xxxii. Christe to his Spouse.
The Argument.
Christe
hauyng promysed to croune his Churche with
truth, (for his self wyll be her croune) from Sanir and
Hermon, the curses and troubles that she should sustayne for
his sake, and from the Lyons den, and Leoperdes mounte,
whiche signifie pleasures and delites, honors and dignities:
(whiche though they be for the most part abused, yet Christe
promyseth his Spouse that yf she trust in hym only, & stande
to his truth, she shal vse them to his glory, and be crouned of
hym therefore) he begynneth to prayse her. But because she
is not yet perfecte by reason of the flesh, whiche continually
troubleth and hyndereth her, he lykyng sumwhat, and myslykyng
elswhat, syngeth.
My mynde thou hast whole rauyshed
My spouse, my sister dere:
Thou hast my hart whole rauyshed
With one of thyne iyes clere.
Thy perfect iudgement of my sprite
Doeth muche my mynde refresh:
Thyne other iye detest I quite,
Thy iudgement of the flesh.
In one lynke of the chayne lykewyse
That hangth about thy necke,
My mynde wholly thou doest surprise,
For in it is no specke.
The fruites whiche thou vnfaynyngly
By fayth styl bryngest furth,
Doe please my mynde excedyngly:
The rest are nothyng wurth.