Click *H for Haydock Commentary. *Footnote for footnote etc.
Click any word in Latin Greek or Hebrew to activate the parser. Then click on the display to expand the parser.
*H In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and found him not.
Ver. 1. Bed. The Church, finding Christ by his own revelation, and not by philosophy, holds him fast. W. — He had delayed coming at the usual hour, to give us to understand, that he is not found amid delights, nor in a crowd, but that we must seek him diligently, like Magdalene. Jo. xx. S. Amb. de Isaac. — The apostles endeavoured to convert the synagogue, but their offers were rejected, and the guards, or princes, persecuted them. M. C. v. 7. H.
*H The watchmen who keep the city, found me: Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth?
Ver. 3. City. To prevent fires, &c. God will require the souls of the flock at the hands of his pastors.
*H When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that bore me.
Ver. 4. Me. She was perhaps dead. Women had separate apartments, to which none but the husband could have access. Gen. xxiv. 28. At the end of the marriage-feast, the bride was conducted to her husband's house. Matt. xxv. 1. C. — The Jews shall in the end acknowledge Christ, (W.) as the Church desires. M.
* Summa
*S Part 1, Ques 12, Article 7
[I, Q. 12, Art. 7]
Whether Those Who See the Essence of God Comprehend Him?
Objection 1: It seems that those who see the divine essence, comprehend God. For the Apostle says (Phil. 3:12): "But I follow after, if I may by any means comprehend [Douay: 'apprehend']." But the Apostle did not follow in vain; for he said (1 Cor. 9:26): "I . . . so run, not as at an uncertainty." Therefore he comprehended; and in the same way, others also, whom he invites to do the same, saying: "So run that you may comprehend."
Obj. 2: Further, Augustine says (De Vid. Deum, Ep. cxlvii): "That is comprehended which is so seen as a whole, that nothing of it is hidden from the seer." But if God is seen in His essence, He is seen whole, and nothing of Him is hidden from the seer, since God is simple. Therefore whoever sees His essence, comprehends Him.
Obj. 3: Further, if we say that He is seen as a "whole," but not "wholly," it may be contrarily urged that "wholly" refers either to the mode of the seer, or to the mode of the thing seen. But he who sees the essence of God, sees Him wholly, if the mode of the thing seen is considered; forasmuch as he sees Him as He is; also, likewise, he sees Him wholly if the mode of the seer is meant, forasmuch as the intellect will with its full power see the Divine essence. Therefore all who see the essence of God see Him wholly; therefore they comprehend Him.
_On the contrary,_ It is written: "O most mighty, great, and powerful, the Lord of hosts is Thy Name. Great in counsel, and incomprehensible in thought" (Jer. 32:18,19). Therefore He cannot be comprehended.
_I answer that,_ It is impossible for any created intellect to comprehend God; yet "for the mind to attain to God in some degree is great beatitude," as Augustine says (De Verb. Dom., Serm. xxxviii).
In proof of this we must consider that what is comprehended is perfectly known; and that is perfectly known which is known so far as it can be known. Thus, if anything which is capable of scientific demonstration is held only by an opinion resting on a probably proof, it is not comprehended; as, for instance, if anyone knows by scientific demonstration that a triangle has three angles equal to two right angles, he comprehends that truth; whereas if anyone accepts it as a probable opinion because wise men or most men teach it, he cannot be said to comprehend the thing itself, because he does not attain to that perfect mode of knowledge of which it is intrinsically capable. But no created intellect can attain to that perfect mode of the knowledge of the Divine intellect whereof it is intrinsically capable. Which thus appears--Everything is knowable according to its actuality. But God, whose being is infinite, as was shown above (Q. 7), is infinitely knowable. Now no created intellect can know God infinitely. For the created intellect knows the Divine essence more or less perfectly in proportion as it receives a greater or lesser light of glory. Since therefore the created light of glory received into any created intellect cannot be infinite, it is clearly impossible for any created intellect to know God in an infinite degree. Hence it is impossible that it should comprehend God.
Reply Obj. 1: "Comprehension" is twofold: in one sense it is taken strictly and properly, according as something is included in the one comprehending; and thus in no way is God comprehended either by intellect, or in any other way; forasmuch as He is infinite and cannot be included in any finite being; so that no finite being can contain Him infinitely, in the degree of His own infinity. In this sense we now take comprehension. But in another sense "comprehension" is taken more largely as opposed to "non-attainment"; for he who attains to anyone is said to comprehend him when he attains to him. And in this sense God is comprehended by the blessed, according to the words, "I held him, and I will not let him go" (Cant. 3:4); in this sense also are to be understood the words quoted from the Apostle concerning comprehension. And in this way "comprehension" is one of the three prerogatives of the soul, responding to hope, as vision responds to faith, and fruition responds to charity. For even among ourselves not everything seen is held or possessed, forasmuch as things either appear sometimes afar off, or they are not in our power of attainment. Neither, again, do we always enjoy what we possess; either because we find no pleasure in them, or because such things are not the ultimate end of our desire, so as to satisfy and quell it. But the blessed possess these three things in God; because they see Him, and in seeing Him, possess Him as present, having the power to see Him always; and possessing Him, they enjoy Him as the ultimate fulfilment of desire.
Reply Obj. 2: God is called incomprehensible not because anything of Him is not seen; but because He is not seen as perfectly as He is capable of being seen; thus when any demonstrable proposition is known by probable reason only, it does not follow that any part of it is unknown, either the subject, or the predicate, or the composition; but that it is not as perfectly known as it is capable of being known. Hence Augustine, in his definition of comprehension, says the whole is comprehended when it is seen in such a way that nothing of it is hidden from the seer, or when its boundaries can be completely viewed or traced; for the boundaries of a thing are said to be completely surveyed when the end of the knowledge of it is attained.
Reply Obj. 3: The word "wholly" denotes a mode of the object; not that the whole object does not come under knowledge, but that the mode of the object is not the mode of the one who knows. Therefore he who sees God's essence, sees in Him that He exists infinitely, and is infinitely knowable; nevertheless, this infinite mode does not extend to enable the knower to know infinitely; thus, for instance, a person can have a probable opinion that a proposition is demonstrable, although he himself does not know it as demonstrated. _______________________
EIGHTH
*H I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor awake my beloved, till she please.
Ver. 5. I. The bridegroom (C.) speaks as c. ii. 7. (W.) and c. viii. 4. He retires early.
*H Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankincense, and of all the powders of the perfumer?
Ver. 6. Who. The female companions of the spouse, (C.) or the bridegroom's friends, (M.) admire her at a distance. C. vi. 9. and viii. 5. C. — The converted Gentiles change the desert of the world into a paradise, by their good works, which ascend like a perfume. S. Greg. They admire their own conversion, and proclaim that we must fight for heaven, (W.) and adore Christ, the God-man; imitating all his virtues, (H.) and preaching his gospel. M.
*H Behold threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel, surrounded the bed of Solomon?
Ver. 7. Bed. Being stationed at the door to prevent any alarm, v. 8. C. — In the Church Christ finds his repose, and daily produces the only heirs of heaven. Ven. Bede. — The angels, saints and pastors watch to defend it against the spirits of darkness. M.
*H King Solomon hath made him a litter of the wood of Libanus:
Ver. 9. Litter. Sept. to conduct his spouse with solemnity; or a throne; though it most probably denotes the bridal bed. C. — Heb. apiron. Greek, φορειον. par
*H The pillars thereof he made of silver, the seat of gold, the going up of purple: the midst he covered with charity for the daughters of Jerusalem.
Ver. 10. Going. Prot. "covering of it of purple." H. — Death must be endured, if necessary, for the sake of the faith, as this is the highest degree of charity. W. — He, &c. Heb. "is prepared for the beloved above the," &c. See Od. v. 660. C. — Prot. and Pagn. "the midst thereof being paved (Mont. set on fire) with love for (Mont. by) the daughters." H. — The most desirable things adorn the litter, or the Church, that all may come to her, who has God to guide her decisions. M.
*H Go forth, ye daughters of Sion, and see king Solomon in the diadem, wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the joy of his heart.
Ver. 11. Go. All are invited to come to Christ, who, in his sacred humanity, which he took of his mother, was crowned in heaven, after his passion. W. S. Greg. Alcuin. — The synagogue crowned him with thorns, and gave him the hard bed of the cross. S. Bern. S. Anselm, &c. — Bethsabee might live to see the marriage of her son, who owed the crown to her. 3 K. i. 18. Prov. iv. 3. Both the parties were crowned, (Is. lxi. 10.) and no doubt Solomon would display his usual magnificence. The diadem was a bandage, adorned with embroidery, and precious stones. C.