lx. The Spouse to Christe.
The argument.
Whyle
the perfect Spouse taketh her pleasure with her
Beloued, gatheryng the fruites of the old & newe testament,
to preache Christes humanitie, and the wurkes whiche
he wrought in the same, the younglynges whiche she lefte in
the fyeldes and villages (whiche may well betoken the sectes
of the Phylosophers, Phariseis, Saduceis, and al other like
whiche sought for ryghteousnes in theyr wysedome & dedes)
seyng the puritie of the vineyard, and smellyng the sauour of
the Mandragoras, an heauy smell to them, partly because it
condemneth theyr rightousnes, and partly because it maketh
them lament theyr imperfeccion, begynne to long for the true
ryghteousnes, and saluacion: whiche because they can haue
by none other meane than by Christe, they seke hym, and are
therfore mocked, and persecuted of those sectes, of whyche
they wer before, whiche is theyr mothers house, whose great
blyndnes they (beyng now his Spouse) pitiyng, wysh for to
fynde hym abrode, and to bryng hym to them, syngyng.
O That I once myght haue the hap to fynde
Thee (O my Loue) abrode in euery place:
That euery man of euery sort and kynde
Myght trust in thee, and eke thy wurde embrace.
Thus, thus abrode, would God I mought thee mete,
To receyue of thee, the kysse of peace and rest:
Whome I in hart, loue as my brother swete,
Whiche sumtyme suckt with me my mothers brest.
O that thou Christe my Spouse wouldest bryng to passe
That I myght mete and kysse thee in this wise
And that the worlde now ignoraunt alas,
Myght vs beholde, and neythre of vs despyse.
In the meane whyle I wyll thee leade my loue,
And bryng thy name into my mothers house:
That there thou Lorde mayest teache me from aboue,
And draw by grace my mother to thy spouse.
That I maye chere thee there with spiced wine
Of doctrine pure, well poudred with thy woorde:
And with the iuyce of swete Pomegranades fine,
The blud of martirs shead with fyer and swoorde.
