rd

Song of Solomon 2

3 The Church desireth to rest Under the shadow of Christ. 8 She heareth his voyce. 14 She is compared to the dove. 15 And the enemies to the foxes.
1.I am the rose of the field, and the lily of the valleys.
2.Like a lily among the thorns, so is my alove among the daughters.
3.bLike the apple tree among the trees of the forest: so is my welbeloved among the sons of men: under his shadow had I delite, and sat down: and his fruit was sweet unto my mouth.
4.He brought me into the wine cellar, and love was his banner over me.
5.Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
6.His left hand is under mine head, and his right hand doeth embrace me.
7.cI charge you, ô daughters of Jerusalém, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor waken my love, until she please.
8.dIt is the voice of my welbeloved, behold, he cometh leaping by the mountains, and skipping by the hills.
9.My welbeloved is like a roe, or a young heart: lo, he estandeth behind our wall, looking forth of the windows, shewing him self through the fgrates.
10.My welbeloved spake and said unto me, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come thy way.
11.For behold, gwinter is past: the rain is changed, and is gone away.
12.The flowers appear in the earth: the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
13.The fig tree hath brought forth her young figs, and the vines with their small grapes have cast a savour: arise my love, my fair one, and come away.
14.My dove, that art in the hholes of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, shewe my thy sight, let me hear thy voice: for thy voyce is sweet, and thy sight comelie.
15.Take us the foxes, the ilittle foxes, which destroy the vines: for our vines have small grapes.
16.My welbeloved is mine, & I am his: he fedeth among the lilies,
17.Until the day break, and the shadows flee away: return, my welbeloved, and be like a kroe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Béther.

Notes

2-a.
Thus Christ prefers his Church above all other things.
3-b.
The spouse testifies her great desire toward her husband, but her strength fails her, and therefore she desires to be comforted, and felt it.
7-c.
Christ charges them which have to do in the Church, as it were by a solemn oath, that they trouble not the quietness thereof.
8-d.
This is spoken of Christ, who took upon him our nature to come to help his Church.
9-e.
For asmuch as his divinity was hid under the cloak of our flesh.
9-f.
So that we can not have full knowledge of him in this life.
11-g.
That is, sin and error is driven back by the coming of Christ which is there described by the spring time, when all things flourish.
14-h.
You that are ashamed of your sins, come and show yourself unto me.
15-i.
Suppress the heretics while they are young, that is, when they begin to show their malice and destroy the vine of the Lord.
17-k.
The Church desires Christ to be most ready to help her in all dangers.