiar, who didst take sweet
meats together with Me, in the house of God we walked with consent.”4151 Why then now
against the house of the Lord with dissent, but that “they have gone out from us, but they
were not of us?”4152 Therefore, “O Thou whom my soul loveth,” that I may not fall upon
such, Thy companions, but companions such as Samson’s were, who kept not faith with
their friend, but wished to corrupt his wife.4153 Therefore, that I may not fall upon such as
these, “that I may not light upon them,” that is, fall upon them, “as one that is veiled,” as
one that is concealed, that is, and obscure, not as established upon the mountain. “Tell me”
4145 Cant. i. 7, Sept.
4146 Cant. i. 4.
4147 Acts iv. 32.
4148 It is not possible in English to preserve the same translation for the word meridies, which occurs
throughout this passage in the two senses of the noon or midday, and the South.
4149 Ps. lxxxix. 12, Sept. (xc. English version).
4150 Sodales enim dicti sunt, quod simul edant, quasi simul edales.
4151 Ps. liv. 13, etc., Sept. (lv. 12–14, English version).
4152 1 John ii. 19.
4153 Judg. xiv.
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On the words of the Gospel, John x. 14, ‘I am the good shepherd,’ etc. Against…