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Embracing faith is here, to meet

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

With floods of joyful tears.

Love, joy, and all the heav'nly train,
Old fruits with new increase,
Laid up in ftore 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 fulnefs got
Is for thy glory stor❜d.

'Tis thine to plant, and prune, and dress;
Thou mak'ft the garden grow:

In thee my all I ftill poffefs,

To thee my all I owe.

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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 Words.

Verse 1. O that thou wert as my brother, that fucked the breafts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kifs thee; yea,* Ifbould not be defpifed.

So fweet I find thy heav'nly charms,

Still more and more I bode;

And long to clafp within my arms

A whole incarnate God.

O would thou as my brother wert,
My mother's fucking child!
I'd kifs and hug thee in my heart,
And fhould not be revil'd.

Heb. They fball not defpife me.

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Yea, in the op'nest, patent place,
Without a blufh through fhame,
I would with joyful arms embrace
The babe of Bethlehem.

Hell could reproach thy church of old,
That lov'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 higheft room,
And joy beneath his fhade,

That deign'd to blefs the virgin's womb,

And human nature wed.

My God's my brother now in dress;

And if he would allow't,

Though hell fhould mock my fond carrefs,
I'd openly avow't.

Verse 2. I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's boufe, who would inftruct me: I would cause thee to drink of the Spiced wine, and of the juice of my pomegranates.

I would attend and ufher thee

Into my mother's home;

Then would her courts inftructive be,!
For light with pow'r would come.

Her children would thy glory fee,

Did they thy prefence fhare :

And I for entertaining thee

Would bring my choiceft fare.
To fpiced wine with 'granates juice
I would thee welcome make;
And greatly would my heart rejoice,
Were't better for thy fake.

Well were the feaft beftow'd on thee;

For thine my graces are,

Who, when thou comes to feed with me,
Doft bring along the fare.

+ Ifa. ix. 6.

Verfe 3. His left-band * fhould be under my bead, and bis right-hand fhould embrace me †

Lo! he defcending from above,

In anfwer to my pray'r,
Enfolds me in his arms of love,
To fhew his tender care.
His left-hand for my fupport he
Beneath my head does place;
Then, for my comfort, lends he me
His right-hand's foft embrace.
His prefence brings a filver fhow'r
Of bleffings from above;

I'm clofely guarded with his pow'r,
And girded with his love.

For my folace 'gainst fin and death,
I feel his glad'ning charms;
And, for my fafety, underneath
His everlasting arms.

O welcome bleft and happy hour,
When he unvails his face;
I'm then fupported by his pow'r,
Comforted by his grace.

Ӧ

Verfe 4. I charge you, O daughters of Jerufalem, that ye ftir not up, nor awake my Love until be pleafe. O Salem's daughters, now, I pray,

And charge you, ftand in awe
T'awake my Love, or any way
Provoke him to withdraw.

This heav'nly quiet marr not ye
With loud offenfive noife;

Why fhould you rob yourselves and me

Of fuch uncommon joys!

His fimiles are free, he comes and gocs;

The happy hour is this:

Why fhould you prove fuch wretched foes,

To interrupt the blifs!

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See these words more largely fpoken to, Chap. ii. 7. and iii. 5. Heb. Why fould you flir up? or, why awake, &c.

My glorious Lord now refts within
Mine arms of faith and love;
I charge myself, my heart, my fin,
Not once to ftir or move.

While he allows his vifit fweet,
Let none his reft annoy;

O may I never grieve his Sp'rit,
Nor fin away my joy!

The COMPANIONS Words.

Verle 5. (Who is this that cometh up from the wilder

nefs, leaning upon her Beloved?)—

What fair and lovely bride is this!
Though preft with griefs and fins,
Yet trav'lling from the wilderness,
On her Beloved leans!

How boldly does fhe in his name,
And in his ftrength go on,
All other righteoufness disclaim,
And mention his alone?
His wings bear up her foul aloft,
'Bove all that can moleft:

His bofom is the pillow foft

On which her head doth reft

Lo! how on his almighty arms
She can her cares unload;
And march through all oppofing 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.

Afcending from the wildernefs
Of forrow, fin, and thrall;

And, ftrongly bent for heav'nly blifs,
She leaves the dufky ball.

The CHURCH's Words.

I raised thee up under the apple-tree: there thy
mother brought thee forth; there she brought thee
forth that bare thee.

+ Thee in the Hebrew has the mark of the mafculine gender.

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To mens applaufe, with mighty maze,
What fmall regard is due?

But, Lord, with thee, who art my praise,
Let me my fuit perfue.

Such fweet experience, Lord, I had
Beneath the apple-tree;
Under thy fhadow ftill I'm glad
Alone to meet with thee.

I rais'd thee up in fecret pray'r,
Thy joyful help to yield:
For by thy grace I wreflled 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 faints beneath thy fruitful shade,
Thy beauteous likeness wore;
They that in forrow travail'd had,
In joy thine image bore.

Thy fhadow thus to them and me
Such pleasure does afford,

That more and more I long to fee
Thy glory there, O Lord.

Verfe 6.

Set me as a feal upon thine beart,

as a feal upon thine arm :

Grant, Lord, my name engrav'd may be
Upon thy heart and breast;
And fo infure thy love to me,
My glorious God and Priest.
O fet me ftedfaft as a feal
Upon thine arm divine,

And by confirming marks reveal
Thy mighty love is mine.

Grant alfo, Lord, my love to thee

May firmly be impreft:

And let thy name my fignet be
Deep ftamp'd upon my breast.

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