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

13 Finally this surname or name of addition which she useth calling them craggy or cleffie Mountains as being full of down-falls & hollow places, in which the chamois and other beasts of marvellous and almost incredible agility are mounting and skipping from cliff to cliff, this appellation, I say, together with the zeal, wherewith this spouse is moved, desiring there might be no difficulty which might hinder the arrival & coming of this Bridegroom more near unto us, doth represent unto us the heavens which she attendeth and ⟨p. 302⟩looketh for: not so even and so fairly polished as they seem unto us in fair & clear weather, but as they show sometimes cranked and entercut with mighty heaps of clouds which a man would take to be so many mountains and rocks full of the strangest crags and down-falls a man can imagine: insomuch as Isaiah seemeth to give us a most plain and clear exposition of this place when he saith, O that thou wouldest cleave the heavens and come down. The spouse therefore wisheth and desireth, that as these beasts are not hindered any whit at all by any crags or down-falls of the rocks, to descend & go whither they will, the Bridegroom should also in like manner jump as it were, from cloud to cloud to approach near unto her. But particularly this exceeding great secret, & more then incomprehensible unto any creature whatsoever, namely that the Son, who thought it no robbery to equal himself with the Father, being truly such as God is, to wit, very God; hath taken on him the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the death, even the death of the Cross: this, I say, is as it were indeed to cleave the heavens, to descend into the lowest parts of the earth, Philip. 2.6. Ephes. 4.9. and 5.32. And indeed a declaration thereof was given and represented unto John Baptist at the baptism of Christ, who law the heavens cleft and opened, and the spirit of God to descend in the form of a Dove upon Jesus Christ.

13 Finally this surname or name of addition which she vseth calling them craggie or cleffie Mountaines as beeing full of downe-falles & hollow places, in which the chamoyse and other beastes of marueilous and almost incredible agilitie are mounting and skipping from cliffe to cliffe, this appellation, I say, together with the zeale, wherewith this spouse is moued, desiring there might be no difficulty which might hinder the arriuall & comming of this Bridegroome more neare vnto vs, doth represent vnto vs the heauens which shee attendeth and