1:16. The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees. Canticle of Canticles Chapter 2 Christ caresses his spouse: he invites her to him. 2:1. I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valleys. I am the flower of the field. . .Christ professes himself the flower of mankind, yea, the Lord of all creatures: and, ver. 2, declares the excellence of his spouse, the true church above all other societies, which are to be considered as thorns. 2:2. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. 2:3. As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow, whom I desired: and his fruit was sweet to my palate. 2:4. He brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me. 2:5. Stay me up with flowers, compass me about with apples: because I languish with love. 2:6. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. 2:7. I adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and the harts of the field, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please. 2:8. The voice of my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. The voice of my beloved: that is, the preaching of the gospel surmounting difficulties figuratively here expressed by mountains and little hills. 2:9. My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices. 2:10. Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. 2:11. For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. 2:12. The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: 2:13. The fig tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come: 2:14. My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely. 2:15. Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines: for our vineyard hath flourished. Catch us the little foxes. . .Christ commands his pastors to catch false teachers, by holding forth their fallacy and erroneous doctrine, which like foxes would bite and destroy the vines. 2:16. My beloved to me, and I to him who feedeth among the lilies, 2:17. Till the day break, and the shadows retire. Return: be like, my beloved, to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. Canticle of Canticles Chapter 3 The spouse seeks Christ. The glory of his humanity. 3:1. In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and found him not.