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There did he clear thy cloudy cause,
Thy doubts and fears deftroy;
And on thy spirit feal'd he was
Thy Husband with great joy?
Couldst thou have faid it boldly then,
And seal'd it with thy blood?di
Yea, welcome death with pleasure, when
Thy Husband by thee ftood?
That earth again fhould thee infnare,
O how thy heart was pain'd!
For all its fading glory there

Thy Husband's beauty ftain'd.
The thoughts of living more in fin
Were then like hell to thee;
The life of heav'n did thus begin,
Thy Husband fet thee free.
Whate'er thou foundft him at thy beft,
He's at the worft the fame;
And in his love will never reft,

Thy Husband holds his claim.
Let faith thefe vifits keep in ftore,
Though fenfe the pleasure mifs;
The God of Bethel, as before,
Thy Husband always is.

In meas'ring his approaches kind,
And timing his defcents;

In free and fov'reign ways thou'lt find
Thy Husband thee prevents.

Prescribe not to him in thy heart;
He's infinitely wife.

How oft he throws his loving dart,

Thy Husband does furprife. Perhaps a fudden gale thee bleft, While walking in thy road,

Or on a journey, e'er thou wift,

Thy Husband look'd thee broad.
Thus was the eunuch fam'd (his ftage
A riding in the way

As he revolv'd the facred page *).
Thy Husband's happy prey.

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In hearing, reading, finging, pray'r,
When darkness compass'd thee,
Thou foundft, or e'er thou waft aware,
Thy Husband's light'ning free.
Of heav'nly gales don't meanly think :
For, thou thy foul complains,
They're but a fhort and paffing blink;
Thy Husband's love remains.
Think not, though breezes hafte away,
Thou doft his favour lofe;

But learn to know his fov'reign way
Thy Husband comes and goes.
Don't fay he's gone for ever, though
His vifits he adjourn;

For yet a little while, and lo,
Thy Husband will return.
In worship focial, or retir'd,
Doft thou his abfence wail?
Wait at his fhore, and be not fear'd,
Thy Husband's fhip's a-fail.
Yea, though in duties fenfe may mifs
Thy foul's beloved One;

Yet do not faint, for never is

Thy Husband wholly gone.

Though Satan, fin, earth, hell at once,
Would thee of joy bereave; i
Mind what he said, he won't renounce,
Thy Husband will not leave.

* Acts viii 27-39°

Though foes affail, and friendfhip fail,
Thou haft a friend at court:

The gates of hell fhall ne'er prevail,
Thy Husband is thy fort.

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Comfort to Believers from the ftability of the pro-
mife, notwithstanding heavy chastisements for fin.
"AKE well howe'er kind Wisdom may
Difpofe thy prefent lot;

Tho' heav'n and earth should pass away,
Thy Husband's love will not.
All needful help he will afford,
Thou haft his vow and oath;
And once to violate his word
Thy Husband will be loth.

To fire and floods with thee he'll down,
His promife this infures,

Whofe credit cannot burn nor drown:
Thy Husband's truth endures.
Doft thou no more his word believe,
As mortal man's, forfooth?

O do not thus his Spirit grieve,

Thy Husband is the Truth.

Though thou both wicked art and weak,
His word he'll never rue;

Though heav'nand earth should blend and break,

Thy Husband will be true.

I'll never leave thee*, is his vow:

If truth has faid the word.

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While Truth is truth, this word is true,

Thy Husband is the Lord.

* Heb. xiii. 5,

Thy covenant of duties may
Prove daily most unfure:
His covenant of grace for ay
Thy Husband does fecure.

Doft thou to him thy promife break,
And fear he break to thee?
Nay, not thy thousand crimes can make
Thy Husband once to lie.
He vifit will thy fins with strokes,

And lift his heavy hand;
But never once his word revokes,
Thy Husband's truth will stand.
Then dream not he is chang'd in love,
When thou art chang'd in frame;
Thou mayft by turns unnumber'd move,
Thy Husband's ay the fame.
He for thy follies may thee bind
With cords of great distress ;

To make thee moan thy fins, and mind Thy Husband's holiness.

By frowns he makes thee feek his cure,
By wounds his favour prize;

By falls affrighting, ftand more fure,
Thy Husband is fo wife.

Proud Peter in the dirt of vice

Fell down exceeding law;

His tow'ring pride, by tumbling thrice,
Thy Husband cured fo.

Before he fuffer pride that fwells,
He'll drag thee through the mire
Of fins, temptations, little hells;
Thy Husband faves by fire.
He in affliction's mortar may
Squeeze out old Adam's juice,
N

Till thou return to him, and fay,

Thy Husband is thy choice.
Fierce billows may thy veffel tofs,
And croffes curfes feem;

But that the curfe has fled the crofs,
Thy Husband bids thee deem.
Conclude not he in wrath difowns,
When trouble thee furrounds;
These are his favourable frowns,
Thy Husband's healing wounds.
Yea, when he gives the deepest lash,
Love leads the wounding hand:
His ftroke, when fin has got a dash,
Thy Husband will remand.

SECT. IX.

Comfort to Believers, in CHRIST's relations, in his dying love, his glory in heaven, to which he will lead them through death, and supply with all neceffaries by the way.

B

EHOLD the patrimony broad
That falls to thee by line;

In him thou art an heir of God,
Thy Husband's Father's thine.
He is of relatives a ftore,

Thy Friend will help in thrall :
Thy Brother much, thy Father more,
Thy Husband most of all.

All these he does amass and fhare,

In ways that most excel:

'Mong all the husbands ever were

Thy Husband bears the bell.

Whence run the ftreams of all thy good,
But from his pierced fide;

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