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VII. The .vii. Chapter.

lv. Christe to his Spouse.

The Argument.


Christe hauyng taught the Younglynges to knowe the true Spouse by her pitched tentes, which as it is declared before, are the bookes of scripture, out of whiche, she kepeth warre agaynst the enemies of the truthe: begynneth to prayse her afresh, syngyng.

Thou that art my dawhter, who am the prīce of peace,
Because thou preachest peace of conscience in my blood
How plesant are thy steps which swiftly stil increace
To shew my gospell euery where? In shoes both strong and good,
For preachers to weare.
The cumpas of thy thyghes, thy power for to beget
And to engendre suche as to my truth must stycke,
Because it styl bringthe furth, withouten stop or let,
Is lyke an endles lynked chayne, Of Gods own hand made tricke
Alwayes to remayne.
Thy Nauyl rounde, that is the holy Byble boke,
Through whiche thy young do sucke the mylke of foode diuine:
Is alwayes full for all that can my doctrine broke,
Lyke to a mazar brode in brynke, Whiche neuer wanteth wyne,
For them that woulde drynke.
Thy Belly byg and hart, thy affeccions and thy thought
Full of Gods holy wurd that fine and deyntie meat,
Whiche nurisheth the soule, by which (whan thou wilt ought)
Thou searchest fyrst what Gods wyl is, Is lyke an heap of wheate,
Beset with Lillies.
Thy brestes, thy ready help to comfort them that nede,
Aboundyng styl, are lyke a she goates double twin.
Thy necke, thy fayth is lyke an yuory tower in dede,
For it is perfect, strong, and clear, Without and eke within,
As it doeth appear.

Thyne iyes, thyne vpryght iudgementes in my wurd so brim,
Styll iust and full, are lyke the pooles in Hesebon,
Of waters clere, besyde the porte of Bathrabim:
For where the people gathered are, Thou truth to euery one
Doest iustly declare.
Thy face, thy wurkes, by whiche all people doe thee know,
For which thou through my blud, doest hope to haue reward,
Surmountyng in theyr heygth mans wurkes that lye below,
Are lyke the tower of Libanus That alwayes hath regard
Toward Damascus.
Thy head, I Christe my selfe, a circumcised lambe,
Am lyke to Carmell ground, both fertile, free and harde,
Thy heares also, the truthes wherwith I thee emflambe,
Are purple coulored lyke a kyng That goeth furth with his gard,
Hym inuironyng.

lvi. Christe to his Spouse.

The Argument.

Christe hauyng praysed his Spouse particulerly, begynnyng at her feete and gōyng vpward to her head, where as he was wunt to begyn at the head, and thence to go dounwarde: procedeth as he was wunt, with moste earnest affeccion syngyng.


Oh howe fayer, howe fayer art thou my ioye?
How louely my Loue, how louely art thou alse:
Oh my spouse how wanton and how coy
Thou art in delites whan I doe thee enhalse.
O my Darlyng.
Lyke thou art in stature to the tree,
Of Palmes, for no wayght can let thee for to grow:
And thy brestes are lyke as semeth me,
To clusters of grapes, that rype hang doune below,
O my Darlyng
Clyme wyll I the Palme tree then I sayde,
And wyl by the frutes and braunches hye take holde:
I my self (my church) wyll be thyne ayde,
And sit thee vpon, to make thy younglinges bolde,
O my Darlyng.
There wyll I thy dugges so fruitful make,
That they shall be lyke the clusters of the vine:
And the smell that thou shalt of me take,
Shall reike fro the nose lyke sent of appuls fyne,
O my Darlyng.
Make wyll I thy throte, that is thy voyce
So moyst with the muste of truth my chefest wyne,
That my frende, my byshop shall haue choyce
Of doctrine to preache out of those truthes of thyne,
O my Darlyng.
There shal he haue meate and drinke at wyll,
To chew with his teeth and lyps: there shal he haue
Misteries, wheron to vse hym styll.
Of the shall he learne hym self and moe to saue,
O my Darlyng.

lvii. The Spouse to the Younglynges

The argument.

After that Christe hath clymed vp into his churche, a very Palme tree, and made her aboundant in all good gyftes of grace, so that her nose smelleth lyke apples, whiche signifie gyftes of the holy goste, whiche she geueth vnto other by preachyng and laying on handes, & by ministryng to them the holy sacramentes: and hath moystned her mouth & throte with the wyne of his holy wurd, she byandby in the hearyng of the Younglynges, preacheth: in wurdes but a small sermen, but in sence full of muche good matter, syngyng.

Al worldly thynges I vtterly reiect:
All meanes of men to health I do detest:
In Christe alone, my spouse, my Loue elect,
I rest in rest, in hym in whome is rest
For all that are wery.
Whole his I am both body, soule, and lyfe,
He is my Loue my sauiour, and my helth:
And he is pleasde with me, as with his wyfe,
To whome he turnes (ye faythfull) for your welth,
Vs all to make mery.

lviii. The Spouse to her Beloued.

Whan the Churche hath wel instructed the younglynges and hath still an earnest desier to preache, she consydereth that abrode in the worlde, whiche here is called a fyelde and countrey, there are many that know not Christe, whiche neuertheles thorough good instruccion, woulde soone becum good Christians: wherfore she hath a desier to go preache to them. But because she knoweth that all her endeuoures can profit nothyng without Christe hymself be present, and helpe with the secrete callyng of his grace and spirite, she desyreth hym to goe with her, and declareth what she would haue hym to doe there, syngyng.

Now that my young sufficiently are taught,
Cum my Beloued, assist me with thy power:
And to the fyelde where yet the men know naught
Of thee nor thyne, together let vs walke.
That they bedewed with grace thy pleasaunt shower,
May cum to thee, and hearken to my talke.
And in the townes and villages so bruite,
In whiche no wurde nor mencion is of thee,
Let vs two lodge together, and get fruite
Whiche may hereafter glorifie thy name:
And of thy churche the perfect membres be,
By knowyng truthe, and wurkyng of the same.
Whan this is doen, than early wyll we ryse,
And goe to see yf our olde vineyardes bud,
To see yf that our young do exercise
Theyr fruitfull fayth, and gyftes of godly grace,
Whether theyr dedes and doctrine bothe be good,
Or yf the wedes, or foxes them disgrace.

To see also yf our Pomegranades sprede,
Suche witnesses as wyl theyr lyues bestowe,
Thy truth to auaunce: for there loe wyll I shede
My Loue all whole that I to thee doe beare:
There wyll I spende the talentes that I owe,
To thee my Loue, to bryng them out of feare.

lix. The Spouse to her Beloued.

The Argument.

After that Christe at his Spouses requeste, hath bene with her in the fielde, and lodged with her in the vyllages, and that so long that they haue there wunne a new company to the belyef of the gospel: he as she desyred hym; cummeth with her now to see the vines and pomegranades, whether they be fruitfull or no. And whan the Churche hath wel beheld them, she smelleth the Mandrags, that is the doctrine and preachyng of the faythful, and delyted therwith, sheweth Christ therof, syngyng.

The Mandrages yeld theyr smell of godly lyfe,
And doctrine pure, that bryngeth vnto rest
Vnquiet myndes, vncertayn, styll at stryfe,
Through want of wurkes, wherein they put theyr trust:
Of these they learne that of theyr dedes the best,
Are insufficient for to make them iuste.
They learne of these that only of Christe they must
Be ryghteous made, through merit of his Crosse:

And that by fayth they must receyue must
Of ryghteousnes, through trust in Christes blood.
This stylleth soone the mynde that sinnes doe tosse.
Whiche sent (O Christe) cummeth from our Mandrages good.
Within our dores, our custody moste sure,
Are fruites, the whiche the faythfull haue brought furth,
Of euery kynde of lyfe and doctrine pure,
Bothe of the newe and of the scriptures olde
Whiche I haue kept for thee to take in wurth,
O Christe my Loue, beloued a thousande folde.
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