That all the relatives might tafte My prefent wondrous blifs, Who faint with famine in the wafte With ardent zeal befought I him, To let his bleffing fall On mystical Jerufalem, The mother of us all. 'Tis writ in Zion's infant-roll, This man and that man there I therefore beg'd, her offspring free His prefence to her houfe I fought, To ftrengthen what his hands had wrought, I pray'd him to my native home, As his belov'd refort; Nor did my Lord refufe to come I found, to my experience glad, Verfe 5. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerufalem, by the roes, and by the binds of the field, that ye ftir not up nor awake my love till be please *. My Lord does now his joyful reft In Zion's bofom take; Wo to the fin, th' unwelcome guest, This fweet repofe fhall break. + Pfalm lxxxvii. 5. * See Chap. ii. 7. the fame words; but here they relate to Christ's prefence in the church, the mother's houfe, that that be not marred. Ye daughters of Jerufalem, Take care you do not lofe the gem, While fome delight in hinds and roes, And from alarms would fhield Shall we awake our deareft Love, If fome affect the rural charms Shan't we our dearest darling hold Ye then that of my mother's house While he vouchfafes to be our guest, In love he comes and goes, and fo But woe to us, if off he go In wrath, againit his will. His will and pleasure is a law, To which we muft fubmit: But never tempt him to withdraw, Until he judge it fit. The COMPANIONS Words. Verse 6. Who is this † that cometh out of the wil Tbis, here, is in the feminine gender; q.d. Who is SHE that cometh up? &c. dernefs like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrb and frankincenfe, and all powders of the merchant? What bride is this, in bright aray, Unto the throne of God. See how her warm'd affections tow'r, As worthlefs of her care. Perfum'd with myrrh and incenfe fweet, Of which the merchant boasts, The CHURCH's Words. Verfe 7. Bebold bis bed which is Salomon's, + See Chap. i. 16. O friends, what mean you, with surprise, On mortal me to gaze? From borrow'd beauty turn your eyes To uncreated rays. Behold the King magnificent, Who me fo richly clad; Come, fee his equipage prepar'd, For there the bleffing heav'n commands, There, ftill remains, as prophets vouch, The Heir of heav'n's embroider'd couch This is my reft, here will I stay, On eafy downs of holy rest, The furniture and coft immenfe An infinitely greater Prince -Threefcore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Ifrael. Verfe 8. They all bold fwords, being expert in war; every man bath bis fword upon bis thigh, because of fear in the night. Behold the royal guard, to fence To fhew the fplendor of the Prince, The fafety of the bride. Rich. † Psalm cxxxii. 14. A num'rous hoft of nobler knights Than Solomon's brigade" Around his iv'ry bed. For, lo! the refling-place to guard .. The lowest rank that rails the bed Of thefe the faithful to their Prince But arm'd complete for bold defence, By long experiece skilful grown The word of God, to ftill the fears When nightly dread her quiet mar, And from the holy fpot debar The terrors of the night. Yea, Zion's King himfelf acclaims His blood, his word, his oath, his names The fentry is almighty wings, * For fubfidy prepar'd: What fleeping couch of earthly kings Can boast of fuch a guard? Amidst night-fhades that fear fuggeft, |