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.

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, & loue Dost knovve of erst vvere mine.

2.

I haue thought vvell of all thy workes, As vvell of vvill as deede. I dranke thy vvine vvith milke so svveet With loue 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 loue might gaine.

The second speach.

The Church speakes.

1.

I haue put of my coate sayd I, Hovve shall I put it on. My feete I vvasht, shall I them •…•…ile Oh noe, my loue 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 loue 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 vvhich 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 loue.

The third speach.

The church speakes still.

1.

THe men that should haue 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 loue the lord If that you shall him find Tell him hovve sicke I am of loue 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 loue, And aye doe not him ken.

4.

My loue 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 loue 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 loue, Shevve vs vvhere he is found, And vve vvill seeke this loue 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 vs 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 loue, thats he

6.

Yea I am his in his sweet loue, And he is mine by faith. In spight of hell, or sinne, or shame His vvord to me so saith.

7.

And both of vs are one in god, And knitt in soule, & spright By loue 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 loue, 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 Haue 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 loue doe vse, Yet on thee, on thee loue 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 loue 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 loue I say For though thou didst me miss▪ I meane not thee my loue 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 haue 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 haue Speake loue, Ile giue thee it. Thou shalt not feare my loue to thee In rest by thee ile sitt.

6.

Come then my loue to me full fast Let all Saincts ioy, & sing. To house of god ile safe, & sound My Deere shall my loue bring.

7.

Novve all ye Saincts, & soules on high Looke, see, fixe fast your eie, On this my loue, marke vvell her grace. No fault in her I spie.