O'er mountains to their mates they move,
They skip, they leap, they flee ;
With equal eafe, and fpeed, and love,
Hafte o'er the hills to me.
Though juftly thou retire and hide,
Thy favours ftand unmov'd;
I'll therefore own I am thy bride,
And thou art my Belov'd.
Hence shall dividing hills and rents
Between my foul and thee,
Be to my faith but arguments
To hafte thy march to me.
Let mighty hills, o'er much to go
Defies my feeble limbs,
Enhanfe the glory of the roe
That rocks and mountains climbs.
Difficulties fo huge to me
I never can remove,
Be but occafions fair to thee
To fhew thine active love.
Let rifing mountains hafte to view
Of all-furmounting might:
And ev'ning fhades, the falling dew
Of love, till morning light.
CHA P. III.
The Church's Fight and Victory in Temptation.-
She glorieth in CHRIST.
Ver. 1. By night on my bed I fought him whom my foul loveth: I fought him; but I found him net.
HEN fhadows dark, and mountains high,
WHEN
With ftern united might,
Confpir'd to hide him from mine eye
Whofe abfence is my night;
Upon my drowfy bed alone,
Amidt my flumbers toft,
I fought him; but my flothful mone
And lazy labour loft.
Love acting fuch a languid part,
I felt a ftrange difeafe;
An abfent Lord, a carelefs heart,
And reft without release.
Juftly the darling of my foul,
Still rolling in my mind,
Did my dull fuit again controul;
I fought; but could not find.
Verfe 2. I will rife now, and go about the city, in the Streets and in the broad ways; I will feek him whom my foul loveth: I fought him; but I found him not.
Since my Beloved won't be found
In fuch a fleepy road,
I'll roufe, and rife, and go around,
The city of my God.
More life and vigour than before,
Through grace, I will display;
And in my fearch frequent no more
This lazy, formal way.
But, fhaking off my drowly chains,
About his courts I'll move,
With more activity and pains,
To feek my dearest Love.
I'll ev'ry fecret corner trace,
And fearch the public street,
The ordinances of his grace,
Till I my Saviour meet.
In mere refolves I did not fift,
But fought him here and there;
Yet, ah! the God of Jacob mist,
Ev'n in the house of pray'r.
So much did former laziness
To prefent lofs redound,
That in the moft devout addrefs
He was not to be found.
3. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I faid, Saw ye bim whom my foul loveth.
Then was I (while I roam'd abroad)
By faithful watchmen found,
Who in the city of their God
Perform'd their painful round.
To whom I cry'd, with great respect,
"Ye pilots of the blind,
"Can ye my wand'ring fteps direct My dearest love to find?
"I hope, ye who with heav'nly art
"Still tread the holy ground,
"Well know the darling of my heart,
"And where he may be found.
"When my Belov'd is hid from you,
"What paths, what means of grace;
"What courfe do ye yourfelves purfue
"To fee his lovely face?
"Tell me, ye watchmen of the night,
"I pray you, tell me where
"Did ye efpy my foul's delight?
"That I may feek him there.
"O happy ftars, if ye might be
My guides to Jefus now!
"Seers, did ye my Saviour fee? Pray, tell me where and how?"
But, ah! no lips of faints, or priests,
My prefent plaint could ftay;
All were but dry and empty breafts,
While Jefus was away.
My teachers left me ftill in doubt,
While he withheld his grace;
Even when their doctrine found me out,
And touch'd my very cafe.
Though public means no prefent ftop
Put to my bleeding wound;
Yet, lo! the healing dew they drop
I foon in private found.
Verfe 4. It was but a little that I paffed from them, but I found him whom my foul loveth:
When public ordinances fail'd
In eafing my complaints; When little to my help avail'd,
Or minifters or faints:
When means and duties could not do,
Though useful in their place,
As open inns; and precious too,
As fweet canals of grace:
Yet, proving, as to fuccefs, weak,
Beyond them all 1 past,
A little further flep to make,
And found my Love at last.
When outward conduit-pipes could vent
No drop to help my need,
The little ftep I further went
Was to the fountain-head.
For paffing through the brittle reeds,
And but a little space;
And looking o'er the fervants' heads,
I faw the Master's face.
My truft in means did from them pass,
A higher rock to climb;
But through them, as the looking-glafs,
I fixt mine eyes on him.
How foon through gofpel telescopes
Faith did his glory spy;
Dismiffing all inferior hopes,
My heart purfu'd mine eye.
I found my foul's beloved chase,
In all his pleafing charms;
Then joyful flew to his embrace,
And grafp'd him in mine arms.
-I beld bim, and would not let him go,-
His prefence, which by faith and prayer,
I fought fo much to gain;
Now, when enjoy'd, with equal care
I labour'd to retain.
† Viz. firm, as a man doth his poffeffion.
I wept for joy to fee his face;
And, like a kindly bride,
Inclos'd him faft in mine embrace,
And preft him to abide.
His prefence did fuch blifs imply,
His abfence fuch a bane;
I now refolv'd that he and I
Should never part again.
I faw his fimiling face, where ftood
A thousand lovely charms;
And melted down into a flood
Of pleasure in his arms.
And, lighting now on Jacob's road,
Did equal fervour fhow;
I wept and wrestled with my God,
And would not let him go f.
In heat of battle for the blifs,
On pleafant Bethel plains;
I held him by his faithfulness,
The girdle of his reins.
And while I made his truth my fhield,
His word of grace my flay;
The God of Jacob deign'd to yield,
And could not fay me nay.
Of freedom great without offence
Allowing me my fill:
With holy, humble violence
I won him to my will,
-Until I had brought him into my mother's boufe, and into the chambers of ber that conceived me.
While fuch a banquet I enjoy'd,
Such pow'r with God in pray'r,
My court and moyen * I employ'd,
That others too. might fhare.
Rememb'ring, while I fuck'd the comb,
My flarving friends in jail;
I brought him to my mother's home,
His largeffes to deal;
† Gen. xxxii, 24.-28. Hof. xii. 4.
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