Scripture Verse

Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. Song of Solomon 4:16

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts
1674–1748

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­u­al Songs 1707–09, vol­ume 1, num­ber 74, alt. The Church the gar­den of Christ.

Music: Leigh­ton, ar­ranged from Will­iam Leigh­ton, cir­ca 1614 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Leigh­ton (head-and-shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), would you ?

Lyrics

We are a garden walled around,
Chosen and made peculiar ground;
A little spot enclosed by grace,
Out of the world’s wide wilderness.

Like trees of myrrh and spice we stand,
Planted by God the Father’s hand;
And all His springs in Sion flow,
To make the young plantation grow.

Awake, O, heav’nly wind! and come,
Blow on this garden of perfume;
Spirit divine! descend and breathe
A gracious gale on plants beneath.

Make our best spices flow abroad,
To entertain our Savior God;
And faith, and love, and joy appear,
And every grace be active here.

Let my Belovèd come and taste
His pleasant fruits at His own feast:
I come, My spouse, I come! He cries,
With love and pleasure in His eyes.

Our Lord into His garden comes,
Well pleased to smell our poor perfumes,
And calls us to a feast divine,
Sweeter than honey, milk, or wine.

Eat of the tree of life, My friends,
The blessings that My Father sends;
Your taste shall all My dainties prove,
And drink abundance of My love.

So will we frequent of Thy board,
And sing the bounties of our Lord;
But the rich food on which we live
Demands more praise than tongues can give.