All that obstructs the effluence of grace.
Listen, oh listen to thy Church! who asks
Where by still streams thy vernal pastures spread,
That she may taste them, and her strength renew?
VER. 8.-"If thou knowest not, oh thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.'
And art thou still inquiring (f) for the way
Of holy calmness and increasing strength?
Thou, of thy race the fairest and the best-
The chosen of thy Lord! art thou not yet
Familiar with the rest thy Shepherd gives,
His living waters and his meadows green?
Oh, Church of little faith! and yet adorn'd
With gifts unspeakable, (g) excelling far
The loveliness of merely human worth!
But if thou know not, or can once forget,
I will enlighten thee-Go forth and trace
Imprinted footmarks, age by age impressed
On Canaan's pathway-on the narrow road
Of faith and holiness. Go forth and trace (h)
How prophets witness'd and how (i) martyrs bled!
Poor hunted sheep, whom cruel wolves pursued,
My presence (k) hid them though their foes provoked,
My comforts cheered them when (1) all others fled:
(ƒ) Heb. v. 12. (h) James v. 10. (k) Isa. li. 7.
(g) Phil. iii. 8.
(i) Heb. xi. 35-38.
(1) Rom. viii. 36-39.
They laid them down by the still streams of peace,
And heeded not the wrathful whirlwind's sound;
So rest at noon, so feed in pastures green,
So follow (m) in the footsteps of my flock.
Art thou alone-deserted-desolate ?
Consider well yon patriarchal track,
From home, (n) from kindred, from a spot endeared
By early recollections, to a land
Untried and unfamiliar, lone, estranged,
It led the father (o) of believers forth.
But there he met a promise-giving (p) God;
There, on his faithfulness confiding lean'd;
There from afar beheld Messiah's day.
Fear not to follow him, ye sons (q) of his,
In faith and in obedience. Though your path
Cross the dark mountains, you shall not be lost;
But calmly resting on your Father's love,
In tranquil (r) confidence, at last be blest
With faithful Abraham.
Or art thou placed
On dizzy (s) elevation? compass'd (t) round
With snares of luxury, with vain applause
Of fellow (u) grasshoppers for shining gifts
Of nobler intellect, or clothed with pomp
(m) 1 Cor. xi. 1; Phil. iii. 17; (n) Gen. xii. 1, 4, 5.
Gen. xv. 1; Heb. vi. 13.
Isa. xxvi. 3; xxx. 15.
Prov. xi. 28; 1 Tim. vi. 9, 17.
Isa. li. 1, 4; Rom. iv. 11, 12.
Gal. iii. 7; Rom. iv. 16.
Prov. xvi. 18; xviii. 12.
(u) John v. 44; xii. 43.
Of mere (x) official greatness? Lo! a path
Worn by the feet of one (y) who did esteem
Reproach with Christ a better portion far
Than sinful pleasure; and to suffer woe,
To drink the cup of pain and bitterness.
To bear fatigue, contempt, ingratitude,
Preferred to all the softness of a court,
Or all an earthly monarch's heritage.
Go (2) and do likewise! When some fair decoy
Of pride or honour would thy soul entice,
Tread in the steps of him who did refuse
To be the son of Pharaoh's royal house,
Content to suffer with the flock of God.
Toil for the better riches; choose that wealth
Which not eternity itself exhausts.
They must be grasped with sin-rejecting (a) hand;
They must be reached by sin-entrampling (b) feet;
They must be (c) digged for, round the Shepherd's tents—
The tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts;
The ordinances (d) blest where Christ presides,
And by his servants feeds (e) his waiting kids.
But above all, oh Christian traveller!
Remember that "the footsteps of the flock'
Tend all one way—all follow in one track—
The track the Saviour trod with aching feet,
(x) Acts xii. 21, 23.
(z) James iv. 10; 1 Pet. ii. 11. (b) 1 Pet. i. 13—15.
(d) Rom. x. 17.
(y) Heb. xi. 24, 26.
(a) Rev. xxi. 27.
(c) Prov. ii. 4, 5.
(e) 1 Pet. ii. 2.
And mark'd it with his blood! He (f) dying left
Holy example as his bright bequest;
And bears (g) his lambs, and gently leads the weak
To shades refreshing, and to herbage good.
Thus, oh inquirer! art thou taught the way; (h)
This is the path to rest and happiness.
Wilt thou not (i) walk, yea, diligently run,
With gladness run, (j) with
eager efforts press,
And vigour never wearied, on that course
My saints have joyed to travel hitherto ?
VER. 9.-"I have compared thee, oh my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots."
Thou art before me, oh my Church beloved! (Known and beloved (k) from all eternity); Thou art before me as a goodly troop
Of Pharaoh's chosen coursers.
They bear the chariots on with ardent pace,
As by one will impelled; (7) Intent with speed
To compass their appointed journeying,
Mocking at fear, and harnessed for the fight,
And in their strength rejoicing, (m) turn they back,
Or in the race slack swiftness, or lie down
Till reach'd the goal and won the victory?
(f) 1 Pet. ii. 21. (h) Isa. xxx. 21.
(1) Heb. xii. 1 (last clause). 1 Cor. ix. 24.
(g) Isa. xl. 11; lxiii. 9.
(i) Prov. iv. 26, 27.
(k) Eph. i. 4-6; 2 Tim. i. 9.
(m) Job xxxix. 19-25.
Shall then my true disciples fear the darts,
Though venom'd (n) darts, of their great enemy
Shall Jesu's warriors quail at the high looks
And (0) vaunting threats of them that would oppose ?
Will any sit supinely indolent,
When prayer (p) should nerve them for the onward rush,
And faith should (q) agonize to win the crown?
Shall those that did run (r) well be hindered sore,
When (s) perseverance only clasps the prize
Which grace has purchased, and which Christ bestows?
VER. 10.-"Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold."
Far be the retrograding thought from thee,
And far from thee the slackening diligence,
Chosen and cherish'd one! around whose neck (t)
Are (u) chains of purest gold. Sound wisdom there
Has placed her ornaments; thine open'd ear,
The wise (x) reproofs and precepts of thy God,
Like precious gems in golden case inwrought,
Joys to receive, and never parteth from.
And by celestial teaching thou art bent
To cast aside all other ornaments,
Counting them vanity if but thou win
The jewelry of grace-the (y) pearl of price,
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