SPIRITUAL HYMNS UPON SOLOMONS SONG OR Love in the right Channel Wherein that Divine Part of Scripture is Paraphras'd and the dark Places expounded and may be vocally Sung in the Ordinary Tunes of the Singing Psalms By JOHN REEVE I will sing to my welbeloved a song of my beloved touching his Vineyard Isa 5. 1. Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your hearts unto the Lord Col. 3. 16. And they sung the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb Rev. 15. 3. LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by John Hancock Senior at the three Bibles at the corner of Popes-head Alley over against the Royal Exchange 1684. To the chast and pure Virgin-Souls that love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity Grace and Peace be multiplied I THese Hymns were most composed in the dark When restless hours interrupted sleep With a design to stop that rambling work Ungovern'd fancy useth then to keep Better make Hymns then yield to Melancholy Or take the World to govern by a thoughtful folly II. Hands off you venomous Creatures you that draw The rankest Poyson from the sweetest flow'rs Yea that by Rigor of a lustful Law Would force Divine love to conform to yours I fear if you should light upon this Book You 'ld force it from it self and like a love-song look III. But if you do our Loves are still Divine The stinking Dunghils can't put out the Sun While you sing out your shame we will incline To sing the Praise of Gods eternal Son We will in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Song Outsing the Mirth obscene which unto you belongs IV. Come then you Virgin Spouses of the Lamb Joyn consort with the Holy Ones above Put off the Clog your Body if you can And melt your selves into a Mass of Love Out with the dregs and draw the Spirits higher Let Love be Love Divine and not a lustful Fire V. I have liv'd out now more then threescore years And never yet could find my heart in tune For such a Work as this it plain appears Love's hard to be refined O how soon Returns the dregs and smut the strength of Grace And Ages weakness both at work take little place VI. Nor had this been expos'd to publick view But that the Child was drawn by Cogent hand 'T was hard to trust it when there are so few Chast Eyes and pure Minds abroad the land But let it take the Covert of the wings Of Him whose work it is of Him whose praise it sings CANT I. 1. The Song of Songs which was Solomons HYMN 1. 'T Was Solomon's Song but now 't is mine 'T is yours you blessed Saints on high You Mil'tants come and make your claim All you that are athirst draw nigh This Song of Songs and Hymns of praise Sweet Jesus at thy feet we lay Together with our Hearts and Souls And for acceptance humbly pray King Solomon sha'nt Praise thee alone Nor singly sing his part in this We 'l Praise thee too because that thou Our Jesus art as well as his Strike up you blessed Angels Tune Your Musick to the highest Key You separated Souls in bliss Sing forth his Praise as well you may How precious is this Song of Songs Where Christ himself concerned is And sings the Praises of his Church As they 're concern'd in singing His Come blessed Spirit of our God Enflame our hearts with heav'nly fire W'el sing our parts O! raise our hearts And Tune them yet a great deal high'r CANT I. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth HYMN 2. LEt those inam'ring Lips of thine With Love-begetting Love Seal Kisses on these Lips of mine That I may tast and prove What those immense Treasures of Love Those Seas and Oceans be Let sacred Love flow from above In Nectar streams to me And let me kiss those Kisses which Can raise my Heart on high And love that Love that can enrich And crown my Poverty But will renowned Jesus deign To kiss so vile a Sinner And be of undeserved Love The Author and Beginner Can filthy Lips and so unclean Expect a Prince his Kiss Do Kings embrace a Love so mean Was ever Love like this He that could kiss the bitter Cross And kiss the burning Wrath And kiss the Breath of direful Death A Kiss for Sinners hath CANT I. 2. For his Love is better than Wine HYMN 3. LOrd I esteem thy precious Love And prize it more than richest Wine There is no Cordial can remove My fainting like that Blood of thine Wine spills the man that drinks too much And greatly doth his Health impair But those that drink the most of Love The temperatest Persons are The Wine is not the poor Mans Drink But here 's a Cellar always free The Rich may come and poorest Saint May drink his fill as well as He. There was no Wine at Cana's feast Was once complain'd by them above But such a word shall ne're be said At Sion's Feast there is no Love My Soul pierce thou this pipe of Love Fill all thy Flaggons to the Brim Divine excess is soberness And Holy Drunkenness no Sin The Wine that with us best agrees And curious Palats most approve Is not without unpleasing Lees But oh there is no dregs in Love Love's All that can be spoke or thought 'T is all Earth hath or Heav'n above Epitomize a Deity The total sum of all is LOVE For his Love is better than Wine HYMN 4. LOve me my dearest Jesus love me And shed that Love and let me see A Letter written full of Love And superscribed unto me O love my Soul and love me more Altho I know no reason why Let me experience where that great Magnetick power of Love doth lye Thy Love 's a flood to quench the Flameâ— Of all my burning base Desires Thy Love 's a Flame to drink the floo Of Vanity my heart aspires Thy Love 's a Corr'sive to my Sins Eats the proud Flesh from carnal heart Thy Love 's a Cordial to revive The faintings of the better part Let Friends oppose let En'mies rage Let Tyrants threaten Death appall Let Hell and Devils do their worst I 'le set thy Love against them all Love me my dearest Jesus love me And shed that Love and let me see A Letter written full of Love And superscribed unto me CANT I. 3. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee HYMN 5. HOw odoriferous are the sents Of thy Graces Divine Beyond all measure pou'rd forth Upon that Heart of thine No Garden flow'rs no Spices Lord No sweet perfumes that please Not Aaron's Oyl nor Mary's Box Smell half so sweet as these Those Virgins next about thy Throne Angels and Saints that smell Th' anointings of the holy One And ' midst these Odours dwell Are always in Transports of Love Have nothing else to do
Would I were there that I with them Might learn to Love thee too The Virgin-Souls whom thou art tuning As strings to sound thy Praise Whose hearts with holy Oyl perfuming With whom 't is early days Initial converts new crept out The Womb of Graces laws Commence their Love and Face about O how thy Oyntments draws Pour on t the anointings Lord and we Will wrap our selves in sweet And dwell amidst the rich perfumes There will we place our feet Tho it be costly spare no cost O spare nor work nor toyl Tho we have nothing else to give We 'l give thee Love for Oyl CANT I. 4. Draw me and we will run after thee HYMN 6. WIth thy great Power draw me Lord And I to thee will come With greater Power draw me Lord And I to thee will run Draw me and others I will draw And we to thee will run Except thou draw'st our backward hearts To thee they 'l never come When Jesus draws he strongly draws The flesh can't hold me back Nor all the pleasures of the World 'T is thee 't is thee I lack When Jesus draws he sweetly draws As Beasts by Fodder led As Lovers draw by Charms of Love As Unions raise the Dead The Loadstone draws the steely Mass And none can tell us how So draw my steely Heart my God And make my Powers bow Yea drawn I am I bless thee for 't My Soul shall praise thee ever O Father Son and Holy Ghost My God forsake me never CANT I. 4. The King brought me into his Chambers HYMN 7. WHen fervent Love with winged hast To blessed Jesus flies With winged hast he comes as fast With help and choice supplies Let 's not his Church stand at the door He sends no Servant down But down the stairs he comes himself That King of great renown His Person is the thing She seeks His Person tends upon Her His Person is the thing She meets His Person is Her honour And up the Stairs he leads his Love Gives Her a Princely Treat With sp'ritual Nectar chears Her heart And Entertainments great He seasts Her with his Chamber Love The best of all his store She seeds upon his Flesh and Blood Her heart can wish no more O Lord thou art to me a dart My wounded bleeding heart Shall still impart her Lovesick Art And never from thee start CANT I. 4. We will be glad and rejoyce in thee HYMN 8. GO empty Joys with all you toys I have a better Joy than you The Wine the Mirth the Musick dance Doth but my precious Soul undo The blessed Jesus hath vouchsafe'd Upon the Mount my Soul to raise Now I 'le exalt his Name and Fame And to the Heavens raise his Praise Let things go how they will below Let Mountains duel with the Seas Let Hell her hottest Fires blow My heart in Him shall take her ease The merry Mirth which madness yields Which worldly Men so fast devours Their pleasures and their drinking-hours Cannot afford such Mirth as ours They cannot tast our Joys O Lord Nor can thy Saints more rellish theirs Our Joys will greater Joys afford And their's will end in bitter Tears Therefore will we rejoice în thee Our Joys shall feast upon thy store When we are sad we will be glad And Praise thy Name for evermore CANT I. 4. We will remember thy Love more than Wine HYMN 9. GIve place ye Spirits of the Grape That briskly fparkle in the Glass There 's no such Wine as Love Divine O what a flavour Jesus has Were we possest of East and West And all the Joys of Heav'n above Treasures of both the Worlds we will Forgetting these remember Love Forgetfulness the fruit of Wine But never was the fruit of Love The more I take the more I make Impressions deep and past remove We cannot meet with Wine so sweet Nor yet so pleasant to the tast As drops of warm and bleeding Love That trickle from his heart so fast The Wine that from the Grape is prest In time will into sowr turn But Love Divine will ever shine With hottest Flames that always burn The Wine is drawn the Vessel 's out You cannot make it ever run Whom Jesus loves he loves as fresh As if it were but now begun Thou God of our Salvation Draw forth our Loves more unto thee By loving us teach us to Love And thy beloved Spouse to be CANT I. 4. The upright love thee HYMN 10. THou art belov'd and best approv'd Of all that are upright Whose hearts are sound sincerely bound Thou art their chief delight Whose very heart and souly part Dwells with the Truth and when Mens hearts are truly true to thee As thou art true to them Tho Sinners scorn and all forlorn In their ungodly sight Wretches they are that would not care To Love thee if they might The Hypocrite will speak thee fair But hath no love within Kiss and betray like Judas they O Lord it is their Sin My Lord I love thee truly tho I Love not as I should I love thee yet I love thee not At least not as I would I would I could but since 't is so Worms can but act as Worms Accept a real wish it were A spark till Fire burns CANT I. 5. I am black but comely O ye Daughts of Jerusalem as the tents of Kedar and curtains of Solomon HYMN 11. O What a sorry thing am I That cannot bear this weight of Love I 'm sunk and down and dead as if Some dart had struck me from above My Face is black because of Sin But yet am comely by his Grace I 'm black without but fair within The scorching Sun hath tann'd my Face How black soever Lord I am Yet I am comely towards thee O mayst thou love and give me leave Thy ardent Lover yet to be Tho Sin and Sorrow makes me black Like Kedar's Tents that always lye Expos'd to Wind and Air unkind And inward wasting Misery Yet Solomon's bed is not so fair Nor are his Curtains half so bright As I am through his Grace within Comely in my Beloveds sight Ye Daughters of Jerusalem Do not contemn me at this rate Because of my deformity And this my dark and gloomy state For Love he can altho I am Most undeserving of his Love And black as Hell as if I were As fair as is the Heav'n above CANT I. 6. Look not upon me because I am black for the Sun hath looked upon me HYMN 12. A Cloud may quickly overcast The brightest Sunny-day And through the sweetest Joys on Earth Our tears can break their way Ye Daughters of Jerusalem The Sun hath tann'd my Face Alas the Morphew that obtrudes It self in Beauties place Look not upon me turn your Eyes I am a loathsom sight To God and Angels and my self In me is no delight O how I loath my self my God To see this filthy sight O how I long tho thus unclean To love thee if I might There is
shalt All under the broad Heavens fill Thou shalt Jehovah's praise exalt And live according to his will Another to the Tune of Psal 125. THy Breasts shall give their milk to Kings And Princes be nurs'd up by thee Tyrants there shall be no such things By thine shall Kingdoms ruled be O what a bliss is this The World at quiet is Thy Nobles shall thy Scepters sway The Crowns and Thrones shall all be theirs Those that will not thy Seed obey Shall rue the day in blood and tears O what a bliss is this The world at quiet is When I the Tyrants cause to cease This shall produce a world of peace No more shall men for serving God Tast the Red-Dragons smarting Rod O what a bliss is this The world at quiet is Thy Breasts shall nurse up Rulers so Pastors according to my heart Shall be so well inspir'd and fit That Souls they shall by Shoals Convert O what a bliss is this The world at quiet is And with this holy Seed thou shalt All under the broad Heavens fill Thou shalt Jehovah's praise exalt And live according to his will O what a bliss is this The world at quiet is CANT VII 4. Thy Neck is as a Tower of Ivory HYMN 116. THy Neck O Sion is a Tower Of whitest Ivory No more to bear the pinching Yoak Of force and Tyranny The Irons of Unscripture modes And auk Imposed Forms No more shall gall thy flesh and Soul I 'le free thee from those storms The Idols now betake themselves To Clifts of craggy Rocks Thy God is risen light is come And spight 's a Paradox Arise and shine O Sion dress thee It is a pleasant day And I thy God am come to bless thee Send all thy fears away O let thy Stately Neck bear up Thy Head advance it higher Now all thy Yoaks are burst and burnt Put on thy best Attire Admit my easie Yoak and think Thy self a free-man there Chain'd to my Laws my Saints and me Thy Neck receives no scar CANT VII 4. Thine Eyes are like the fish-pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim HYMN 117. WAter thy Plants Jerusalem Salvation's at the door Unseal thy latent Fountains weep Till thou canst weep no more Time was when as of sence bereft Thou couldst not broach a tear But now the hardned Rocks are cleft And waters gushing there Thine Eyes like Hesbons Fish-pools stand VVithin Beth-rabbins gate That moistens the adjacent Land And doth it fruitful make I love to see that pierced heart That pierced me and mine The tears that wash my wounded feet To me are drops of VVine Thou 'st wept enough now weep no more But go rejoycing on I 'le banish all thy fears and cares And bid them all be gone Repentance breaks two hearts at once The Sinners heart and mine Tho Sin be great the Mercy-seat Shall cure that heart of thine CANT VII 4. Thy nose is as the tower of Labanon which louketh toward Damascus HYMN 118. O How I joy to see Damascus brought to me The persecuting Nations all With Sion shall agree To see fair Lebanon Her stately Tower look Towards her great foe Damascus and In peace each other brook Damascus and the Mount Shall reach their hands and joyn The Lion with the Lamb lye down In this great day of thine Thy Nose shall smell a sweet Perfume from Pagan Lands And breath a welcome Air to greet Their reconciled bands And would the Churches now Their breaches seek to close I 'de hast and come and quickly turn The heart of all their foes Would Saints unite yet more And all their fires cover I 'de make their Enemies yield themselves And bring Damascus over CANT VII 5. Thine head upon thee is like Carmel and the hair of thine head like purple HYMN 119. THy head like Carmels crimson mount Repleat with light as that with flowers Erects it self and doth surmount Above all human earthly Powers As Carmel did o're-top the Hills And far transcend their excellence The Glory of my Sion fills The World and takes pre eminence The mountain of the Lords great house Above the tops of Mountains rose 'T is now fulfill'd O Carmel rouse Exalt thy self above thy foes Lift up thy head Jerusalem I 've made thee Lord of all the Earth Thy Scepter 's in the hand of them That are men of Renown and Worth And as thy hair upon thy head In numerous Unites overspread So shall thy Purple Judges fill With righteous Laws the World half dead For Muninment and Ornament Hair is the Glory of the Head So shall thy wholsome Edicts spread And Justice be in Triumph led Another to the Tune of Psal 148. LIke Carmels crimson mount Such is my Church to me My Sion I account Above all things that be I will her praise Above the Moon The Stars the Sun Her honour raise Thy head doth raise its top Above all humane Powers Their Boughs I 'le have thee lop And pull down all their Towers And then shall we Rejoyce to see Fair Carmel be In high degree The Mountain of the house Of God shall top the hills And Sion shall advance Her rod against their wills Great Sion shall By force of Arms And milder charms O're top them all Thy Purple Judges shall Like hair in Unites spread Send forth such Laws that all The People shall be glad Then shall they praise And lively sing For Sions King Their Voices raise CANT VII 5. Thy king is held in the galleries HYMN 120. AWake O Sion rise and shine Put thy best Garment on Tho all the World ' gainst thee combine Thy King comes marching on Lift up thine Eyes behold those Clouds Those lofty Galleries There he Erects his Throne and makes His Glory fill the Skies There shalt thou look on him whose heart Was pierced by thy sin And thou shalt mourn to see those wounds And yet rejoyce therein There never was so great a day Sion thy King doth come And in these Galleries makes a stay Till thy great Work be done O rend the Heavens Lord and come Thou down for Sions cause Deliver thine from Sin and Rome And all her Popish Laws And make thy People once agen The great Hosannah sing And Spirit every sort of men To Worship Sions King Another to the Tune of Psal 148. O Sion rise and shine Put thy best Garments on Tho all the World combine Thy King comes marching on Behold those Clouds His Person lies In Galleries And there he shrouds Now shalt thou on him look Was peirced by thy Sin When thee he once forsook Cause thou forsookest him Now shalt thou mourn And yet rejoice With Heart and Voice Thy God is come There never was a day So welcome to the Saints As when he comes away To make up all their wants O rend the Skies O come away Make no delay Poor Sion cries Hosanna then we 'l sing And Hallelujah too We 'l Worshiship Sions King We 'l praise him all