-Bebold, be ftandeth bebind our wall; be lookeb forth at the windows, fhewing † bimfelf through the lattefs.

*

Come, friends, admire how he renews
The vifits of his grace,

And in what various forms he fhews
The beauties of his face.

His darkest ways will prove him kind;
For, when he hides at all,
He goes not far, but ftands behind.
Our own partition-wall.

Though we alas! do build up high
The hiding wall of fin:
Yet he behind it, very nigh,
Stands ready to come in.

His feet no reft can elsewhere take,
But skipping, leaping, move,
Till me the refting-place he make,
And centre of his love.

And though, while in this diftant place,
This vale of fin and thrall,
There's ftill between me and his face
A thick, a dark'ning wall;

Yet diftance alters not his love,

Nor ought abates his care,

Which force him through the wall to move,

And make a window there :

That there, as through a window-glafs
However dark and dim,
His eyes of love to me may pass,
Mine eye of faith to him.

Through latteffes that light divide,
Through glorious gofpel-lines,

A vail of flesh, a pierced fide,
His love, his beauty fhines.
Thus, like a beauteous flow'r in spring,
He fhews himself in ftate,
Before the window flourishing,
And growing through the grate.

*Or rather, locketb in.

+ Heb. Flourishing.

Verfe 10. My Beloved fpake, and faid unto me; Rife up, my love, my fair one, and come away *.

When my beloved Jefus nigh

Did to my foul appear,

His matchlefs beauty charm'd mine eye,
His gracious words mine ear.

Why, though the fweeteft favours given
Are in his felt embrace;

Yet fureft intercourfe with heav'n
Is by his word of grace.

I'll therefore fing the words he said,
And his alluring art,
Who me no filent vifit made,

But fpake into my heart.

The joyful found my foul reftor'd,
And heal'd to that degree,

I never will forget his word
By which he quick❜ned me.
"Rife up, faid he, my pleasant bride,
"And leave what thee annoys;
Lay killing fears and damps afide,
"And fhare my quick'ning joys.
My love! there is no fpot in thee
"But what my grace fhall hide;
"Thou art, and evermore fhalt be,

My fair and comely bride.

"And fince thou'rt mine by folemn tye,

"And I'm fo fond of thee, "It ill becomes thee to be fhy

"And carry ftrange to me.

"Are mortal pleasures worth thy stay?

"Fly from their dying arms;

"Hafte to my bofom, come away,

"And share immortal charms.

Verfe 11. For, lo! the winter is past, the rain is over

and gone.

See Verse 13.

"Come love, faid he, for now thy way

"Is pleasant, fafe, and plain: "Behold a fair, inviting day,

"And heav'n above ferene.
"Fear not the ftorm; for, ere I gave
"The gracious call to thee,
"Fair weather I commanded have,
"And calm'd the raging fea.
"Thou haft no dang'rous winter-flight,
"No drop of wrath to dread;
"The ftorm did with a vengeance light
"Down on thy Surety's head.
"So full did I my charge perform
"Once in thy room and place,
"That now no killing wrathful storm
"Can blow upon thy face.

"Tempeftuous wrath and death is past,
"Stern juftice is appeas'd;
"Since I courageous bore the blast,
"All Heav'n is fully pleas'd.
"I call thee not to fight and bleed,
"But, free of pain and toil,
"To follow thy victorious Head,
"And gather in the spoil.

"Yea, winter of defertion's past,

"And rain of trouble o'er,

"While by my prefence now thou haft

"An antepaft of glore.

Verse 12. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the finging t of birds is come.

"Come, come; for now beloved bride,

By warming beams of grace,

"The youthful fpring with flow'ry pride "Looks fmiling in thy face.

* Or, foretafte.

The word rendered

+ Heb. The time of finging is come.
finging, fignifies alfo to prune, or crop.

"See lapfed nature's curfed earth,

Nipt with a winter-fall,

"Now bleft with buds of heav'nly birth
"And flow'rs around the ball.

"See Adam's dry and blasted root,
"Where briers and thorns were rife,
"Now bud and bear unfading fruit
"Unto immortal life.

"Lo! heav'n appears upon the ground
"Where hell grew up apace;
"While earthly hearts do now abound
"With heav'nly flow'rs of grace.
"The fading trees of righteousness
"Refume their fruitful life,
"While I the branches lop and dress,
"And blefs the pruning knife.
"The prefent time of peaceful fpring
"From wintry blufters free,
"Invite the heav'nly birds to fing

-And the voice of the turtle is beard in our land.

"Lo! now is heard the heav'nly Dove,
"The facred Turtle's voice;
"The joyful found of grace and love
"Makes drooping hearts rejoice.
"Refounding echoes through the plain
From all my little doves,
"That in the valleys mourn amain,
"Melodious mufic proves.

"Their hearts that could nor joy nor mourn,
"So clofe bound up and pent,
"Have now upon their Lord's return,

"A joyful, mournful vent.

"As loving friends, long distant, do

"Moft joyful meet their wish,

"Whofe forrows during abfence, now

66

Diffolving, bleed afresh:

By the turtle, fome understand the Spirit, fome the bride.

"So wrestling tribes, in chearful mones, "Their Lord approaching wait,

"With joyful hearts, yet mournful tones, "As turtles meet their mate.

"Sweet founds, alluring all that lift,

"Are heard on every hand, "Around the field that I have bleft,

"And ftil'd Immanuel's land.

Verse 13. The fig-tree putteth forth ber green figs, and the vine with the tender grape give a good Smell.

"Now, now is the accepted time,
"When heav'nly plants of grace
"All preffing forward to their prime,
"And thriving, grow apace.

"The figs, though yet unripe for meat,
Appear in green array:

"Young grapes unripe for drink, yet sweet "And fav'ry fcents convey.

"With joy the early fprigs I fee,

"The young and tender race;
"And view with pleasure in mine eye,
"The fmalleft buds of grace.

"Yea, lo! the well-advanced fpring
"Does in abundance now,
"Not only flow'rs for pleasure bring,
"But fruits for profit too.

"The living vine inceffant does

་

To ev'ry branch dispense,

"Moft fweet and odorif'rous juice, "From ftreams of hell to fence. "Are ferpents faid to flee the fmell

་ Of vines with fear and dread? "Perfumes of Heav'n's true Vine repell "Th' old ferpent and his feed.

-Arife, my love, my fair one, and come away. "Rife, drooping bride, while fpring fo fweet, "In place of winter fnell,

"Does thus by various charms invite "Thine eyes, and ears, and fmell.

* See Verse 10.