My fond affections vehement

In ways of grace divine,
All towards her intenfely bent,
Purfu'd their love-defign.

My willing people I provide

Bright graces, princely charms:
And in these fiery chariots ride
With speed into their arms.
Oil'd wheels of faith and warm defire,
That make myself their chafe,
Fetch from mine altar ftill more fire
Of sweet furprising grace.

No chariot of Ammi-nadib,
However fwift or bright,

The heav'nly rapture can defcribe
Of love's delicious flight.

So rapid oft, though never rash,

The motions of my grace, 'Tween heav'n and earth are like a flash Of light'ning in a trice.

Ver. 13. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee; what will ye fee in the Shulamite? as it were the company of two

armies.

Love, in my abfence fhort, waft thou
With fin and grief oppreft?

O blame thy faithlefs heart, and now
Return unto thy rest.

With confidence and without fear
Thy heav'nly Husband face,
Who wills thee boldly to appear
Before his throne of grace.

The heav'ns unite their voice with mine

Thy heart-return to move;

Allow thy felf no more to whine,

Sufpicious of my love.

Return. O drooping Shulamite,

In hafte return; for we Heav'n's TRINITY and hofts unite With joy to welcome thee.

We want to fee thee, at his call
Whofe peace thy name adorns;
He with his faints and angels all
Will joy at thy returns.
What, in the feeble Shulamite
What's to be feen? (you'll say,)
Is ftruggling grace a goodly fight,
When fin regains the day?

Nay, lo! my bride (though apt fhe be
Herfelf to under-rate)

I, on the field of battle, fee

In warlike pomp and ftate.
Behold! two armies in her camp,
The doubled holts of God;
Her lovers charm, her haters damp,
Her happy triumph bode.

CHAP. VII.

A further Defcription of the Church's Graces.-The Church profeffeth her Faith and Defires.

CHRIST'S Words.

Ver. 1. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the band of a cunning workman.

FAIR bride, thy beauties I'll extol

So lovely in my fight:

For I my new creation whole

Still view with great delight.
How noble is thy high defcent,
Not fordid from the earth!
How does thy gefture document
Thy new and heav'nly birth!
O princess of the royal race!
Thy feet with golden fhoes,

Do fparkle, while thy walk, through grace,
Becomes the gospel-news.

The fteps of thy affections clean,

And converfation fair,

Difplay a heav'nly, royal mein,
A fweet and ftately air.

The joints, that ftrength and motion do
To thy right fleps impart,
Like orient jewels, burnifh'd new,
Speak holy curious art.

Through thy fair port, in facred things,

Thy joints as gems appear;

While holy principles and fprings

Thy courfe of duty steer.

Verse 2. Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor; thy belly is like an heap of wheat, fet about with lilies.

As is thy fparkling bright array,
Form'd to thy pedigree;

So with thy fhining outward way,
Thine inward fhapes agree.

A wretched infant once thou waft,

To open field caft out,

From native blood and ftains unwash'd,

Nor was thy navel cut *.

But now, how neat's thy gracious form,
Fed by a glorious fpring!

Since grace transform'd the loathfome worm
To quite another thing.

Thy infant-brood to ripeness grows,

Which thy kind bowels feed,

Like to a bowl that overflows
With liquor for their need.
My Spirit is (to fill thy cup,
And give thee rich increase)
A well of water fpringing up
In thee to endless blifs.

Thy fruitful womb an heap of wheat

† Affimilates in mode;

Thy royal marriage makes thee meet

For bearing fruit to God.

Fruit deck'd around with flow'rs-de-luce *,

Each grace of active vent;

A product rich of fruit for ufe,

With flow'rs for ornament.

Fair Zion's fertile womb has meat

For babes, her lily-brood;

And yields them plenteous ftore of wheat,
When ripe for folid food.

Verse 3. Thy two breafts are like two young roes that

are twins t.

Thy breafts of love refemble roes
That feem delightful twins;
Such equal care to feed thou fhows,
Thy babes in fecret inns.

Thou op'neft frank a twofold breast,
Two teft'ments and two feals;
Which to thy children yield a feast
Of milk for daily meals.
Thine equal breafts delightful feed
With milk of fweet folace,
In juft proportion to the need
Of all the babes of grace.

My children dear, nurs'd at thy fide,
Thy kindly bowels fhow;

And plainly prove my beauteous bride
A fruitful mother too.

Verfe 4. Thy neck is as a tower of ivory;

thine eyes

like the fifh-pools of Hefbbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim thy nofe is as the tower of Lebanon, which looketh toward Damafcus.

Thy neck of precious faith excells

The fairest iv'ry tower;

It holds the glorious Head, and dwells
Upon the rock of power.

Rais'd and confpicuous, it attracts
All eyes, and wonder breeds:
It flands renown'd for valiant acts,
For ftrange and mighty deeds.

* The name of a flower of diftinction, worn in the French king's

arms.

+ See Chap. iv. 5.

See Chap. iv. 4.

1

No iv'ry whiter than the fwan

Can match thy precious faith;
No tow'r with equal boldnefs can
Defy the gates of death.

Thine eyes like Heflibon's clear fish-pools,
Near by Beth-rabbim's gate,
Enlighten'd brightly, twit the fools,
That hug blind nature's ftate.
More clear than any filver brook,
Thine eyes of knowledge trace
Hid myfries in the facred book,
Unfathom'd deeps of grace.
But all conceal'd this glory lies.
From haughty fons of pride,
Whofe boafted wit does blind the eyes,

And heav'nly light deride.

Thy nofe of quick fagacity

Like Leb'non's tow'r doth rife, And with bold look Damafcus fpy,

To face thine enemies.

Because they ftrong and fubtile are,
Thou keep'it the frontier tow'r;
To fmell their policy afar,

And watch against their pow'r.

Verfe 5. Thine head upon thee is like † Carmel, and the bair of thine bead like purple ;

Thy heav'nly mind intelligent

Excells the wife on earth,

While ftrangers to thy high defcent,

And to thy heav'nly birth.

Thy lofty head and stately brow,
Looks to the heav'ns above;
And fcornful fmiles on all below,
As worthlefs of thy love.
Thy helmet and thy head-piece is
H pe built on precious blood;
High is thy head extoll'd by this
'Bove ev'ry foe and flood.

† Or, crimson.