What Beauty should command my Love,
Like what in Chrift I fee

5 Away, ye falfe delusive Toys,
Vain Tempters of the Mind!
"Tis here I fix my lafting Choice,
And here true Bliss I find.

LXXVI. The House and Feaft of Wisdom. Prov.

SEE

ix. 1-6.

the fair Structure Wisdom rears,
Her Meffengers attend;

And, charm'd by her persuasive Voice,
To her your Footsteps, bend.

2 "Hear, me, ye fimple ones (fhe cries);
"That lur'd' by Folly ftray,
"And languish to eternal Death
"In her detefted Way.

3

4

"Enter my hofpitable Gate,

"And all my Banquet fhare;

"For heav'nly Wine furrounds my Beard,

"And Angels Food is there.

"Freely of every Dainty tafte;

"Tafte, and for ever live;

"And mingle with your Joys the Hopes

"Of all a GOD can give.

5" But if, feduc'd by Folly's Arts, "Ye feek her pois'nous Food,

"Know, that the dreadful Moment haftes, "Which pays the Feast with Blood."

* Seduced.

LXXVII.

LXXVII. The Excellency of the Righteous, with re gard to their Temper. Prov. xii. 26-. Part 1ft.

I HOW glorious, LORD, art Thou!
How bright thy Splendors fhine!

Whose Rays reflected gild thy Saints.
With Ornaments divine.

2 With Lowliness and Love,
Wisdom and Courage meet ;-
The grateful Heart, the chearful Eye,
How rev'rend and how fweet!

3

4:

In Beauties fuch as these,

Thy Children now are dreft;

But brighter Habits fhall they wear

In Regions of the Bleft.

In Nature's barren Soil,

Who could fuch Glories raife ?

We own, O GOD, the Work is thine,

And thine be all the Praife.

LXXVIII. The Excellency of the Righteous, with regard to their Relations, Employments, Pleasures, and Hopes. Prov. xii. 26-. Part 28.

L Ifrael, thou art bleft;

Who may with thee compare!

Thine Excellencies ftand confefs'd;

How bright thy Glories are!

2

O GoD of Ifrael, hear,

And make this Blifs our own ;;

Make

3

Make us the Children of thy Care,
The Members of thy Son.

Thus honour'd, thus employ'd,
By these great Motives fir'd,
Be Paradife on Earth enjoy'd,

And brighter Hopes infpir'd.

4

Thy People, LORD, we love; Their GoD our Souls embrace; So may we find, in Worlds above Among thy Saints a Place.

LXXIX. Walking with GOD; or, Being in his Fear all the Day long. Prov. xxiii. -17.

1 THRICE happy Souls, who born from Heav'n, While yet they fojourn here,

Thus all their Days with GoD begin,
And spend them in his Fear!

2 So may our Eyes with holy Zeal
Prevent the dawning Day;

And turn the facred Pages * o'er,
And praise thy Name and pray.

3 'Midft hourly Cares may Love present
Its Incenfe to thy Throne ;

And while the World our Hands employs,
Our Hearts be thine alone.

4 As fanctified to nobleft Ends
Be each Refreshment fought;

The holy Scriptures.

And

And by each various Providence
Some wife Inftruction brought.
When to laborious Duties call'd,
Or by 'Temptations try'd,

We'll seek the Shelter of thy Wings,
And in thy Strength confide.

6 As diff'rent Scenes of Life arife,
Our grateful Hearts would be
With Thee, amidst the focial Band,
In Solitude with Thee.

7 At Night we lean our weary Heads
On thy paternal Breast ;
And, fafely folded in thine Arms,
Refign our Pow'rs to rest..

8 In folid pure Delights, like these,
Let all my Days be paft;
Nor fhall I then impatient wish,
Nor fhall I fear the laft.

1 NOW let the Sons of Belial* hear
The Thunders of the LORD;

Unfold their long rebellious Ear,
And tremble at his Word.

2 Now let the Iron Sinew bow,
And take his easy Yoke;

Left fudden Vengeance lay it low
By one refiftlefs Stroke.

* Difobedient rebellious Perfons.

3

Tho' yet the great Physician wait,
And healing Balm be found,

One Hour may feal their endless Fate,
And fix a deadly Wound.

4 Swift may thy Mercy, LORD, arife,
Ere Juftice ftop their Breath;
And lighten those deluded Eyes,
That fleep the Sleep of Death.

LXXXI. GOD's reasonable Expectations from bis Vineyard. Ifaiah v. 1-7.

1 THE Vineyard of the LORD, how fair!
Planted by his peculiar Care:

Behold its Branches fpread, and fill
The Borders of his facred Hill.

2 His Eye hath mark'd the chofen Ground;
His mighty Hand hath fenc'd it round;
His Servants by his Order wait,

To watch and aid its tender State.

3 But when the Vintage he demands
For all the Labour of their Hands,
What Clufters doth his Vine produce,
The Grapes are wild, and four the Juice.

4

Well might he tear its Fence away,

And leave it to the Beafts of Prey,
Might give it to the Wild again,

And charge his Clouds to cease their Rain.

5 But fpare our Land, our Churches fpare, Thy Vengeance long-provok'd forbear.

Let