The Intercourses of Divine Love Betwixt Christ and His Church, Metrical version
The Firſt Chapter of the Song of Solomon paraphraſed, and turned into Engliſh Meeter, ſo as it may be Sung in the Ordinary Tunes, in which the Engliſh Pſalms are ſung.
I.
THE Kiſſes of thy Mouth (Dear Lord)V. 2. Let him kiſs me with the kiſſes of his mouth.
Let my Soul only have,
No Earthly thing I do deſire,
No worlds fine things I crave.Of thy mouth.
Let me thy Goſpel Doctrines have,
By them O ſpeak to me
So by thy Grace, that I in them
Thy ſpecial Love may ſee.
II.
A Kiſs Lord! is but a ſmall thing,
But a Love-token 'tis,
The Leaſt of that is Sweet to me,
Lord grant me but a kiſs.
One Kiſs is ſweet, but not enough:Kiſſes pl.
Let me more kiſſes have;
My wants are more than one, therefore
More Kiſſes I do crave.
III.
Thou haſt varieties of Grace
My Soul of wants as much:
For thy loves are better then Wine.As are my wants, my deareſt Lord,
O Let thy Loves be ſuch.
Drunkards are pleas'd with wine, but I
In it no taſt can find.
O Let me only know, that thou
To my poor ſoul art kind.
V. 3. Becauſe of the ſavour of thy good Ointments: thy name is as an ointment poured forth.IV.
The knowledge thou haſt given my ſoul
How much thy Loves are worth,
Above created things is that
Alone which draws it forth
In breathings after Thee. Thy Name
Is Ointment poured out,
Which with its fragrant ſmell perfumes
The places it about.
V.
Therefore do the Virgins love thee.Therefore the Virgins do thee love.
The undefiled mind
Can ſatisfaction no where elſe,
But in thee only find.
Every ſuch Virgin will thee love
And thee alone deſire.
Thy ſweeteſt Ointments fuel are
To feed that ſacred fire:
VI.
V. 4. Draw me, we will run after thee.Lord I ſhould come to thee: thou art
The term to which I move;
I ſhould (O Lord!) run after thee
In the ſcent of thy love.
But I can neither run nor come
Unleſs thou firſt me draw.
Either my luſts do me ſeduce,
Or Satan doth me aw.
VII.
Draw me.O put forth thine Almighty hand,
Let power, and love conſtrain
My feeble Soul to follow thee,
And with thee to remain.
Lay hand O Lord! upon my will,
Then I ſhall willing be:
Put ſtrength into my legs and I
Shall then run after thee.
VIII.
Run.—Lord move me firſt, then I ſhall move
And ſtand no longer ſtill,
Yea I ſhall move with ſtrength to do
What is thy ſacred will:
I ſhall not only move, but run,
Make haſt, and not delay,
To keep thy precepts, if that thou
Wilt help me in my way.
IX.
It ſhall be then my meat and drink
To do what thou requireſt.
Thou Lord ſhall then of me receive
Whatever thou deſireſt.
I ſhall nor faint, nor weary be,
But perſevering run,
Until the race be finiſhed,
Which my ſoul hath begun.
X.
My Lord! not I alone, but mine
Shall alſo follow thee:We will run.
I ſhall make known thy ways to all
That ſhall converſe with me.
Sinners by my example ſhall
Be turned to thy Grace,
When they ſhall hear, how thou to me
Haſt ſhewn thy pleaſant face.
XI.
My Soul melts, I did ſpeak but now
The King hath anſwered.The King hath brought me into his Chambers: we will be glad, and ejoice in thee.—
And me into his Chambers brought,
Unto his Royal Bed.
How doth my heart, now leap for joy?
How is my countenance glad?
My ſoul can now deſpond no more,
It can no more be ſad.
XII.
In thee, O Lord! I will be glad,
Thou art my only joy;
—We will remember thy loves more then Wine.Thy Loves I will remember, when
New troubles me annoy.
The ſavour of the worlds ſweet wines.
Is a poor tranſient thing.
But I ſhall ne're (I truſt) forget
The Love of Chriſt my King.
XIII.
In him all things excelling dwell,
Upright things, or Uprightneſſes love thee.They've choſen him their throne;
The Saints will him ſincerely love,
And will love him alone:
The more upright the greater love
They to the Lord ſhall bring.
Who loves them with the greateſt love,
And is the Lord, their King.
XIV.
V. 5. I am black but comely, O you Daughters of Hieruſalem! as the Tents of Kedar; as the Cartains of Solomon.You Daughters of Hieruſalem.
The City of my God,
You who in the ſame Church with me
Have taken your abode,
Upbrard me not, that I am like
The Coverings upon
Black Kedars Tents. I'm alſo like.
Curtains of Solomon.
XV.
I black am from my ſelf, but am
By Imputation white.
By th' firſt birth I am black and dark,
But; by a new birth Light.I am black but comely.
I black am in your curious Eye.
And in my own much more;
But white in my Beloveds ſight
Since he hath paid my ſcore.
XVI.
V. 6. Look not upon me becauſe I am black.Look not on me becauſe I'm black.
With a too curious Eye.
Nor with diſdain, nor let my black
Viſage you ſatisfy:
Much leſs diſ-colour you. Behold
(Siſters!) and pity me.
My Blackneſs is not my delight.
Ah! 'tis my miſery.
XVII.
Becauſe the Sun hath looked upon me: my Mothers Children were angry with me. They made me the Keeper of their Vineyards, but my own I have not kept.The Sun hath ſcorch'd me with its heat.
It is by that I am tann'd.
My Mothers Children alſo have
Touch'd me with unkind hand.
Their Vineyard they would have me attend;
Mine own I did not keep.
The envious one hath collied me
While I thus lay aſleep.
XVIII.
What Souls will not Afflictions tann,
If they be ſharp and long?
Or who is not diſcolour'd by
Temptations, if too ſtrong?
Worldly diſtractions ſpoil the look
Of a Religious mind,
But ah! through negligence I have
Been to my ſelf unkind.
XIX.
V. 7. Tell me O thou whom my ſoul loveth, where thou feedeſt, where thou makeſt thy flocks to reſt at noon.But O thou whom my ſoul loves beſt,
Tell me where thou doeſt uſe.
At noon to feed thy flock. At noon
Do not my Soul refuſe.
When as Afflictions ſcorch me moſt
Be thou at hand to me,
And teach my Soul at ſuch a time
How it may come to thee.
XX.
At noon, [the time when Shepheards are moſt at leiſure.]O thou Shepheard of Iſrael,
Let me but know the hour,
When moſt of thee I may enjoy,
Taſt moſt thy Grace and Power.
For why ſhould I be as one that turneth aſide by the flocks of thy Companions.By th' flocks of thy Companions,
I would not turn aſide.
With thee alone I would converſe;
Be thou (O Lord!) my guide.
V. 8. If thou know not O thou faireſt amongſt Women, go thy way forth by the footſteps of the flock, and feed thy Kids beſides the Shepheards Tents.XXI.
Thou faireſt ſhe! doſt thou not know
Where me at noon to ſee?
The footſteps of the flock will teach
Thee the right way to me.
Feed by the Shepheards Tents, for there
I ſhall moſt ſurely abide;
The Shepheards that derive from me
Shall be to thee a guide.
V. 9. I have compared thee O my Love, to a company of Horſes in Pharaoh's Chariots.XXII.
I have compar'd my love unto
The goodly company
Of Horſes which King Pharaoh draw,
Made ſtrong by Unity:
Of Horſes which march on to meet
The armed men, and ne're
Do from the glittering Sword turn head,
But mock at Cowards fear.
XXIII.
V. 10. Thy Cheeks are comely, with rowes of Jewels, thy neck with Chains of Gold.Thy Cheeks (my Love!) are comely made
With rowes of Jewels given
Thee, by my ſelf: Thy lovely neck
Adorn'd with Chains from Heaven.
I will yet give thee further graceV. 11. We will make thee borders of Gold with ſtuds of Silver.
Borders of Gold I'le make,
And ſpots of Silver thou ſhalt have
And for thine own them take.
V. 12. While the King ſitteth at his Table: my ſpikenard ſends forth the ſmell thereof.XXIV.
O may my deareſt Royal Lord
From's Table never ſtir.
How ſweetly doth my ſpikenard ſmell
While's that he ſitteth there.
Even his own Graces will not ſmell
When he is gone from me;
His Grace in me doth daily need
His Royal company.
V. 13. A bundle of Myrrh is my beloved unto me, he ſhall lye all night betwixt my breaſts.XXV.
My well-beloved is to me
Myrrh, in a bundle tyed.
More precious, medicinal, and ſweet
Than all the world beſide.
Betwixt my Breaſts he ſhall have place,
There he ſhall alwaies lye;
It is the place for poſies. There
I will this bundle tye.
V. 14. My beloved is unto me as a cluſter of camphire [or Cypreſs] in the Vineyards of Engaddi.XXVI.
Engaddi's Vineyards have their plants
Of Camphire [Cypreſs.] All
Are names too ſhort for me whereby
My Deareſt Lord to call.
My ſweet companion! thou art fair,
Thou lookeſt with Doves Eyes,V. 15. Behold thou art fair my Love, behold thou art fair, thou haſt Doves Eyes.
Eyes which both meek, and harmleſs are,
Not ſparkling Cruelties.
XXVII.
Thou haſt a ſatisfyed Soul,
A rich, contented mind,
A plain and clean, and lowly heart
Which is to others kind,
A tender heart, a mournful Eye,
Exceeding quick. Theſe are
The things which make me ſay again,
Thou art exceeding fair.
V. 16. Behold thou art fair my Beloved, yea pleaſant—XXVIII.
Nay (my Beloved!) thou art fair
My beauty is to thee
As nothing, worſe than nothing, 'tis
But meer deformity.
Thou fair art, and pleaſant too,
Thy converſation's ſweet.
Thrice happy ſouls to walk with thee
Whom thou doſt pleaſe t' admit.
XXIX.
Our Bed is green.When thou within my bed doſt lodge,
How ſoon it waxeth green?
When thou art gone, no fruitfulneſs
In it at all is ſeen.
Not a good work at ſuch a time,
Can my poor ſoul produce.
Not an heart chang'd in Churches, when
Thou art not in the Pewes.
V. 17. The Beams of our houſe are Cedar, and our rafters are Fir.XXX.
The Beams and rafters of thy houſe
Of Cedar are, and Fir.
Sweet, beautiful, and ſtrong they are,
Such as ſhall never ſtir.
Thy word, and Ordinances Lord,
Support thy Church for ever.
O let my Sins within thy houſe
Me ſever from it never.
CHAP. II.
V. 1. I am the Roſe of Sharon, the Lilly of the Vallies.MY deareſt Lord! I'm like the Roſe
Which Sharons fields doth grace:
Like th' Lilly of the Vallies, which
Doth beautify its place:
A flower, and the nobleſt flower
Which in the Fields doth grow;
My ſtructure, ſmell, and fruitfulneſs,
Thy Workmanſhip all ſhow.
II.
But Lord! I dwell i'th' common field,
And in the Vallies there.
To winds, and weather I'm expoſed:
I live in daily fear,
Leſt Sharons herds would me devour,
Or tread me under-foot:
And leave me nought to ſpeak me thine,
But only a true root.
V. 2. As the Lilly among Thorns, ſo is my Love amongſt the Daughters.III.
As Lillies are amongſt the Thorns,
So I my Love do ſee.
The Daughters of the peeviſh world
Are grievous Thorns to thee.
Yet thou art lovely there, and thriveſt,
The ugly Thorns commend
My faireſt Love and do improve
Her while they do her rend.
V. 3. As the Apple Tree amongſt the Trees of the Wood: ſo is my beloved among the Sons: I ſat down under his ſhadow, with great delight, and his fruit was ſweet to my taſt.IV.
My deareſt Lord it is enough,
Amongſt Thorns let me be;
If while I ſtand there thou wilt be
A ſhadow unto me.
Amongſt the barren Trees in Woods
Let me converſe, if I
Thee as an Apple Tree may have,
That there I do not die.
V.
Thy ſhade, thy pleaſant fruit ſhall be
To me enough for food:
And for protection too, while I
Traverſe th' untrodden wood.
I like an Hermite ſit, and ſing;
Thy Apples to my taſt
Do much excel what other Trees
Afford the world for maſt.
VI.
God manifeſted in the fleſh;
His fruit, &c.O how exceeding ſweet?
When infinite, and finite did
In one Redeemer meet.
Thy ſuffering being tempted is,
When tempted, my relief.
Saran would rob me of my all,
Thou haſt diſarm'd the Thief.
VII.
Lord thy compleat obedience
His fruit, &c.Unto thy Fathers will,
Is all relieves me, when I think
How often I do ill,
While I do good. But O thy death!
Who can deſcribe that fruit?
Which all my ſoul neceſſities
Exceeds while it doth ſuit.
VIII.
Thy Reſurrection, thine aſcending
Unto thy Fathers Th rone▪
Thy ſitting there, at his Right Hand
Thine interceſſion:
How ſweet they are? And then to think
That thou again wilt come
To Judgment, not me to condemn,
But only fetch me home.
IX.
Thy fruit, &c.Thine Ordinances Lord, in which
Thy loves thou doſt diſplay,
The Hony, and the Hony-Comb,
Are not ſo ſweet as they.
The Spirits ſacred fruit, thoſe ſweet
Influxes of thy Grace,
Are what alone me patient make
Of ſublunary place.
V. 4. He brought me to the banquetting houſe, and his banner over me was Love.X.
Theſe things my houſe of mourning turn drop,
Into an houſe of Wine;
Wine not which from Earths Grapes doth
But from thee, the true Vine.
Thy Love O Lord thy Banner is
O're me, and makes men ſee;
Men who thee hate, I do'nt belong
Unto their company.
XI.
Thy Loves thy Banner, teaching me
Where to reſort, when move;
When I fight for a Victory,His banner, &c.
Then I diſplay thy Love:
'Tis that unites me unto thee,
And every one that's thine,
Where e're thoſe colours I but ſee,
I run to them as mine.
XII.
Protection I from them expect.
Mine Enemies are afraid,
As ſoon as they ſee over me
Thy Banners are diſplaid.
You Daughters of Hieruſalem,
My heart is ſick for love,
I cannot live without your help,
O to my poor ſoul move.
V. 5. Stay me with Flag-gons, comfort me with Apples, for I am ſick of Love.XIII.
My deareſt Lord hath left with you,
Flaggons, and Apples too.
O reach me ſomething left I dye;
Unto the Scriptures go,
Out of thoſe Fats draw out ſome Wine,
And quickly bring it me:
Bring me his Apples, why ſhould you.
Your Lords Spouſe dying ſee?
XIV.
I ſhall not dye, but live, for he
V. 6. His left hand is under my head: and his right hand doth imbrace me.Hath put under my head
His left hand, or his right hand ſhall
Imbrace me in my bed:
'Tis he alone my aking head
Can hold, and give relief:
They'r his imbraces only can,
Aſſuage my poor ſouls grief.
XV.
How ready is he me to help!
I did but cry, he heard:
His left hand hath ſecured me,
As to the thing I fear'd:
His right Hand ſoon ſhall follow it,
And wholly me releaſe:
His right, and left hand both ſhall join
My love ſick ſoul to eaſe.
V. 7. I charge you O you Daughters of Hieruſalem, by the Roes, and by the Hinds of the field, that you ſtir not up, nor awake my Love until he pleaſe.XVI.
O Daughters of Hieruſalem,
I charge you by the Roes,
And by the Hinds, the friendly Hinds,
Which ſo much love diſcloſe
One to another▪ Do'nt provoke
My Love, till he withdraw;
By my example wiſdom learn,
Sin not, but ſtand in awe.
XVII.
You live amongſt the Roes and Hinds,
Learn not their wantonneſs.
You'l want the hand of my dear Lord,
When you are in diſtreſs.
Judgment for Sin will come as faſt,
As if the Roes it brought.
Do not ſtir up your Lord at reſt,
By one rebellious thought.
V. 8. The voice of my beloved: Behold he cometh leaping upon the Mountains, and skipping upon the Hills.XVIII.
Hark! it is my Beloved's voice:
He comes, he comes to me,
Leaping upon the Mountains, him
Skipping upon th' Hills I ſee.
He's my Beloved, though not here,
I know his pleaſant voice,
And though I ſee him not, his found
Makes my heart to rejoice.
XIX.
He comes; The Mountain of my Sins
I ſee lies in his way:
He leapeth o're that mountain, and
It cauſeth no delay.
He skippeth o're the little hills
Of Creatures oppoſition:
That he may come to my relief,
In my diſtreſt condition.
XX.
I ſee him coming; O let me
The glorious ſight behold,
With th' Eye of hope behold him, and
V. 9. My Beloved is like a young Roe, or a young Hart: Behold he ſtandeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, ſhewing himſelf through the L atteſs.With th' Eye of Faith more bold.
He comes like a young Hart or Roe,
Nimbly, and pleaſantly:
Behind the wall he ſtandeth, when
In my diſtreſs I cry.
XXI.
In at the Windows ſee he looks,
And through the Latteſs ſees
Both my behaviour, and withal
My ſad Calamities.
The Latteſs (Lord!) doth give to me
But an imperfect ſight:
O break it down, appear to me
In a more glorious light.
V. 10. My beloved ſaid unto me. Riſe up my love, my fair one, and come away.XXII.
I hear him ſay, Riſe up my Love,
My faireſt one ariſe,
And come away, for I have now
Put off my dark diſguiſe:
V. 11. For loe the Winter is paſt, the Rain is over and gone.The Winter, and the Rain are gone,
The pleaſant Flowers appear
Upon the Earth, the ſinging Birds
Do greet the ſpringing year.
V. 12. The Flowers appear on the Earth, the time of the ſinging of the Birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land.XXIII.
The harmleſs Turtles pleaſing voice
Is heard on every Tree.
The Fig-trees puts forth her green figs,
The Vines ſmell pleaſantly.
Ariſe, my Love! Thou faireſt one
Make haſt, make no delay,
'Tis a fit ſeaſon of the year:
Ariſe! and come away.
XXIV.
Black ſtorms of perfecution
Have kept thee much at home:
The ſtorms are over, nothing now
Hinders, but thou mayſt come.
The Goſpel Turtles which lay hid
In Corners, now come forth:
All have a Goſpel liberty
To ſing their Saviours worth.
V. 13. The Fig-tree putteth forth her green Figs, and the Vines with the tender grapes give a good ſmell. Ariſe my love, myfair one, and come away.XXV.
See how the Saints bud out in grace,
How gracious fruits abound
Upon this liberty, for all
To hear the joyful ſound.
Ariſe you who yet ſleep in Sin,
Make haſt to come, and live:
O go not on preſumptuouſly,
My Spirit yet to grieve.
XXVI.
The Summer will not always laſt,
Your day of Grace will end;
Come to me while I call, and am
Ready to be your Friend.
Diſcourag'd Souls ariſe, and thick
To my aſſemblies come;
The weather's good, doors ope you have
No plea to ſtay at home.
V. 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock, in the ſecret place of the Stairs, let me ſee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for ſweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.XXVII.
My Love! who to the rocks dark clefts
Of late didſt trembling fly,
And under ſtairs ſecret place,
Choſe for thy Covert lye.
Purſu'd by Vultures, now come forth,
Thy Countenance let me ſee,
For it is comely, and thy Voice
Is pleaſant unto me.
V. 15. Take us the Foxes, the little Foxes that ſpoil the Vines, for our Vines have Tender Grapes.XXVIII.
The Foxes which have ſpoil'd the Vines,
The Vines with tender Grape,
Come forth, and take them now for me;
Let not a young Cubb ſcape.
They ſhall no longer ſpoil my Vines,
Chaſe them into their Den:
I'le be revenged on thy luſts,
And on malitious men.
V. 16. My Beloved is mine, and I am his, he feedeth among the Lillies.XXIX.
I know that my Beloved's mine;
I know that I am his:
This is my Triumph, this my Joy,
My chiefeſt happineſs.
Had not he made himſelf firſt mine,
His I had never been:
He firſt remov'd my guilt, and then
Purged my Soul from ſin.
XXX.
'Midſt white, and fruitful Lillies he
Loves to converſe and feed;
O let my Soul a Lilly be,
V. 17. Until the day break, and the ſhadows flie away, turn my beloved, and be thou like a Roe, or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Bether.No more a barren Weed.
Until the glorious morn ſhall break,
And ſhadows flee away,
O let my glorious Lord be mine,
And I ne're from him ſtray.
XXXI.
Turn (my Beloved!) to my Soul,
Be like a pleaſant Roe:
Or like the nimble Harts, which do
On Bethers Mountains go.
In my diſtreſſed State O Lord,
Let me not be forgot,
Make haſt, and turn, and let me feel
Thee, while I ſee thee not.