Christian Songs, Song XXX

Let Poets sing of base amours, And all their airy fables tell, Adorning shame with gaudy flow'rs, And serving the designs of hell.

2 A nobler theme becomes the men Who know the charms of divine love; A graver stile best suits their pen Who have a taste for joys above.

3 The divine lover, and his spouse, Their marriage is a lofty theme, Meet only for the heav'nly muse, And those fir'd with the sacred flame:

4 They only can the beauties see Which are display'd in him who chose, Tho' he was God, a man to be, That he might seek and find his spouse.

5 For him, who, in the form of God, Had been before the world began, And then in flesh made his abode, And shew'd himself in form of man,

6 No match was found. But he to have, By purchase dear his wish'd-for bride, His life for her most freely gave; And she came of his pierced side.

7 Thus Eve from sleeping Adam's side, A comely form was brought to him: He waking, his own likeness spy'd; And knowing well from whence she came,

8 Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, This is, said he, and let her name, Deriv'd from mine, serve to express Her rise from me, another same.

9 For this, a man his parents dear Shall leave, and unto one remain, Join'd as his wife, in bond most near; One flesh they are, and no more twain.

10 A better source, Christ in his death Of being, to his mate doth prove: And rising from the dead, he hath Found the fair object of his love:

11 Where sin and death's deformity Had been, behold! a living form, His image shews in purity, And beauty such as doth him charm.

12 From his great Father he came forth, And left his mother-church of Jews, To join the church which hath her worth From him, and cleave to her his spouse.

13 The name he gave her, doth declare That she's of him, and with him one In divine spirit, as they share In flesh and blood; such nearness none.

14 A firmer band than mingled clay; A tie divine knits the bless'd pair, In union which shall last for aye: My soul, in this have thou thy share.