And strong ungodliness? Alas, alas,
For those who in that faithful mirror see
No image of their own deformity,
For with (g) disorder'd vision do they look
And film obstructed sense who see not there
How in their flesh (h) dwells not one holy thought;
No, nor (¿) sufficiency for one good work,
But, like a worthless bow, (j) far warp'd aside
From its fair arch of early usefulness,
And thrown dishonoured from the Maker's hand,
Man's perfect nature once, now marred and bent
Is dark with gather'd foulness! In his heart
Is that embitter'd fountain, whence proceed
All (k) evil thoughts, all life-debasing crimes.
And as in (1) water face with face agrees,
So man, howe'er diversified to man,
Is vile-is black-one universal blot,
As look'd upon by Him whose (m) eyes of flame
Abhor (n) iniquity: as seen by God
In the (o) first Adam, unrenewed by grace.
"Black as the tents of Kedar" which inclose
Hagar's wild children, the self-viewing church
Acknowledges herself, inmated still
By restless pride that spurns the check of law,
And strife unholy; (p) busy with the sword
Of hot contention and resentment quick;
2 Cor. iv. 4.
Ps. lxxviii. 57;
Prov. xxvii. 19.
Rom. viii. 7, 8.
(h) Rom. vii. 18.
Hosea vii. 16.
(m) Rev. xix. 12.
(p) Gen. xvi. 12.
(i) 2 Cor. iii. 5.
(k) Mark vii. 21, 23.
(n) Hab. i. 13.
And (q) self-enjoyment roaming thro' the paths
Of nature's wilderness; content to dwell
Far from the presence of the living God.
Black as the tents of Kedar, and ashamed
Of filthy (r) garments cleaving to her still,
Yet-in her Saviour comely-fair to view
As the rich curtains of the regal tent
Where the true Solomon vouchsafes to dwell.
Comely in Jesus! yea, (s) complete in Him,
Who for her sins (t) was sin; (u) cloth'd with wrought gold, And vested with a righteousness divine.
VER. 6.—“ Look not upon me, for I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept."
Yet still she shrinks lest thro' her costly veil
Some eye of scrutiny should see herself.
Or deem, by her own (x) power and holiness
The fruits of love were strewed about her path,
"Look not on me," she cries, "for I am black;"
Beams from above with penetrating force
Reveal'd my dark condition to myself,
The true light shone, and show'd me all my guilt.
The (y) Ethopian's skin by burning suns
Tinged with an ebon dye, remains unchanged,
And so for ever would remain the soul
Accustom'd long to evil and its ways
But for miraculous, almighty grace-
Look not on me unworthy of renown,
In (2) dust and ashes I myself abhor.
But look on Him in whom (a) I live and move,
With (b) new-born freshness and the life of youth;
Look on my Lord, and his salvation praise!
And thou, too, (c) Father, on that dear one look
And turn away thy justly waken'd wrath,
And give me (d) comfort under man's ill-will.
Born of one blood, (e) descended from one stock,
The unconverted (f) view me with dislike,
My mother's children are incensed with scorn;
They taunt me with abuse (g) of privilege
And vain assumption of my Master's charge
To be his (h) witness to unwilling ears,
His (i) light to shine through Satan's dark domain,
To glorify his name, to shew his love.
"Art thou, indeed, the keeper of the vines?
Behold thine own plantation overrun
With false (j) profession of luxuriant growth
And cankering (k) heresy! Behold thy plants,
Some sickening in a lukewarm (1) atmosphere,
(a) Ps. lxxxiv. i. (b) Job xxxiii. 25; 2 Kings v. 14; Isa. xl. 31. (c) Ps. lxxx. 17; lxxxiv. 9; Col. i. 19.
(d) Ps. xxxi. 20.
John xv. 19.
John xv. 27, to xvi. 4.
James i. 26; ii. 14.
Rev. ii. 4; iii. 2, 15, 16.
(e) Acts xvii. 26.
(g) Exod. ii. 14.
(i) Matt. v. 14, 16;
Phil. ii, 15, 16. 1 Cor. 11, 19; 2 Tim. ii. 17.
Some barely struggling through impeding thorns
Of worldly cares (m) and thick-set vanities!
Where persecution rages others droop,
Or, scorched in time of trial, fall away;
While, worst of all, thy whole enclosure rings
With party zeal, (n) and words unbrotherly.
Art thou, indeed, the keeper of the vines?
Fulfil thy work, and leave the world without
In unprofessing ease, they'll heed (o) thee more
When fruits abounding shew thy culture good."
Thus speak, thus scoff, the worldlings in their pride,
And, oh, my Lord, the bitter words are true,
Though spoken in unkindness and disdain;
My vineyard, thine, I have not duly kept;
Thy Zion has been careless, wayward, cold,
Prone (p) to divisions; and thy cause of truth,
Which should have flourish'd to thy soul's delight,
Hath suffer'd (q) damage. Oh, forgive, forgive,
Thy Church, and all her members, each their sins;
Forgive that each the vineyard of his heart
Has often slighted, while he toil'd perchance
To rectify some less known spot without;
And heal our miseries. (r) Restorer, heal!
Make thy (s) Jerusalem a praise on earth!
For thou art merciful, forbearing, good,
(n) 2 Tim. iv. 10; Prov. xxiv. 30, 31.
(0) John xiii. 35; 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25; 1 Pet. ii. 12. (p) 1 Cor. i. 10-13; xi. 18.
(q) 2 Sam. xii. 14; Rom. ii. 24. (s) Isaiah lxii. 7.
Nor (t) markest thou indelibly the faults
Of those that love and humbly worship thee!
VER. 7.-"Tell me, thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon, for why should I be as one that turneth aside [margin, one that is vailed] by the flocks of thy companions?
And Zion loves thee! Lord, thou knowest all,
And healing virtue at the touch of faith (u)
Ne'er from thy bosom unperceived o'erflowed.
Thou (x) knowest who adore thee; knowest too
How man's revilings, (y) like the galling ray
Of noon oppressive, and the (2) daily war
With their more strong because internal foes,
Bring them, exhausted, at thy feet to cry
For shelter and for rest. Oh tell (a) them then,
Thou gracious Shepherd, tell thy fainting (b) flock
Where, led by thee, they may lie (c) down in peace,
Sweetly reposing from their fervid toil,
Refresh'd and fed with precious nourishment.
For why (d) should those whom thou hast set apart,
Thine own peculiar people, idly turn
To mix with the ungodly? or thy Bride
Sit vail'd and in disguise from thee remote ?
Direct her, gracious Pastor, to the (e) well
Of inward purity, and roll away
(y) Ps. lxiv. 3; lxxi. 10, 11. (a) Rom. vii. 24, 25.
(b) Ezek. xxxiv. 15. (d) Jer. ii. 18; 2 Cor. vi. 14-18. (e) Gen.
(x) John xxi. 17. (z) Rom. vii. 23. (c) Ps. xxiii. 2. xxix. 2; John vii. 37.
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