The canticles or Balades of Salomon phraselyke declared in Englysh Metres, by William Baldwin |
 | I. |
| II. |
 | III. |
The .iii. Chapter.
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| xxiiii. |
| xxv. |
| xxvi. |
| xxvii. |
| xxviii. |
| IIII. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
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The .iii. Chapter.
The canticles or Balades of Salomon |  |
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.
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.
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.
In lanes and stretes my Loue to fynde:
And wandre others wurkes about,
To seke hym in that citie blynde,
Whome my soule loueth.
The watche that of that citie been,
Of whom I askt yf they had seen
Whome my soule loueth.
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.
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.
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
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.
Of vnbelefe, lyke to the vapours thicke
Of frankincence, in true belyef vp hye
Ascendeth swete: as myrrhe that burneth tricke
With poticary spice?
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.
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.
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.
Gyrded therwith for fear of enemies,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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The .iii. Chapter.
The canticles or Balades of Salomon | |