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Songs of Sion

Set for the ioy of gods deere ones, vvho sitt here by the brookes of this vvorlds Babel, & vveepe vvhen they thinke on Hierusalem vvhich is on highe. By W. L. [i.e. William Loe]

Loe, William

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[dedication]

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An hymne or song. Of seauen straines, or strings set to the tone of seaven sobs, and sighes of a seaven times seauen sad soule for sinne

The song of songs

To him that made these Hymnes.

To him that made these hymns

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The song of songs

Or the Canticle of Solomon betweene Christ, & his spouse, the tvvo first chapters

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& is set to the tune of, Blessed are they that perfect are Psal. CXIX. 1. part.

To his much esteemed good freend Mr. WILLIAM CHRISTMAS Marchant one of the deacons of the English Church residing at Hamborough: Grace here, glory for euer in Christ.

The first Song.

The spouse speakes to Christ.

1

O that thou vvouldst on me so cast
Some lookes of thy svveete loue,
That thou maist make me deere to thee
My hart vvith grace to moue

2

Thy loue o Christ is farre more deare,
And farre more svveete to me
Then wealth, or vvine, or limbe, or life,
Or ought that I can see.

3

The svveete that I smell of thy name
Is like on oyle most pure,
And pourd it is on all thy saincts
Such is thy loue soe sure.

4

O dravve me, dravve me, I vvill runne
To bord, to bed vvith thee;
O pull me, pull me from my sinne
O rid me, set me free.

The spouses speakes.

5

The good are glad in thee, thy loue
They long, and looke for still
They vvalke to thee, they talke of thee
And all to doe thy vvill.

6

Graunt this o Christ, and then vve shall
Be all in all that is,
And thou shalt find that none of vs
Of thy grace ought to misse.

7

O shevve me, vvhom my soule doth loue
Where thou dost feed at noone.
O vvhy should I thus freet, & feele
The losse of thee so soone.

The second Song.

Christ speakes to his spouse.

1

O thou my church vvhom I doe loue
For vvhō I shed my bloud
If thou knovve not vvhat thou dost craue,
& hast not seene the good

2

Then gett thee to those flockes of mine
where as they feed by those
Whom I haue sett as giuds for them
That I in loue haue chose.

3

There feed, & fatt thy selfe vvith foode,
That Saincts doe touch, doe tast;
And tune their soules in thankes to me
For loue that aye doth last.

4

For deere thou art to me my loue,
For shape, for strength, for speede:
That none is like to thee my deere
In thought, in vvord, in deede.

Christ speakes to his spouse.

5

Those parts of thee vvhere loue doth looke
Are set vvith pearls of grace
With stones of price, vvith chaynes of vvorth,
I loue to see thy face.

6

These signes of loue, are seales to thee,
What shall be thine else vvhere
When thou shalt shine in bliss vvith me
O spouse, my loue most deere.

7

There spangs, & specks of gold most pure
Ile add to all the rest.
There shalt thou loue, & liue vvith me
And eke for aye be blest.

The third Song.

The spouse speakes to her mates.

1

See novve all ye that loue the lord
Ye Nymphes, ye Mayds of grace
Whiles that my lord, & king novve seemes
Farre of from me in place

2

And is in midst of troopes of saincts
On highe vvhere he doth dvvell;
Where all doe tend on him in loue,
Where all things sure goes vvell.

3

Yet see his grace doth stoope to me,
I feele him vvith me here,
By power of spright, by gifts of light,
He comes to me most neere.

4

And though I be much ioy to him,
Yet he is all to me;
As bunch of myrrhe tvvixt both my breasts,
So svveete to hart is he

The spouse to her mates.

5

Oh is there ought in the wide world
That smells, that smiles as he
Ah svveete, ah svveete my soule doth feele
His loue a life to me.

6

His loue layd close to my poore hart
To sence giues such a touch.
That for his loue to dye, to dye.
I vvould not thinke it much.

7

Watch then, & vvayte ye maids that mourne
For this my loue vvill come;
And iudge he vvill in truth, & povver
The folke both all, & some.

The fourth Song.

Christ speakes to his spouse.

1

Deere spouse noe loue is lost on me
To me thou art most svveete,
To see thee clad in clothes of grace
With rings, & roabs most meete.

2

I ioy, I like, I loue thee deere,
Hovve faire, hovve fresh art thou?
None like to thee in shine of face,
As I looke on thee novve.

3

Hovve chast, hovve choice art thou my deere?
Thine eies like doues doe looke.
Thine hart, thy mind, thy thoughts, thy all.
I vvrite thē in my booke

The spouse speakes to Christ.

4

Nay thou my deere thou art the cheefe
The choice, the sunne, the shine.
From thee o Christ I haue these raies
For they are none of mine

Christ speakes to his spouse.

5

Thou art o Christ full of this grace
Thou art the sea the spring;
And from thee I doe take these streames
& to thee thē doe bring

6

As thankes for all thy loue to me,
And to thy saincts each one;
Who troope in bands to serue thee still,
Though here they vveepe, & mone.

7

For they are sure to rest in blisse
When thou shalt call them home
From out this sea of sobs, & sighes
That doth soe frett, & fome

The fift Song.

Cap. 2.

Christ speakes to his spouse.

1

Deere spouse I am both faire, and svveete
Of feild I am the rose,
And sure all such as liue by me
Full choice I am to those.

2

All things else that this vvorld hath, be
Vile vveeds vvhich are most base
I am the svveet, the sence, the smell
That yeald them all the grace.

3

& thou o loue art mongst the maids
All choice, & cheefe in vevve
Nought in the earth is like to thee,
In face, in shine, in hue.

The spouse speakes to Christ.

4

O thou my deare, that one I loue
Thou art the tree of life;
Thy shade let sheeld me from all harms
And I vvill be thy vvife.

The spouse speakes.

5

Thou vvith thy spright shalt lead me forth
To the svveete streames of good,
And I shall be fresht vvith thy loue
Wrought to me in thy bloud.

6

O stay me, stay me take a care,
O cheare my soule that faints,
O come for I am sicke of loue
To liue in midst of saincts.

7

O put thy left hand to my head
Thy right hand to my side
O stay me vp both head, & hart
And still be thou my giude.

The sixt Song.

The spouse speakes.

1

I charge ye o you soules of saincts,
By roes, & hindes of loue,
Take heed hovve you doe vexe, & greeue
The spright of my svveete doue.

2

Take heed you vvrong not his great name,
with life soe leaud so vaine
And doe not dare to moue his ire
Who vvould saue you so fayne.

3

Loe I doe call, & he doth heare,
And sends to me his voice;
My moūts of sinnes, & hills of shame
Haue not so lovvd a noice.

4

Noe roe, noe hind soe svvift cā rūne
Nor make such speede as he
When I doe call, or crie for him
He comes, he runnes to me.

The spouse speakes.

5

And though this vaile of my base flesh
A full sight bares me fro,
Yet vvith mine eye of faith, I looke
On him that loues me soe.

6

I see him as in a cleare glasse,
I see him shine full bright;
Through grates of vvords, & gates of life
My soule of him hath sight.

7

And novve me thinkes I heare him speake
And thus to me doth say
O church, o spouse lift vp thy head
O faire one come thy vvay.

The seuenth Song.

Christ speakes.

1

The storme is past of greefe, & woe
The spring of ioy is seene
[illeg.] all things novve are fresh, & faire
And full, & nevve, & greene.

2

In highe is ioy, on earth is peace,
To men a great good vvill;
And all the quire of saincts doe sing
To shevve their loue, their skill.

3

Not buds, but figgs, & fruits are seene
Of grace, of ioy, of loue;
O come my deere, shake of thy sleepe
Come on my milke vvhite doue.

4

O let me heare thy voice my deere
O plye me vvith thy plaints,
O looke thou vp though face be sad
Ile place thee vvith my saincts.

Christ speakes.

5

O all ye that vvishe vvell to me,
And to my church, & name
Put frō my deere all those that seeke
Her faith, her loue to blame.

The spouse speakes.

6

For he is mine by faith, & trust,
And I am his by loue.
We both are one by his great power
I long to see my doue.

7

O come as svvift as Roe, or Hind
My loue, my life to me
Till day doe breake, till sunne doe shine
Till shade of death doth flee.