Song 4:12

“But that the Church is one, the Holy Spirit declares in the Song of Songs, saying, in the person of Christ, "My dove, my undefiled, is one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her." Concerning which also He says again, "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring sealed up, a well of living water." But if the spouse of Christ, which is the Church, is a garden enclosed; a thing that is closed up cannot lie open to strangers and profane persons. And if it is a fountain sealed, he who, being placed without has no access to the spring, can neither drink thence nor be sealed. And the well also of living water, if it is one and the same within, he who is placed without cannot be quickened and sanctified from that water of which it is only granted to those who are within to make any use, or to drink.”

“Because a seal protects the inviolability of whatever it guards, it scares off thieves; everything not stolen remains unharmed for the master. Praise of the bride in the Song would then testify to her excellence in virtue because her mind remains safe from enemies and is guarded for her Lord in purity and tranquility. Purity seals this fountain while the radiance and transparency of the bride's heart is unclouded by no mire of evil thoughts.”

“"A garden enclosed," says He, "is My sister, My spouse, a garden enclosed, a sealed fountain." Christ says this to the Church, which he desires to be a virgin, without spot, without a wrinkle. A fertile garden is virginity, which can bear many fruits of good odour. A garden enclosed, because it is everywhere shut in by the wall of chastity. A sealed fountain, because virginity is the source and origin of modesty, having to keep inviolate the seal of purity, in which source the image of God is reflected, since the purity of simplicity agrees also with chastity of the body.”

“Therefore, beware that the strength of your mind is not weakened by a certain union of bodily pleasure, and that everything dissolves into its embrace, and it opens the fountain, which ought to be closed and sealed by the study of intention and the consideration of reason. For a garden is closed, a fountain is sealed. For when the strength of the mind is dissolved, the senses pour forth a bodily pleasure excessively pernicious, and rush into a desire full of serious danger; which, if it had remained under the vigilant custody of a vivid mind, it would have restrained.”

“In gardens of this kind the water of the pure fountain shines, reflecting the features of the image of God, lest its streams mingled with mud from the wallowing places of spiritual wild beasts should be polluted. For this reason, too, that modesty of virgins fenced in by the wall of the Spirit is enclosed lest it should lie open to be plundered. And so as a garden inaccessible from without smells of the violet, is scented with the olive and is resplendent with the rose, that religion may increase in the vine, peace in the olive and the modesty of consecrated virginity in the rose.”

“This account can be even better read as an allegory of the church, prophetical of what was to happen in the future. Thus the garden is the church itself, as we can see from the Canticle of Canticles; the four rivers are the four Gospels; the fruit-bearing trees are the saints, as the fruits are their works; and the tree of life is, of course, the Saint of saints, Christ.”

“Taking all these things, therefore, into consideration, I think that I am not rash in saying that there are some in the house of God after such a fashion as not to be themselves the very house of God, which is said to be built upon a rock. [The church] is called the one dove, which is styled the beauteous bride without spot or wrinkle, and a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed, a well of living water, an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits. [This] house also received the keys, and the power of binding and loosing.”

“I think that we have sufficiently shown, both from the canon of Scripture and from the letters of Cyprian himself. [Thus] bad people, while by no means converted to a better mind, can have, and confer, and receive baptism, of whom it is most clear that they do not belong to the holy church of God, though they seem to be within it. [But] they are covetous, robbers, usurers, envious, evil thinkers, and the like; while [the church] is one dove, modest and chaste, a bride without spot or wrinkle, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed, an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, with all similar properties that are attributed to her.”

“He calls her "a garden," not as though bearing a single fruit of piety and virtue, but as one producing many and varied fruits; and "locked" as though sealed off and proof against intrigue.… She is also "a fountain sealed." She is not available to everyone but to those thought worthy of these streams; the Lord in the sacred Gospels also says of this fountain, "Whoever drinks of the water I shall give will not thirst forever, and instead there will be in them a spring of living water gushing up to life eternal." Properly, then, he refers to her as "a fountain sealed" for not being available to everyone but to those thought worthy. The divine sacraments, after all, are available not to the uninitiated but to the initiated, not to those wallowing in iniquity after initiation but to those living an exact life or purified through repentance.”

“A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, etc. The garden is the Church, which produces various sprouts of spiritual works, which are subsequently listed under various names of spices. It is a fountain that overflows with saving doctrine, by which it waters the minds of its faithful, as if they were herb beds of spices, which it had prepared spread out. Hence it is written: A deep water, words from the mouth of a man, and an overflowing torrent, the fountain of wisdom (Prov. XX). Therefore, the Apostle says: I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (I Cor. III). I planted, as if in the Lord's garden, the spices of virtues; Apollos watered, as if from the sealed fountain of heavenly doctrine; but the Lord, as his workers, helped, lest they labor in vain. But this garden is enclosed, because the Church, fortified with the protection of its Lord and Redeemer, persists lest it should ever be violated by the invasion of impious ones, either of unbelieving men or unclean spirits, and delayed in the bearing of heavenly fruits by being trampled upon in all directions. This fountain is sealed, because the word of faith, which is in the Gospel, protected by seals, can never be disturbed by any attack of the erring. For there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Ephes. IV). Whoever attempts to break this seal of the living fountain errs, and cannot profane the fountain of life; but rather kills himself in this, while the impious thrust themselves forward; like the example of the Egyptian army, which was drowned in the mystical Red Sea baptism, whereby the people of God were saved, when they presumptuously entered into sacred things not by believing, but by pursuing. And because the same holy Church, which is designated by the name of the sacred irrigated garden, was first indeed located in the small sod of Judea, but was soon greatly amplified throughout the whole world, it is rightly added:”

“Virginity is a flower, martyrdom is a flower, a good work is a flower. Virginity in the garden, martyrdom in the field, good work in the bridal chamber. And well is virginity in the garden, to which modesty is familiar, shunning the public, rejoicing in hiding places, enduring discipline. For the flower is enclosed in a garden, which in the field is exposed and in the bridal chamber is scattered. And you have: "A garden enclosed, a fountain sealed" (Song 4:12). Which indeed signifies the enclosure of modesty in the virgin, and the guarding of inviolate sanctity: if nevertheless she be such a one as is holy both in body and in spirit.”

“For the soul is a paradise in which Scripture is planted, and it has marvelous aspects of sweetness and beauty. Hence in the Canticle: My sister, my spouse is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up. Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates. The soul is a garden in which there are sacramental mysteries and spiritual meanings, where a fountain of spiritual outpourings gushes forth, but it is enclosed, and the fountain is sealed up, for they are not visible to the impure, but to those whom God knows to be His. Eternal wisdom loves this garden and dwells around it. Hence in Ecclesiasticus: I, like the river Doryx, flowed out of paradise. This garden is watered by the One who plants all things: and whatever he did not plant will be rooted up. "Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up." And consequently, I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow. For He waters by means of blood, with which He sprinkled the book and all the people; He also waters through the Holy Spirit flowing from Him. The Scripture has this flow and we find it there. Such are the trees beautiful to behold and sweet to feed upon because of the beauty and flavor of their fruits.”

“But it is fitting that the seal of truth be impressed upon the soul, by which also the soul becomes "an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed." The first seal consists in its having the indissoluble bond of charity, which occurs when the soul loves in such a way that it says: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or hunger," etc. Not that man could never fall away from charity, but when he does, that he never think of sinning. The second [seal] consists in this, that [the soul] has the irrevocable gift of divine charity, so that it loves everything God loves, both friends and enemies, both strangers and neighbors. Hence, "the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts." Through these means, then, the soul diffuses itself in order that it may love every good, and nothing but good.”

“Wherefore the divine and spiritually perceived Oracles are likened to dew, and water, and to milk, and wine, and honey; on account of their life-producing power, as in water; and growth-giving, as in milk; and reviving, as in wine; and both purifying and preserving, as in honey. For these things, the Divine Wisdom gives to those approaching it, and furnishes and fills to overflowing, a stream of ungrudging and unfailing good cheer.”

“The garden represents holy Church, because when she brings forth many peoples in faith, she sends out beautiful flowers like good soil. This garden is rightly said to be enclosed, because it is fortified on every side by the wall of charity, lest any reprobate enter within the number of the elect. Each holy soul is also understood to be an enclosed garden, because when she hides her good works by the intention of eternal life, when she utterly despises human praises, she surrounds herself with that good intention, lest the ancient enemy be able to break in to seize what is within. She is also called a fountain, because when she continually thinks on heavenly things, when she always gathers the knowledge of the Scriptures into the belly of memory, the holy mind does not cease to produce living waters within herself, which she is able to offer to thirsting neighbors so that they may be refreshed. Whence it is written, the Lord saying: "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life" (John 4:13). And elsewhere: "He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water shall flow from his belly" (John 7:38). But why is that fountain said to be sealed, unless because spiritual understanding is hidden from unworthy minds? For to the unfaithful man it is said by the Lord: "The Spirit breathes where He wills, and you hear His voice, and you do not know whence He comes or where He goes" (John 3:8). And again it is written: "The light of Your countenance is sealed upon us, O Lord" (Psalm 4:7). For what is there called a sealed light is without doubt here declared to be a sealed fountain. For the Holy Spirit both illuminates and bedews the mind He fills, and bedewing illuminates it: so that from His light it may see what to desire, and from His dew it may refresh itself, lest it grow weary.”