Gregory the Great, on Isa 26:9

“My soul hath desired thee in the night: yea, and with my spirit within me in the morning early I will watch to thee. When thou shalt do thy judgments on the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learn justice.”

“Anyone who has been able to reach out for the truth has been on fire with this love. For this reason David said, "My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?" And he counseled us, saying, "Seek his face continually." And for this reason the prophet said, "My soul has desired you in the night, and with my spirit within my breast I will watch for you in the morning." And again the church says to the Lord in the Song of Songs, "I have been wounded with love."It is right that the soul, after bearing in its heart a wound of love brought on by its burning desire, should reach out for healing at the sight of the doctor. And so, again, it says, "My soul melted when he spoke." The heart of a person who does not seek the face of his Creator is hardened by his wickedness, because in itself it remains cold. But if it now begins to burn with the desire of following him whom it loves, it runs since the fire of love has melted it. Its desire makes it anxious. Everything that used to please it in the world seems worthless; it finds nothing agreeable outside of its Creator; things that once delighted the heart afterwards become grievously oppressive. Nothing brings it consolation in its sadness as long as the one it desires is not beheld. The heart sorrows. Light itself is loathsome. Scorching fire burns away the rust of sin in the heart. The soul is inflamed as if it were gold, for gold loses its beauty through use, but fire restores its brightness.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.