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Ver. My prefent views of thee fo far

Exceed the former fort,
As demonftration ocular,

Exceeds a bare report.

Hence, confcious-ftings, like arrows fmart,
Deep in my bofom flick;

And felf-difpleafure ftrikes my heart,
And wounds me to the quick.

6 For now myself I lothe and hate;
With fhame my face I vail;
And all my errors paft, of late,
In duft and ashes wail.

I grew impatient of the rod,
Nor can I anfwer why

I clear'd myself, and cenfur'd God,
O what a beaft was I!
Unwife I curs'd the very day

In which thou gav'st me birth;
And challeng'd rafh thy fov'reign fway,
And government on earth.

Lo! then, my brutih ignorance,

I through thy grace repent;
My paffion, pride, and arrogance,
With tears I now refent.

How bafe and blinded have I been,
That fet myself fo high!

But having now thy glory feen,
I low before thee ly.

At mercy's feet I'll hopeful stay:
For never was the cafe,

'That one was loft, who proftrate lay
Before the throne of grace.

Mm3

PART. III.

A NEW VERSION OF THE

SONG of SOLOMON.

PREFACE.

After I had written a Paraphrafe on the Song of Solomon, which has been published fourteen years ago, I had no defign of printing any thing else upon this book; but when the motion was made of turning all the Scripture Songs into common metre, for the fame ufe with the Pfalms of David, I was alfo urged to make a short Verfion likewife of this Song, as near as poffible to the text †. This task I undertook, not without fome reluctance, knowing how much the spiritual matter of this Book is reprefented by fuch homely metaphors as would be very hard to exprefs barely, in fuch a manner as to be fenced against the abuse of carnal minds: on this account, though I have now ftudied as little of a paraphrafe, or explication, as I could; yet, in feveral places, where I thought the meaning might be most ready to be misinterpreted, or not fo obvious, 1 have formed the Verfion with fuch fhort interwoven gloffes upon fome of the texts, as may tend to enlighten the metaphor a little, and make the main intent thereof appear, in a way that I apprehended to be least liable to abuse.

I have seen fome Verfions of this Book in common metre, that could very little contribute to my affistance in this, unless it was to make me fee what might be avoided or amended, according to my view. Only Mr. MASON'S Verfion was more acceptable to me, than any other I have seen, and therefore I have, in feveral verfes here and there taken what help it, together with his and my own paraphrase, could afford me, in a fuitableness to my tafte, or the form into which I chose to put it. So that after confulting the labours, in verfifying this Book of the Song, you have here the plainest version I could conceive within fo norrow and contracted bounds.

As to what may be further neceffary, in a prefatory way, I refer the reader to the Preface which is prefixed to the Paraphrafe on this Book: the main difference between the prefent and the for

The first edition of the paraphrafe was published, Anno 1739.

The SONG of SOLOMON, being an intire book of Scripture, this Short Verfion of it was at first published by itfelf, (as formerly obferved, p. 424.) as was also that upon the book of LAMENTATIONS, before the reft of the Scripture Songs, which were afterwards published together. Along with the first edition of this Verfion, the Author allowed his Paraphrafe on this book of the Song to be re-printed, that whofoever inclined for a more full explication thereof, than this Short Verfion could give, might, if they pleased, turn over to the Paraphrafe. See it printed above, p. 317,- 422.

See this Preface printed above, p. 310,-316.

mer Editions*, is in the fourth and seventh chapters, which were before in long metre, but now are turned to the fame common metre with the reft, because I have been told, that this latter kind was more acceptable to fome than the other.

That the church and people of God may be edified by these works, is the earnest prayer of their fervant, and yours in Christ,

Dunfermline,}

CHAP.

RALPH ERSKINE

I.

The Church's Love unto CHRIST, and bis Efteem for her; with their mutual Congratulations of each other.

Ver.

I

THIS

[The TITLE.]

HIS Song of Solomon the wife
As penman fam❜d belongs;
And, juttly for its facred rife,
Is nam'd, the Song of Songs.
[The Church's Words.]

2 With kiffes of thy mouth divine,
O let me favour'd be :

For better than the richest wine
Thy love appears to me.

3 Thy name like ointment fweet pour'd out
Doth all perfumes excell;

Hence virgin-fouls, the facred rout
Of faints, do love thee well.

4 O draw me with thy loving cord;
We will run after thee :

Lo! to his chambers deck'd, my Lord,
The King hath handed me.

In thee we'll joy; this love of thine
We'll mind, with more delight
Than all the bleffings of the vine:
Thou'rt lov'd by the upright.

5 O Salem's race, Im black o'ergrown,
As tents of Kedar were;

But comely too by grace I own,

As Soi'mon's curtains fair.

* Viz. of the large paraphrafe.

552

Ver. View not my scorch'd and fun-burnt face;

6

No beauty there you'll fee:

My mother churches angry race

Have roughly dealt with me.

Their hate and envy made me trudge,

Their vineyards to infpect;
And while at theirs I was a drudge,
Mine own I did neglect.

7 But thou, my foul's beloved One,
O tell me I request!

Where feedeft thou, and where at noon
Mak'ft thou thy flock to reft:

For why fhould I with forrow ftain'd,
As one led off the way,

Mong Hocks of thy companions feign'd
Be left to go aftray?

[Chrift's Words.]

8 Know't thou not, faireft of fair brides?
Go trace the feet of faints,

The flocks fair fteps, and feed thy kids
Befide the fhepherds tents.

9 My love, I have, to hold thee out
"Gainft foes that would thee wrong,
Made thee like Pharaoh's flately rout,
Of chariot-horfes ftrong.

20 Great comelinefs thy drefs bespeaks;
The graces all thee deck;
Rare jewel-rows adorn thy cheeks,
And golden chains thy neck.

1 My Father working ftill with me,
We will with pow'r divine,

More golden borders make for thee,
With ftuds of filver fine.

[The Church's Words.]

2 Lo! while the King of Zion crown'd,
Sits at his table head,

My fpikenard, flowing, doth around
Its grateful odour spread.

Ver. Like as of myrrh a bundle, lo!
My well-beloved Guest

13

Shall, all the night of fin and wo,
Within my bofom reft.

14 In vineyards fair of Engedi

Are camphire clusters fweet;
Much more is my Belov'd to me,
When he and I do meet.
[Chrift's Words.]

15 Lo! thou art fair; lo! thou, my love,
Art fair, without difguife;

The beauties of the modeft dove
Are in thy graceful eyes.

[The Church's Words.]

16 Nay, my Belov'd, who, me to fcreen,
Thy beauty put'st on me,

Thrice fair art thou; yea, what a green
And flow'ry bed have we !

17 The royal houfe of our repair
Hath beams of cedar ftrong,
With cypress galleries; and there
In flate we walk along.

CHA P. II.

The mutual Love of CHRIST and the Church, with

I

ber Hope and Calling; and CHRIST's Care of her, with the Profeffion of ber Faith and Hope.

[Chrift's Words.]

AM the rofe of Sharon fair,

To deck the field around;

The lily of the valley, there

To grace the loweft ground.

3 Among the daughters in the throng
My love, whom grace adorns,
Shines as the lily does among
The rugged hurtful thorns.
[The Church's Words.]

3 As th' apple-tree does far excel

Trees of the common wood;

So my Belov'd furpaffeth all

The fons of nobleft blood.

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