[The Church's Words.] Ver. So be't, for grace made me a wall; 10 Grace form'd my breasts tow'r high: Then found I (as my fifter fhall,) Great favour in his eye. II Here likewife our king Solomon, To keepers care (O be it shown) If each for fruit his Lord affigns [Cbriff's Words.] 12 My vineyard, Love, the object is [The Church's Words.] To thee O Solomon, I'll bring And while to thee alone pertains, [Chrift's Words.] 13 O thou that haft in gardens choice, As thy companions hear thy voice; So pleasant unto them and me, Is thy delicious strain, I'll joy how oft I hear from thee Nn4 [The Church's Words.] Ver. O hafte again, dear Lord, and be A fpeedy roe, or hart, 14 Upon the fpicy hills, that we PART IV. POEMS Selected from the Prophet ISAIAH,&c. INTRODUCTION. All Scripture is given by inspiration, and is profitable for instruction; and those paffages that are poetical are well calculated for gaining the attention, enlivening the affection, exciting devotion, and affisting the memory. Our Saviour divides the books of the Old Teftament into the Law, the Prophets, and the Pfalms, Luke xxiv. 44. which teaches us to diftinguish those books and paffages that are poetical. The prophetical writings abound with a variety of poctical compofitions. The Prophets of the LORD were themselves all holy men, vested with a divine miffion, had a great interest in, and intimacy with Heaven. Prophefy is venerable for its antiquity, for it came of old time; and to be efteemed for its excellence, being put for all divine revelation. All the prophets bare witness of Christ, and testified before-hand of his fufferings, and the glory that should follow. Of all the prophets none spoke fo clearly and fully of Christ, as the prophet Ifaiah; for which he is juftly ftiled, the evangelical prophet; and by fome of the antients, a fifth evangelift. The whole of his prophefy is tranfcendently excellent and useful, and contains much of the grace of the gofpel; and it abounds with more poetical paffages, facred odes, and evangelical fongs, than all the other prophets befides. And if thofe divine hymns and poetical paffages are viewed with proper attention, they will be found to have in them as lofty and sublime strokes of poetry as are to be met with; carrying in them a poetic force and flame, without a poetic fury and fiction; and ftrangely command and move the affections, without corrupting and putting a cheat upon the imagination; and are well adapted to gratify the car, edify the mind, captivate the heart, and yield both profit and pleasure. Of all this the following fongs will exhibit a fpecimen. SONG I. Morning and Evening Mercies to be acknowledged THY gifts, O God, of endless love, And morning mercies from above Ver. Thou fpread'ft the curtains of the night, We yield our pow'rs to thy command, The Day of Youth, and the Day of Judgment. REJOICE, ye ftriplings, vain and young, That full of frolics rove; Indulge your hearts, and eyes, and tongues, Tafte the delights your fouls defire, And pleasures you defign; [The judge will all your works record, Awake your fouls to fear! Wrath, to your follies due by law, Should ftrike your hearts with dread: The vice you hug will furely draw The vengeance on your head. Think how you'll bear that dreadful day, O give your mortal joys away SONG III. The young and old Sinner warned; and Death dreadful to the unconverted. Eccl. xii. 1.7. Ifa.lxv.20. Ver. YOUR Maker and Redeemer, God, 2 Mind ere the months come on, When you fhall fay, your youthful blood His duft defcends; his foul to God SONG IV. The Glory, Peace, and Piety of the Gospel Church, in the latter Days. Ifa. ii. 2,-6. N latter days, God's holy hill, IN His houfe fhall fo be rais'd, 'Bove hills and mountains high, as will 3 All nations then fhall thither flow Come let us up to Sion go, The houfe of Jacob's God. 4 He fhall, as Judge, his throne erect, To make them friends; or juftly check |