That all the relatives might taste My present wondrous bliss, Who faint with famine in the waste And howling wilderness. With ardent zeal befought I him, To let his bleffing fall On mystical Jerufalem, The mother of us all. 'Tis writ in Zion's infant-roll, This man and that man there Was born again †; and there my foul First drew the vital air.
I therefore beg'd, her offspring free Might have with peaceful days, The pleasure of his company In his approved ways.
His presence to her house I fought, Its ruins to repair;
To strengthen what his hands had wrought, And shew his glory there.
I pray'd him to my native home, As his belov'd refort;
Nor did my Lord refuse to come And grace his facred court. For there he fill'd oft to the brim My cup of joy; and there His love to me, and mine to him, Did mutual tokens share.
I found, to my experience glad, That, in the wrestling way, The God of Jacob never faid The feed of Jacob, nay.
Verse 5. I charge you, O ye daughters of Ferusalem,
by the roes, and by the binds of the field, that ye Stir not up nor awake my love till be please*.
My Lord does now his joyful rest In Zion's bosom take;
Wo to the fin, th' unwelcome guest,
This sweet repose shall break.
Ye daughters of Jerufalem,
That love to him profefs, Take care you do not lose the gem, The joy that ye poffefs. While some delight in hinds and roes, And from alarms would shield
Their foon-difturbed, foft repofe, Upon the open field.
Shall we awake our dearest Love, With vain and earthly noife, That may provoke him to remove, And dash our present joys? If some affect the rural charms And pleasures of the field, A dearer love is in our arms
Than ever earth could yield. If they their pleasing trifles would All undisturb'd enjoy; Shan't we our dearest darling hold And hug without annoy? Ye then that of my mother's house The fons and daughters are, Be careful, while he stays with us, Left ye the pleasure mar. While he vouchsafes to be our guest, And grace our public inn, Let none of us difturb his reft, By Heav'n-provoking fin. In love he comes and goes, and fo May leave his holy hill: But woe to us, if off he go In wrath, against his will. His will and pleasure is a law, To which we must submit: But never tempt him to withdraw, Until he judge it fit.
The COMPANIONS Words.
Verse 6. Who is this † that cometh out of the wil
+ This, here, is in the feminine gender; q.d. Who is she that cometh up? &c.
derness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrb and frankincense, and all powders of the merchant?
What bride is this, in bright aray, With precious blessings stor'd, That gives us folemn charge to pay Such homage to her Lord?
Up from the defart see her move, And climb the azure skies; As from the glowing altar's stove The smoaky pillars rife. Her heart inflam'd with holy fire In the devoutest mode, Adventures boldly to aspire Unto the throne of God. As tow'ring smoke in air ferene, With stately rifing heads, Majestic mounts above the plain In lofty pyramids:
See how her warm'd affections tow'r, And, with a heav'nly air, Contempt on earthly glory pour, As worthless of her care.
Perfum'd with myrrh and incense sweet, She smells like flow'ry spring, With fav'ry graces, odours meet. To entertain her King. No precious powders from afar, Of which the merchant boafts, Like these her grateful odours are, Brought from IMMANUEL's coasts. So wondrous are the charms we fpy, So rich the broider'd robe; Her darling splendor blinds our eye, And blazes o'er the globe.
The CHURCH'S Words.
Verse 7. Bebold bis bed † which is Salomon's,
O friends, what mean you, with surprise, On mortal me to gaze?
From borrow'd beauty turn your eyes To uncreated rays.
Behold the King magnificent, Who me fo richly clad; Whom Solomon the opulent *, Did typify and shade. Come, see his equipage prepar'd, And ensigns of renown; His stately bed, his royal guard His chariot, and his crown. His bed of state in Zion slands, Within the royal court;
For there the blessing heav'n commands, There is his lov'd resort.
There, still remains, as prophets vouch, And holy scriptures tell,
The Heir of heav'n's embroider'd couch For hugging heirs of hell.
This is my reft, here will I stay, In sacred lines he said †; And, till he can his word unsay, He'll never change his bed. 'Tis here, with pleasure unexprest, Our mutual loves combine, On easy downs of holy rest, And fellowship divine. The furniture and cost immenfe About the bed may clear, An infinitely greater Prince Than Solomon is here.
-Threefcore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Ifrael. Verse 8. They all bold fwords, being expert in war; every man bath bis fword upon bis thigh, because of fear in the night.
Behold the royal guard, to fence His bed on ev'ry fide;
To shew the fplendor of the Prince, The fafety of the bride.
A num'rous host of nobler knights Than Solomon's brigade
Of fixty valiant Ifraelites Around his iv'ry bed.
For, lo! the resting-place to guard The hosts of God combine; Thousands of angels all prepar'd, And attributes divine.
The lowest rank that rails the bed Are watchmen of the night, Who stand as sentries in the shade, Until the morning-light.
Of these the faithful to their Prince No naked foldiers are,
But arm'd complete for bold defence, As mighty fons of war.
By long experiece skilful grown They in the field command; And val'rous for the heav'nly crown They fight with sword in hand.. The Spirit's fword each ready wears Close girded by his fide, The word of God, to still the fears Of Jefus' royal bride.. When nightly dread her quiet mar, Their swords filence the fright,
And from the holy spot debar The terrors of the night.
Yea, Zion's King himself acclaims To be their shield and fhade;
His blood, his word, his oath, his names Defend the royal bed.
The fentry is almighty wings, For * fubfidy prepar'd:
What fleeping couch of earthly kings Can boast of fuch a guard? Amidst night-shades that fear fuggeft, Amidit † menacing harms, They ly fecure, whose bed of rest Is strong IMMANUEL's arms.
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