III.
The .iii. Chapter.
xxiiii. The new conuerted Spouse to the Younglynges.
The Argument.
At
the desyer of his Spouse, Christe cummeth vpon
the mountaines of Bather, the harde harted Foxes
that destroyed his vineyardes, mekenyng through
his grace, theyr loftie stomakes: so humbling them
that they acknowlegyng theyr wyckednes, do repent and recant
the false doctrine that they taught. And nowe receyued
through fayth and humilitie into the felowshyp of Christes
holy Churche, they confesse and openly publish the vaynenes
of theyr former lyfe and of the tradicions and glorious wyl
wurkes, which they so stifly mayntayned, singyng.
In wysedome of the flesh, my bed,
Fonde trust in wurkes of mannes deuise,
By nyght, in darkenes of the dead,
I sought for Christe, as one vnwyse,
Whome my soule loueth.
I sought hym long, but founde hym not,
Because I sought hym not aryght:
I sought in wurkes, but now I wot
He is found by fayth, not in the nyght,
Whome my soule loueth.
I wyll vp (thought I) and get me out
In lanes and stretes my Loue to fynde:
And wandre others wurkes about,
To seke hym in that citie blynde,
Whome my soule loueth.
I sought hym there but coulde not spede.
The watche that of that citie been,
False preachers there founde me in dede:
Of whom I askt yf they had seen
Whome my soule loueth.
They saw hym not, nor greatly past
My soule that sought hym to confounde:
But whan I was a lytle past
Fro them and theyrs, than hym I founde
Whome my soule loueth.
I caught hym quycke, by fayth and grace,
And wyll not suffre hym depart,
Tyl I haue brought hym to the place
Where I hym sought with blynded hart,
Whome my soule loueth.
Tyl I hym bryng into the place
Of vnbelief, my mothers house
And Chaumber: that she may embrace
His wurde, and be with me his spouse,
Whome my soule loueth.
xxv. Christe to the Younglynges.
The Argument.
So
earnest is theyr zeale, whom God calleth to the truth,
that after themselues haue by fayth and grace obteyned
Christe and the true sence of his holy spirite, they can not be
quiet vntyl they haue brought all other vnbeleuers of whose
secte sumtyme they wer, vnto the state that they nowe be in.
Whiche whan this newe conuerted churche hath brought to
passe, she committeth her selfe wholly to Christe, who laying
her downe to rest in the bed of quietnesse of conscience: commaūdeth
that none wake her: singing the same again, which
in the seconde chapter he song to the yonglynges.
O o ye daughters of Ierusalem
O o ye daughters of Ierusalem. &c. As before in the fowertenth
song, in the second Chapter.
xxvi. The Frendes to the Younglynges.
Whyle
the newe conuerted Spouse resteth in the sweete
peace of conscience, she waxeth dayly more perfect and
perfect: ascendyng from fayth to fayth, from clerenes to clerenes
vntyll she cum to perfectnes: so that in this world which
is a desert voyde of good people, she in all loue, pacience, vertue,
holynes and perseueraunce in truth so shyneth, that the
fyrste Spouse as it wer amased therat: syngeth.
VVhat one is this that from the desert drye
Of vnbelefe, lyke to the vapours thicke
Of frankincence, in true belyef vp hye
Ascendeth swete: as myrrhe that burneth tricke
With poticary spice?
It is the Churche that hath obtayned rest
Of conscience, by fayth in Christes blood:
Whome though the worlde do vtterly detest,
Yet smokth she vp with wurkes that are as good,
As poticary spice.
xxvii. The Spouse to the Younglynges.
The Argument.
The
perfect Spouse perceyuyng that the other is in the
bed of Christe, out of whiche she smoketh vp so swetely,
prayseth the bed to the Younglynges: syngyng.
Beholde ye young, behold and see the bed
Of Salomon, Christes peace wherin we dwell:
With thre score men moste strong and myghtie fed
Beset about, the strong of Israel
That faythful are and wyse.
Of whiche eche one doeth hold a cuttyng swurd,
Expert therwith to stryke and warde in warre:
Well learnde they be to preache and teache Gods wurd,
And with the same to kepe all errors farre
From godly men and wyse.
Vpon theyr thygh this swurd, Gods wurd they wear,
Gyrded therwith for fear of enemies,
That cum by nyght the feble for to fear
With priuie trappes of subtyl heresies
Whiche fleshly wittes deuise.
xxviii. The Spouse to the Younglynges
The Argument.
The
Spouse hauing shewed to the Yonglinges the bewtie
and municion of Christes bed, whiche is the peace of
conscience obtayned by fayth, through hope and assurance of
lyfe and ioye euerlastyng, for the merites of Christes deathe &
passion: how it is inuerened with true and faythful prechers
whiche holde the sweard of the spirit, able to confound therewith
what so euer doctrine of man maye disquiet anye of the
faythfull restyng in the same, descrybeth in lyke manner the
humanitie of her Beloued, syngyng.
King Salomon, kyng Christe the prince of peace,
Made for hymself a tabernacle clere,
Of trees that swete in Libanus increace,
A carnal corps, wherof the pyllers were
Of syluer shene, the sylynges fyne of golde:
Swete for to smell, and goodly to beholde.
The stayers wherto of purple he hath wrought,
His blood and sprite, wherby we do ascend
To perfect blisse, to whiche we all be brought
By help of grace whiche he to vs doeth lende.
Vpon these stayers, by fayth we do obtayne
The lyfe, for whiche our sauiour Christ was slayne.
In the myds of Christes tabernacle strong
With woundes beset, is made a pauement fayre
Of Loue, for suche as for his grace do long:
His faythfull flocke that wyll to hym repayre.
This loue hath Christ prouided for all them
That are the daughters of Ierusalem.
Cum furth therfore from fleshly loue moste vayne
Ye faythful folke, ye Sion daughters trym,
To seekyng Christe, who for your sake was slayne
In flesh wherwith his mother crouned hym
By byrth, with myrth, the day whan man and God
Wer ioynde with ioye, who long before wer od.
Cum see his flesh, beleue that for your sake
He dyed therin, and rose agayne to lyfe:
That by his blood he myght them ryghteous make
That trust in hym, and cleaue vnto his wyfe.
Cum furth to see this Salomon your kyng,
Who may alone your soules to glory bring.
The ende of the thyrde Chapter.
