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CHAP. VIII.

1 The loue of the Church to Christ. 6 The vehemencie of loue. 8 The calling of the Gentiles. 14 The Church prayeth for Christes comming.

¹ O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the brests of my mother, when I should find thee without, I would kisse thee, yet I should not be despised.¹

Spirituall loue.

² I would leade thee, and bring thee into my mothers house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drinke of spiced wine, of the iuice of my pomegranate.²

³ His left hand should be vnder my head, and his right hand should embrace me.³

⁴ I charge you, O daughters of Ierusalem, that ye stirre not vp, nor awake my loue vntill he please.⁴

⁵ (Who is this that commeth vp from the wildernesse, leaning vpon her beloued?) I raised thee vp vnder the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth, there she brought thee forth, that bare thee.⁵

⁶ ¶ Set mee as a seale vpon thine heart, as a seale vpon thine arme: for loue is strong as death, iealousie is cruel as the graue: the coales thereof are coales of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.⁶

⁷ Many waters cannot quench loue, neither can the floods drowne it: if a man would giue all the substance of his house for loue, it would vtterly be contemned.

⁸ ¶ We haue a litle sister, and shee hath no breasts: what shall we doe for our sister, in the day when she shall bee spoken for?

⁹ If she be a wall, we will build vpon her a palace of siluer: and if she bee a dore, we will inclose her with boards of Cedar.

¹⁰ I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found fauour.¹⁰

¹¹ Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon, hee let out the vineyard vnto keepers: euery one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of siluer.

¹² My vineyard which is mine, is before me: thou (O Solomon) must haue a thousand, and those that keepe the fruit thereof, two hundred.

¹³ Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to heare it.

¹⁴ ¶ Make haste, my beloued, and be thou like to a Roe, or to a yong Hart vpon the mountaines of spices.¹⁴

Song of Solomon Chapter 8 Sidenote References (from Original 1611 KJV Bible):

¹ Hebr. they should not despise me.
² Prou.9.2.
³ Chap.2.6
⁴ Chap.3.5. and 2.7. , Heb. why should yee stirre vp, or why,&c?
⁵ Chap.3.6
⁶ Heb. hard.
¹⁰ Heb. peace
¹⁴ Heb. flee away.

* Courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania