Embracing faith is here, to meet

My Lord when he appears ;
Repentance here to wash his feet

With floods of joyful tears.
Love, joy, and all the heav'nly train,

Old fruits with new increase,
Laid

up

in store to entertain
The God of all my grace.
Come thou, to whom I all devote,

O my beloved Lord;
Lo! all that's from thy fulness got

Is for thy glory stor’d.
'Tis thine to plant, and prune, and dress ;

Thou mak’it the garden grow : In thee my all I fill poffels,

To thee my all I owe.

The Love of the Church to Christ.-The Vehemency

of Love.-The calling of the Gentiles.-The Church prayeth for Christ's coming.

The CHURCH's IVords.

Verse 1. O tbat tbou wert as my brotber, obat sucked

the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee wirbout, I would kifs tbee ; yea, * I bould not be despised.

so
O sweet I find thy heav'nly charms,

Still more and more I bode ;
And long to clasp within my arms

A whole incarnate God.
O would thou as my brother wert,

My mother's sucking child !
I'd kiss and hug thee in my heart,
And should not be revil'd.

Heb. Tbey ftall not despise me.

a

Yea, in the op’nest, patent place,

Without a blush through shame,
I would with joyful arms embrace

The babe of Bethlehem.
Hell could reproach thy church of old,

That loy'd a child unborn:
But now the Son is giv'n †, I'm bold

To love, and fear no fcorn.
To him I'll give the highest room,

And joy beneath his shade,
That deign'd to bless the virgin's womb,

And human nature wed.
My God's my brother now in dress;

And if he would allow't,
Though hell should mock my fond carress,

I'd openly avow't

Verse 2. I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mo

ther's bouse, wbo would instruct me: I would cause tbee to drink of ibe Spiced wine, and of the juice of

my pomegranates.
I would attend and usher thee

Into my mother's home;
Then would her courts instructive be,!

For light with pow'r would come.
Her children would thy glory fee,

Did they thy presence share:
And I for entertaining thee

Would bring my choicest fare.
To spiced wine with 'granates juice

I would thee welcome make;
And greatly would my heart rejoice,

Were't better for thy fake.
Well were the feast bestow'd on thee;

For thine my graces are,
Who, when thou comes to feed with me,

Dost bring along the fare.

1

+ Ifa. ix. 6.

*

Verse 3. His left-band * should be under my bead,

and bis right-hand should embrace me to Lo! he descending from above,

In answer to my pray’r,
Enfolds me in his arms of love,

To fhew his tender care.
His left-hand for my support he

Beneath my head does place;
Then, for my comfort, lends he me

His right-hand's foft embrace.
His presence brings a silver show'r

Of blessings from above;
I'm closely guarded with his pow'r,

And girded with his love.
For my solace 'gainst fin and death,

I feel his glad’ning charms;
And, for my safety, underneath

His everlasting arms.
O welcome blest and happy hour,

When he unvails his face;
I'm then supported by his pow'r,

Comforted by his grace. Verse 4. § I charge you, o daughters of Jerusalem, that

ye ftir not up t, nor awake my Love until be pleafe. O Salem's daughters, now, I pray,

And charge you, stand in awe T'awake my Love, or any way

Provoke him to withdraw.
This heav'nly quiet marr not ye

With loud offensive noise ;
Why should you rob yourselves and nie

of such uncommon joys!
His finiles are free, he comes and gocs;

The happy hour is this:
Why should you prove such wretched foes, ,

To interrupt the bliss !
* Or rather is. † See Chap. ii. 6.

See these words more largely spoken to, Chap. ii. 7. and iii. 5. + Heb. W by foould you fiir up? or, why awake, &c.

My glorious Lord now rests within

Mine arms of faith and love;
I charge myself, my heart, my sin,

Not once to ftir or move.
While he allows his visit fweet,

Let none his reft annoy;
O may I never grieve his Sp'rit,
Nor sin away my joy !

Tbe COMPANIONS Words.
Verse 5. (Wbo is this that comerb up from the wilder-

nefs, leaning upon her Beloved ?) What fair and lovely bride is this !

Though prest with griefs and fins,
Yet trav’lling from the wilderness,

On her Beloved leans !
How boldly does she in his name,

And in his strength go on,
All other righteousness disclaim,

And mention his alone?
His wings bear up her soul aloft,

'Bove all that can moleft: His bosom is the pillow soft

On which her head doth relt
Lo! how on his almighty arms

She can her cares unload;
And march through all opposing harms,

Depending on her God.
Her fir'd affections upward tow'r,

And, with a heav'nly air,
Contempt on earthly glory pour,

As far below her care.
Ascending from the wilderness

Of sorrow, sin, and thrall;
And, strongly bent for heav'nly bliss,
She leaves the dusky ball.

Tbe CHURCH's Words.
I raised t ibee up under ibe apple-tree : ibere by
motber brought thee forib; there foe brougbt ibee

forib ibat bare thee. + Thee in the Hebrew has the mark of the ma.culine gender.

To mens applause, with mighty maze,

What small regard is due?
But, Lord, with thee, who art my praise,

Let me my fuit persue.
Such sweet experience, Lord, I had

Beneath the apple tree;
Under thy shadow still l'm glad

Alone to meet with thee.
I rais'd thee up in secret pray’r,

Thy joyful help to yield:
For by thy grace I wrestled there,

And by thy grace prevail'd.
Thy mother too that brought thee forth,

Hard trav’ling with annoy,
There at her Son, her Saviour's birth

Forgot her pangs with joy.
The saints beneath thy fruitful shade,

Thy beauteous likeness wore;
They that in forrow travail'd had,

In joy thine image bore.
Thy shadow thus to them and me

Such pleasure does afford,
That more and more I long to see

Thy glory there, O Lord.
Verse 6. Set me as a seal upon tbine beart,

as a seal upon ibine arn :-
Grant, Lord, my name engrav'd may be

Upon thy heart and brealt;
And so insure thy love to me,

My glorious God and Prieit.
O fet me ftedfast as a feal

Upon thine arm divine,
And by confirming marks reveal

Thy mighty love is mine.
Grant also, Lord, my love to thee

May firmly be impreft:
And let thy name my fignet be

Deep stamp'd upon my brealt.