My fond affections vehement In ways of grace divine, My willing people I provide Bright graces, princely charms: No chariot of Ammi-nadib, The heav'nly rapture can defcribe 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 O blame thy faithlefs heart, and now With confidence and without fear 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 Nay, lo! my bride (though apt fhe be I, on the field of battle, fee In warlike pomp and ftate. 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. Do fparkle, while thy walk, through grace, The fteps of thy affections clean, And converfation fair, Difplay a heav'nly, royal mein, The joints, that ftrength and motion do 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, So with thy fhining outward way, 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, Since grace transform'd the loathfome worm Thy infant-brood to ripeness grows, Which thy kind bowels feed, Like to a bowl that overflows 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, Verse 3. Thy two breafts are like two young roes that are twins t. Thy breafts of love refemble roes Thou op'neft frank a twofold breast, My children dear, nurs'd at thy fide, And plainly prove my beauteous bride 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 Rais'd and confpicuous, it attracts * 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; Thine eyes like Heflibon's clear fish-pools, 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, 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, † Or, crimson. |