"WHY sleep ye? arise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."-LUKE Xxii. 46.
"Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High-priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.”HEBREWS iii. 1.
"Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God! is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” -HEBREWS i. 8.
VER. 1.-"I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse; have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk; eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, Ŏ beloved."
ALREADY am I come my sister, spouse !
Already to my garden am I come;
Were I not with thee, thou hadst not invoked
As thy chief good the nearness of thy King; (c)
Thy prayer accomplished (d) gave thee power to pray!
Yes, I am coming, when the trumpet's tone
Shall rend creation and my saints arise! (e)
Yes, I am coming-when a startled world
Shall visibly behold the King she spurned, (f)
Yes, I am coming, when the earth is ripe-
То reap her dreadful vintage! (g) At an hour
(c) 1 Cor. viii. 3. (d) 2 Cor. iii. 5. (f) 1 Thess. v. 3; 2 Pet. iii. 10.
(e) 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. (g) Rev. xiv. 14—16.
Near or afar-but marked indelibly
In wisdom's statute-book! (h)
I walk amid the golden candlesticks, (i)
I gather in my garden (k) though unseen-
I gather now and have been gathering still
Through every age since I enclosed its bounds-
The plants for my delight: (1) my myrrh, my spice,
(I claim them as exclusively my own)
My spouse, my sister, I have thus enjoyed.
Ah! in what rugged and neglected spots
Passed over in thy culture, often grew
Unnoticed and unknown to all but me,
The richest fruits-humility and love, (m)
The myrrh of penitent and contrite hearts (n)
The spices exquisite of trust and praise-(0)
Grief was a wine-press forcing the rich juice
Of grapes I watched maturing from the bud:
Bruised, they gave forth the wine of thankful love: (p)
Despised or disappointed, "it is well,"
Was all the sufferer's utterance. Drank I not
Holy enjoyment in those crushed down saints?
Milk too I tasted—many a tiny cup
(k) Matt. xxviii. 20. ("Lo, I am with you always," &c.) (2) Psa. cxvi. 15; Heb. xi. 13. (m) Mark xiv. 3-9; Luke xxi. 3, 4. (n) Luke vii. 37, 38, 44, 46. (0) Matt. xv. 25-28; Acts xvi. 25. 2 Thess. iii. 4; Rev. ii. 2, 3, 9, 10.
Was filled to overflowing for my joy
With thoughts and promises of Holy Writ, (q)
(Sustaining, shielding, promises and thoughts)
The weak may relish and the strongest need;
Nor only from the small and simple cup
Of infant piety, and those which held
Like bounded quantity though pure and true-
From flagons (r) also where elaborate skill
Spent all endeavours to adorn and gild,
Milk was my offering still. My Father's word
Earnestly studied (s) carefully retained,
Believed, beloved, securely trusted in—
Rejoiced my spirit while supporting their's
Who blest with noblest intellectual gifts,
If still unsanctified, but deemed them "loss." (t)
Nor lacking was my honeycomb-replete
For present use and future benefit—
Stored-up experience of God's faithful help (u)
As full of sweetness in the hour of need,
Shared with my people I have feasted on,
When in afflictions they resorted there (v)
Where lay the treasure for such winter dearth.
And still my garden bears its produce rich!
However shared, 'tis like the widow's cruse, (w)
(q) 2 Chron. xxxiv. 1, 2, 19—21; 2 Tim. iii. 15.
(s) Acts xvii. 11; 1 Thess. i. 5, 6. (u) Ps. xl. 1-3; Isa. lxiii. 7.
(v) Jonah ii. 7; John xvi. 33. (w) 1 Kings xvii. 16; Isa. lxvi. 10.
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