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] |
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A Canticle, or song.
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 | Songs of Sion |  |
145
A Canticle, or song.
Of the seuenth, & eight chapters of the song of Solomon being Metaphrased into Monosylabls of great Brittains language, & is to be vsed by euery deuout soule in his priuat conference vvith his god
147
To his much esteemed good frend Mr. WILLIAM WALCOT marchant,
one of the most vvorthie cōpanie of Marchant Adventurers residing at
Hamborough. Happines for euer.
151
The first speach.
Christ speaketh.
1
Her feet are svveet, her gate a graceAll shod vvith Peace, & Truth,
Of gods ovvne spell to runne the race
Frō bane, & vvoe, & ruth.
2
Her loynes are girt fast vvith the same,The price of it is rare.
The skill is framd vvith hand of might
All full of cost, & care
3
Her vvombe like a round cup that vvantsNoe vvine to cheere her plants,
As heaps of vvheate set all vvith flovvers
Pure graynes to helpe our vvāts
4
Her breast the tvvo svveet leagues of graceAre as to tvvins of birth
Whose milke doth feede the babs of god
Which dvvell here on the earth.
152
Christ speaketh.
5
Those that doe rule, & guide her folkeLike necke doth beare vp head
So those doe stay as tovver of strength
Till they at full are fed.
6
Her eies are like tvvo fonts most cleareIn which vve may vvell see
Our selues in face, in fact, in faith,
And dravve thence life, & glee.
7
Her nose from vvhence vve sent the goodIs as some tovver of state
For she can Iudg, & find it out
From tyme, to tyme past date
153
The second speach.
Christ speakes still.
1
Her tire of head is full of GraceTo all that doe it see,
And I am tyde by mine ovvne vvill
O loue to be vvith thee.
2
O loue hovve full in all thy partsDvvells loue, & life by me
Hovve svveet, & faire art thou in all
When I doe looke on thee,
3
Thy grovvth is like a Palme tree tall,For prest, thou dost rise more
Thy teats are full of milke, & mirth
And yeald thy babes great store
4
I said I vvill goe to my treeAnd ioyne me to my Palme,
& make it yeald all salues for sores
To cure all vvounds as Balme.
154
Christ speach still.
5
And I vvill cause her for to yealdGood vvorkes of faith, & life,
And vvith her povver to driue [illeg.] her
The sinnes that are so rife.
6
The soules that thirsts shall haue their fill.Her vvords shall spring a vvine
By mouthes of those that teach my lore,
And preach those lavves of mine
7
Yea they shall cause the lipps of himThat sleepes, & snorts in sinne
To speake, & praise the god of life
That rouzd him from that din.
155
The third speach.
The church speakes.
1
Such as I am, I am not mine,But his that loud me deere,
In none, but him vvill I be glad,
None but him vvill I feare.
2
For he once gaue him selfe for me,And made of me his choyce.
Him vvill I heare, he is my deere,
Its life to heare his voice.
3
O come my loue, letts lodg all nightIn fields, in tovvnes, letts goe,
And see hovve all our flockes doe feede
Letts runne as svvift as roe.
4
Vp to the vines letts hast in morne,And vevve hovve they doe bud,
And see the signes of fruits, & grace
And looke if they be good.
156
The Church speakes.
5
For hence vve shall knovve full out tymeWhen vve shall ioyne in one
In all the blisse that I haue made
To quitt thee of thy mone.
6
See loue thy plants both in them seluesDoe bud, & bloome most fresh,
And yeald a sent to moe them by
That are but young, & neshe
7
All plants that grovve in vs I keepe,Both old, & young I loue,
And all for thee o Christ my god
Thy Grace, & lookes to moue.
157
The fourth speach.
The old Ievvish Church speaketh.
1
O that I might my Christ once seeClad in this flesh of mine,
& find him here on earth to dwell
Made one, once of my line.
2
Thē vvould I kisse, & cull my DeereThe vvorld could not me touch,
But if it did I vvould not passe,
Nor think of it so much.
3
Then vvould I bring thee to the lightThough novve pent vp in darke,
And then thou shouldst me teach to knovve
My Christ, my god, by marke
4
Then vvould I feast thee vvith the bestwith cupps of loue, & grace.
Thē vvould the soules in Christ be glad
To vevve our rest, & place
158
The old Ievvish church speaketh.
5
His left hand then should stay my headHis right hand stay my hart,
& thē I vvould not feare the vvorld
Nor hell, nor death his dart.
6
His heat vvould giue me life halfe dead,& raise me vp cleane gone,
His light vvould make me shine as pearle
O like him there is none
7
charge you o ye saincts that loueDare not to greeue my deere,
Nor once to stirre him vp in ire,
But learne his vvrath to feare,
159
The fift speach.
Christ speaketh.
1
Who is this that from denns of sinneFrom lusts, & life most leaud
Doth band her selfe gainst all the ill,
& shevves her vvrath, & feud
2
Ist not my church? o it is sheeWhom I haue loud of old,
And did her take from povvers of hell
When she vvas bought, & sold.
3
And her frō ire of sinne, & shameWhere shee had falne from me
I raisd to life from depth of hell.
I quitt, I sett her free.
4
For there by faith she leand on me,And I to her gaue vvay.
Then shee to me did ope her hart,
And thus to me did say.
160
The Ievvisch church speaketh
5
O sett me as a signe, a sealeOn hart, on arme, on all.
O hold me deere, my loue, my Christ
For I to thee doe call.
6
Let naught me moue from thy svveet loueLest greefe me gore, & vvoe,
For the least shade vvhen thou art gone
Doth shevv to me my foe.
7
The zeale vvhere vvith I loue my DeereIs like the graue most fell
And burnes me vp like coles of fire
To saue my soule from hell.
161
The sixt speach.
The Ievvish church speaketh.
1
Yea more then fire, or flame it isNoe source can quench this loue.
Noe paines, noe gaines, or loss, or crosse
From him my hart can moue.
2
Noe vvealth, noe peelfe, noe feare, no forceAll this I scorne should me
Once moue to thinke, or ioy in ought
But in his grace, & glee
3
We haue a plant deere loue thou knovvstThe church that thou hast chose,
From out the Iles so farre frō hēce.
O vve vvould not her lose.
4
She is but smale of grovvth as yetFor vvant of thy good grace,
But if thou cast a looke on her.
And let her see thy face.
162
The Ievvish speaketh.
5
Hovve fresh, hovve faire vvill she come forth,And grovve, & beare to thee
Her buds, her bloomes, her fruits of faith
All good, & faire to see,
Christ speaketh.
6
If she be firme, & fast to meAs vvall, as tovver of strength
Ile make her pure, & sure in league
By vvord, & deed at length.
7
And if she vvill giue vvay to me,And to my vvords giue eare
Ile make her safe in league of peace
And she shall be my deere,
163
The seuenth speach.
The Ievvish Church speaketh.
1
The faith, & loue that thou dost seekeIn her, thou findst in me
My plea of faith found Grace, & Peace,
& I vvas ioynd to thee.
2
The vvant of vvords to feed thy sainctsWhich thou in her dost craue
Is not in me to doe thy vvill
Hovve then should, she it haue.
3
Grāt thee to her thy Grace in goodAnd shee vvill to thee bend.
She vvill thee serue in vvord, & deede
If thou thy grace her send
Christ speaketh
4
My spouse is as a vine to me,She flovvers, & fruits doth yeald
She is the corne that brings me thrift
& grovves faire in my feild.
164
The Ievvish church speaketh.
5
My vine shall aye be in my sight,Yea till the vvorld haue end.
I vvill it dress, & keepe my selfe,
And grace, & peace it lend.
6
Sith thus I care for thee my deereShevv thou thy loue in praise,
& teach my name, my fame to all,
So long as last thy daies.
The spouse speaketh.
7
If thou my deere vvouldst haue me doeAs thou hast bid to me,
Then grāt me grace to act the same
And thou it sone shalt see.
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