Songs of Zion, Poem 4 – Dedication 8
The first speach.
Christ speakes to his spouse.
1.
I am come dovvne o spouse most deere
To take those fruits of thine,
Which thou vvith hart of grace, & louelove
Dost knovve of erst vvere mine.
2.
I hauehave thought vvell of all thy workes,
As vvell of vvill as deede.
I dranke thy vvine vvith milke so svveet
With louelove they doe me feede.
3.
o you my frēds, & saincts most blest
Cheere vp your selues vvith me,
And ioy your harts vvith this my spouse
whose cates of love you see
The church speakes.
4.
When once this vvorld had luld in sleepe
Of sinne, my selfe, my sēce
Yet vvakt mine hart to Christ my Deere,
& thou didst dravve me thence.
Christ speakes to his spouse.
5.
Thou camst to me, & knockst full oft
At doore of my poore hart
Thou knockst I say full oft my d…re
And pearst me vvith thy dart.
6.
And saidst Ile come, & lodge vvith thee,
And dvvell vvith thee in grace.
Shut out the vvorld, thy sinns, thy shame▪
& let me come in place.
7.
For all the night I vvayte for thee,
My lockes vvith dropps of paine
Are vvett, & all to stay for thee
That I thy louelove might gaine.
The second speach.
The Church speakes.
1.
I hauehave put of my coate sayd I,
Hovve shall I put it on.
My feete I vvasht, shall I them …ile
Oh noe, my louelove be gone.
2.
Thus did I plead for my long stay
For vvho so loues my deere
Must care, & carke, & strang things tast
Of vvoe him to come neere.
3.
For cleane of soyle, of vvoe, & ill
Who liues that seekes my deere
No, No, the vvorld vvill plague thē all
That serues our god in feare
4.
But vvhē my louelove these vvords did heare
He shrunke, & vvent me fro,
& hid him selfe, & spake no… more
That I had searud him so.
The Church speakes.
5.
And then I rouzd my hart I yearnd
That had him lost so sone
I rose, & lokt, & chid my selfe
For that vvhichwhich I had done.
6.
I sought him but he hid him selfe,
And vvould not me come nigh
I roard, & cride, & vsd all meanes
I card not for to die.
7.
For that I had lost him my deere
That sought me for his doue,
But yet I foūd him not, nor knewe
He hard my voice in louelove.
The third speach.
The church speakes still.
1.
THe men that should hauehave had a care
They smote, & did me vvound,
With vvords most false, & vaine they sought,
To ding me to the ground.
2.
I charge you all that louelove the lord
If that you shall him find
Tell him hovve sicke I am of louelove
In hart, in soule, in mind.
3.
O vvhat (say they) is this thy Deere
More then the sonnes of men
That thou art thus farre gō in louelove,
And aye doe not him ken.
4.
My louelove sayd I is vvhite, & red
His face is pure, & bright
He is the cheefe, & choice, of all
In him is all the light
The church speakes still.
5.
For god in him is full, & faire
In grace, in face, in all.
His head fine gold, his lockes … flockes
In him there is no gall
6.
His eies like doues full of pure louelove
His cheeks as beds of spice,
His lips as svveet, as flovvers in May.
To me he is not nice.
7.
His hāds are sett vvith port, & pri…
Pure myrrhe doth dropp him fro
His vvill is rule of truth, & faith
This is most true I knovve
The fourth speach.
The spouses speaketh.
1.
Yea all his acts are firme, & strong
As sett in gold most sure.
No shevve of change, but streight, & cleere
Both sound, & safe, & pure
2.
His mouth is as svveet things of choice
Frō vvhēce doth flovve my blysse
He is all svveet, in part, in vvhole,
And I poore soule am his.
A forraigne congregatiō speakes.
3.
Since then o deere such is thy louelove,
Shevve vsus vvhere he is found,
And vve vvill seeke this louelove vvith t…ee
In all the vvorld so round
4.
For nōe, but thee o church cāst him
Make knowne, in vvord, in deed
O tell vsus then, & vve vvill ioyne,
And he shall be our meede.
The spouses speaketh.
5.
Thē sayd I to those that him sought
He is gone dovvne to be
In beds of spice vvith soules, & saincts
That is my louelove, thats he
6.
Yea I am his in his sweet louelove,
And he is mine by faith.
In spight of hell, or sinne, or shame
His vvord to me so saith.
7.
And both of vsus are one in god,
And knitt in soule, & spright
By louelove most svveete, & ioy of hart
I liue still in his sight.
The fift speach.
Christ speakes to his church
1.
Though thou my church didst me not seeke,
But putts me farre thee fro,
Yet novve thou dost looke back to me
I vvill not serue thee so.
2.
But I vill come, & dvvell vvith thee
In grace, in louelove, in avve.
I vvill thee ioy, in mirth, & glee,
And teach to thee my lavve.
3.
Turne backe thine eies frō me my deere
That are thus fixt on me
Thy strength of faith doth ioy me so
That I mind none, but thee.
4.
The men that feede thy soule vvith foode
HaueHave all one hart, one tongue
They tune all like a quire of saincts
They sound forth all one songe.
Christ speaketh to his church.
5.
So that their paines are not … vai…
They bring to me much fruit.
They cry, & call to me for helpe,
And I doe heare their suite.
6.
Thy locks, thy lookes, are seene so faire
Thy blush, thy smile so svveet.
That I doe ioy in them that teach
Those things that are so meete
7.
Though kings, & Queenes, & all folk else
My name, my louelove doe vse,
Yet on thee, on thee louelove I looke
On thee I thinke I muse.
The …ixt …peach.
Christ speakes to his spouse.
1.
THou art my spouse most chast most pure
Whom all the vvorld doth louelove
Thou art my deere, my peere, my ioy,
Noe spott in thee my Doue.
2.
Those that doe looke, & see thy face
Do praise, & plaud thee still,
And bless thee that hast god thy lord,
& didst yeald to his vvill.
3.
& thus they say rapt vvith thy state
Whats shee so faire as morne
So pure as sūne, so bright as mone,
Of vvhat state is shee borne.
4.
Her face is faire through force of faith
She is most bright in heue
Yea in her looks is feare, & dread
To cause her foes to rue.
The spouse speakes to Christ.
5.
And thus all gast, & rapt vvith sight
Of thy svveet port, & state
They stand in stond all pale, & wan
For thee they can not mate.
6.
No more then glympse of starre cā dashe
The sūne in hight of skye,
Or light on earth the mone at full
Can darke or once come nigh.
7.
Cheare vp thy selfe deere louelove I say
For though thou didst me miss▪
I meane not thee my louelove to leaue
For all the vvorld that is.
The seuenth speach.
Christ speakes to his spouse
1.
… did but goe to see my vine
Hovve it did bud, & sprout
To see vvhat fruits my plants did yeald
And hovve they vvere come out.
2.
And novve I see they bud, & blooe,
And yeald me fruit good store.
…le care for them, & they for me
That they may hauehave the more.
3.
The soules that came to me of late
I prune, I plash, I purge
That they may bring forth farre more fruite
With this my rod, & scourge.
4.
And novve they are vvell grovvne my Deere
I hast, I runne to thee,
With speed at need I hast, I post
With vvings of vvind to see.
Christ speakes to his spouse.
5.
What thou dost vvant, or vvouldst novve hauehave
Speake louelove, Ile giuegive thee it.
Thou shalt not feare my louelove to thee
In rest by thee ile sitt.
6.
Come then my louelove to me full fast
Let all Saincts ioy, & sing.
To house of god ile safe, & sound
My Deere shall my louelove bring.
7.
Novve all ye Saincts, & soules on high
Looke, see, fixe fast your eie,
On this my louelove, marke vvell her grace.
No fault in her I spie.
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 eueryevery deuout soule in his priuat conference vvith his god
And is sett to the tune of GiueGive thanks vntounto the lord our god. PSAL. CVII.
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.
KInd frend. Forced fauours vvere euer sleighted, & thankles. But voluntary respects had euer vvith the best, and most noble minds courteous acceptāce hovve small, & meane soeuer the thing vvas. For a mā to giuegive his soule to his Creator vvhen he sees he must dye, & his goods to the poore, vvhen he sees he must part vvith them, & to forgoe our sinne, vv… vve can noe longer follovve yt are cold, yea vnkind obediences. But for a young man to remember his creator in the daies of his yout … & in his best, & strongest age … bequeath himself eueryevery day to god in prayer, & praise is thatreasonable, & seasonable sacrifice vvhere vvith the most high is most pleased. To this purpose and noe other god knovveth I hauehave tendered these voluntary Essaies to diuerse of my masters, & Tablebrothers. Let me not seeme to to officious, vvhile I desire to doe good, & expresse my louelove. For … vntounto the rest so vntounto you Beloued Gā-naunt hauehave I sent this parcell. Receaue yt, as I meane yt both vvith hand, & hart, & then … am assured; it vvill neuer repent you of your acceptation, nor me of my dedication. The great lord keeper of heauen, & earth keepe you in his feare all the daies of your life, & preserue you for his sauing mercies in Christ Iesus in the end of your life, & for euer.
Yours in Christ to be required. W. LOE.