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O Fayrest soule among the faire, awake; for what Lethean sleep oppresseth thee? Thy little IESVS, the purest ioy and delight of Hea∣uen, raps at the doore: the golden locks of his head are wet yea trickle with the nightly dewes; his singers stil the primest mirrh;a 1.1 he wholy drowned and melt with al beates at the gate of thy hart. Open then and let him in Alas how thy doores are frozen with the rock of Caucasus! How soundly thou sleepest, oh slug,
O fooslish soule! Or is it the noyse perhaps of the Ghests thou hast ad∣mitted in already, which so taked vp, and stupifies thine eares, as thou canst not heare thy beloued's voyce? Oh Ghests, or hanting Ghosts I may cal you rather! Oh sinister af∣fections! Oh inordinate appetits! What a tumult haue you made here? And thou, a stony hart! How long hast thou been so hard to heare, and deafe, as not to aduert the Spouses voyce, who to blesse & enrich thee, meerly pushed, with what winde of beatitude I know not, hath touch'd on this vnfaithful Port? Alas! stay I beseech thee, stay a-while, most radiant Sunne, nor with thy swifter steedes, make hast away; for if thou once substractst thy self, I feare thou wilt goe farre enough, and be long absent; a fauour freely offred once, and lost by a repulse, is not easily
recouered. The diuine hand pow•••• out it's benefits for a day, an hower, a moment only, it lists not alwayes to attend to worke miracles, or to be curing maladyes: the Angel mo∣ues the water of that Poole,b 1.2 but on a certaine time of the day; if thou suffrest occasion once to slide away, or be taken by another, thou art to attend the returne of another Angel-mouer. Hasten therefore, O fayrest of al beautyes; what? sleepst thou yet? shake off this sluggishnes. Is there a mutiny at home then quiet the tumults, commaund silence, bid the doore be set open. And if thy Spouse now wearied with thy de∣murrs should chance to diuert from thee, and goe his wayes, follow him at the heeles with cryes, & prayers, and trying him out-right, vrge him hard, that he would deyne to re∣turne againe to his Sanctuary. If yet
being called vpon he goe flying stil away. Like a she-Goat or nimble pricket on the mountaines of Bethel:c 1.3 double thy cryes, put out thy throat, & cry aloud, Draw me after thee and we shal ruund 1.4 my beloued. If the watch∣men of the wals lay hold on thee, and beat thee cruelly, yea take away thy cloke from thee: let al these mischiefs moue thee nothing; the prey thou huntst for with al these same, is cheap enough. Sigh there∣fore and groane the while, and pri∣uily shoot forth the fiery shafts of vehement loue; and if thou canst, wound him flying with the alluring tressese 1.5 of thy desires, with which chaines at least, so thrown vpon him, stay his flight: and when thou art so happy as to ouertake him, now grown at length more slack, through flight, thy wound, and chaines so hampering him pray en∣treat,
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and beseech him, by the holy Wounds of his body; For his ancient and faithful mercies sake,f 1.6 he would please to permit himself to be led back againe to his Spouses house. But see you hold him fastg 1.7 nor let him goe; he is a lightning, and passeth in an instant; he is a Sunne whose reuolution is without rest, nor euer stops but at the voyce of the true Iosue, and the couragious soule, fighting valiantly against the Gabaonites.h 1.8
This Sampsonh 1.9 carryes the ga∣tes of the Citty with him, when he feeles himself but tampered in the enemyes snares, bind him, if you catch him; tye him fast, with the triple cord of loue, for this is hardly brokenk 1.10 Lastlye if now being caught he try, as once the Angel did with Iacob, by wrasling to stru∣gle and escape away, tel him roun∣dly,
I wil not let thee goe til thou giuest me thy blessingl 1.11 But hola thou hap∣pyest of soules thou doue, thou dar∣ling, take heed thou sufferest not thy self to be ouer-seen so any more; but as soone as thy beloued's voyce shal sound the word that IESVS comes, boldly and confidently open both the leaues of thy hart vnto him, receiue him; hug him in thy armes, in thy besome, in thy bowels with thy whole hart.
Cant. 5.
Probatica, Ioan. 5.
Cant. 2.
Cant. 4.
Cant. 4.
Psal. 88. Isaiae 55.
Cant. 3.
Iosue. 10.
Iosue. 10.
Eccl.
Gen. 3.