4. If this soul was espoused from early age, and never bore any other yoke, but from the beginning dedicated the maiden flower of her faith to Christ and as a virgin was united to Him in early days in the mysteries of piety, received a training in holiness as a heifer does the yoke; she is the very soul of the ancient Jewish stock from the family of the patriarchs, who, had she kept her course of faith without stumbling, would have been counted worthy of great things, the Spouse of the Virginal Word, as she who lays hold of Wisdom, _and as a mother shall she meet him, and receive him as a wife married of a virgin_. Sidenote: 1 Sam. xxv. 39. 5. The other likewise is procured from the Gentiles, and both are the Spouse of the One Word, which is a great mystery. And this is set forth to you in the book of Kings; since David had two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail whom he obtained afterwards; the first more severe, the latter full of mercy and grace, an hospitable and liberal soul, who saw the Father with open face, having beheld His glory; she who received the divine dew of paternal Grace, as the interpretation of the name signifies. Now what is the dew of the Father, but the Word of God, Who has filled the hearts of all with the moisture of faith and justice? Sidenote: Ib. 32. Sidenote: Ib. 35. Sidenote: Cant. ii. 14. 6. Well therefore does the true David say to this soul what was said to Abigail, _Blessed is the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me_. And again he says to her, _Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person_. Lastly in the Song of Solomon these are the words of the Bridegroom to the Bride, _Let me see thy countenance; let me hear thy voice_. 7. And at the time she was dismissed, for she had another husband who in Hebrew was called Nabal, which in Latin means foolish, a man harsh, inhospitable, uncourteous, ungrateful, who knew not how to repay good offices; but after his death, she was _set free from the law of her husband_, and the prophet David took her to wife. By this marriage the mystery of the Church which was to be called from among the Gentiles is signified, for she, having lost the husband to whom she had been married, became converted to Christ, bringing with her a dowry of piety, of humility and faith, enriched also with the patrimony of mercy. Sidenote: Ps. xliv. 15. Sidenote: Mic. iv. 4. 8. But in this place it is not this wife, but that Ahinoam, who was evilly disposed towards her brother, wherefore her brother was made a trouble to her, and in their person it is said, _thou makest us to be a bye-word among the heathen, and that the people shake their heads at us_. The devil, finding her off her guard, fell upon her as a lion, and deprived her of her charms, rooted up _her vine and fig-tree_ under which she used to repose, and caused her fruit to wither. Sidenote: Joel i. 8. Sidenote: Hosea iv. 6.