Math. 11.
O most true husbāde, & pure perfyght frynde, the most louynge yet amonge all good louers. Alas thu hast done otherwyse. For thu soughtest for me dylygenly, whan I was goynge into the most depe place of helle, where all the euyls are done. Whan I was fardest from the both in harte and mynde, & clerlye out of the true waye. Than dedyst thu louynglye call me backe, saynge, My dere doughter harken, and se, and bowe thy hearynge towardes me. Forget that straunge nacyon to whom thu dedyst ronne awaye and also the house of thyne olde father, where thu hast dwelled so longe. Than shall the kynge full of all faythfulnesse, desyre thy bewtie. But whan thu sawest that thy swete & gracyouse callynge, ded not profyte me, than begannyst thu to crye lowder. Come vnto me all yow whych are wearyly loaden with laboure, for I am he that shall plenteously refreshe yow and feade yow with my breade of lyfe. Alas vnto all these swete wordes wolde I not harken.
Esa. 5.
Canti. 6.
Hiere. 3.
For I doubted whether it were thu, or els a fabyllouse writynge that so sayde. For I was so folyshe, that without loue I ded reade thy worde. I consydered not wele the comparyson of the vyneyearde whych brought fourth thornes & bryers in stede of good frute, that it sygnyfyed me whych had so done. I knowe it wele ynough, that whan thu dedyst call the baren wyfe, saynge, Returne Sulamyte. All thys dedyst thu speake that I, shulde forsake my synne. And of all these wordes ded I, as though I had vnderstande neuer a whytt. But whan I ded peruse Hieremy the prophete, I confesse that I had in the readynge therof, feare in my harte and bashefulnesse in my face. I wyll tell it, yea with teares in myne eyes, and all for thy honoure, and to suppresse my pryde. Thu hast sayde by that holy prophete, if a woman hath offended her husbande, and is so left of hym for goynge astraye with other. Namely if he therupō refuseth her for euer, is she not to be estemed poluted and of no value?
Ezech. 18.
Hiere. 3.
The lawe doth consente to put her in the hādes of iustyce, or to dryue her awaye & so neuer to se her or to take her agayne. Thu hast made the sepracyon from my bedde (sayth he vnto me) & placed foren louers in my roume, commyttynge with them fornycacyon. Yet for all thys thu mayst returne vnto me agayne. For I wyll not alwayes be āgrye agaynst the. Lyfte vp thyne eyes, & loke aboute the on euery syde. Thā shalte thu wele se, into what place thy synne hath led the, & how thou lyest downe in the earthe. O poore sowle, loke where thy synne hath put the. Euen vpon the hygh wayes, where thu dedyst wayte, and tarrye for to begyle thē that came by, euen as a thefe doth whych is hydden in the wyldernesse. Therfor thu in fulfyllynge thy wicked pleasure, hast with fornycacyon infected all the earthe whych was aboute the. Thyne eye, thy foreheade, and thy face haue loste all their honest good maner. For they were suche as an harlot hath, and yet thu haddest no shame of thy synne.
Iob. 10.