Master Bezaes sermons upon the three chapters of the canticle of canticlesMaster Bezaes sermons vpon the three chapters of the canticle of canticles

5 But it seemeth that yet more properly to speak & more near to the point, the church being as it were universally persecuted and wonderfully disfigured demandeth here of her Bridegroom, how and by what means he is accustomed to maintain and nourish his Church with this pasture, against all the afflictions, storms and tempests of this world. And therefore is as much as if she should say, that though she be brought into poor estate, yet hath she not for all that lost any whit of her courage, or changed her affection at all, as it is said Psal. 44.18. and Psal. 89.39. but that amiddest them, amongst whom she is, & in so troublesome a time she hath as it were lost the footing of the right way, as being brought into a desert & wilderness: which causeth her to desire her Bridegroom it may please him to direct her and to point her out which way she shall take to find and to come unto her true repose and rest. In a word to understand this place aright, let us set before ⟨p. 105⟩us the state of the church of the Lord, in which it was but threescore or fourscore years ago: when if a man had demanded what manner of book the Bible was or the new Testament, he should hardly have found one among a thousand of them which named themselves christians, which knew what it was, much less which understood what was meant by the law & the Gospel. Neither do we doubt, but that such as it pleased God to vouchsafe his grace to enquire after the right way, amidst such deserts, & to find it, to teach it us & to bring us thither by their holy labour & travel, did often make the same prayer unto God, which this spouse being in the like estate maketh here, without which prayer themselves & we should have perished with others, with the rest of the world. And yet at this day what do all the true faithful believers in those places and kingdoms where they mourn and languish, but pray unto the Lord to teach them the right way amidst those labyrinths in which they are, and to guide them to those places where God doth feed his sheep in all abundance and in exceeding great safety.

5 But it seemeth that yet more properly to speake & more neere to the point, the church being as it were vniuersally persecuted and woonderfully disfigured demaundeth here of hir Bridegroome, how and by what meanes hee is accustomed to maintain and nourish his Church with this pasture, against all the afflictions, stormes and tempestes of this worlde. And therefore is as much as if she should say, that though shee bee brought into poore estate, yet hath she not for all that lost any whit of her courage, or changed her affection at al, as it is saide