University of Virginia Library

Alas! in this Review, to what good end
My words, my time and labour thus to spend
Am I enforc'd? Why am I troublesome
To others and my self, of things to come
Or past, still to make mention? since I see
Nor Judgments, whereof sensible men be
(From day to day) nor Mercies, which betwixt
Those Judgments intervene, or intermixt,
Much heeded are? although they such have been,
As are not in one Age or Place oft seen.

Oh Times! Oh Manners! how far wil these Nations
Proceed at last in their Prevarications,
If GOD thereto a bounder shall not set,
And they seek him no more then they do yet?
Our Posture at this present is the same
With Isr'els when they forth from Egypt came.
Two Mountains on both sides of them they had,
O're which no pass in safety could be made;
Before them was a Sea, where Ship or Boat
To waft them over, could not then be got.
Behind them, Pharoah with a dreadful Host
Pursu'de them, to recover what was lost,
And to reduce them to that servile state,
Which they were hopeful had been out of date;
Or to destroy them quite, where did appear
No likely hope of a Deliverer:
For means of safety they could none espye,
Within the prospect of a carnal eye.

They, thus affrighted, to the LORD then cri'de,
Not as they should, who do in him confi'de;
But with more fear then faith; nay, worse then so,
They murmur'd, and upbraided Moses too,
In an uncivil and ingrateful mode,
As if without a warranty from GOD
He had imprudently pursu'd a course
Which they foresaw, and told him would make worse
Their bad Condition; yea, exprest a will,
Slaves (as they had been) to continue still.

Yet he (the meekest person who then liv'd)
As if he neither at that time perceiv'd
How him they injur'd; or how justly they
Deserv'd what seemed probable that day,
(Or how much base, unmanly slavishness
Their own tongues did apparently express)
He wav'd their murmurs, whilst they were afraid,
As if nought had amiss by them been said:
And, like a loving Father, speaking to
His Children, (knowing not when they mis-do)
Said gently thus: Fear not, stand still and see
With patience, how ye shall deliver'd be:
For these Egyptians who are now before
Your eyes this day, shall never fright you more:
And so befel it; for next morn they saw
Their foes lye dead, of whom they stood in awe,
Drown'd by the waves, and on that Sea-shore cast,
Through which they dry-shod, and in safety past.
Yet both that, with those Mercies which before
GOD had vouchsaf'd (with very many more
Soon after) seemed to be so forgot,
As if they them, or him regarded not.

Now at this present time such is our case,
We are beleaguer'd as that People was;
With hazards upon every side confin'de;
With dangers both before us, and behind;
Not onely having many Foreign Foes,
But some likewise at home as bad as those;
And, worse within us also, who have brought us
To greater streights then all our Foes without us.
Those Jews we parallel in ev'ry thing,
Who injur'd Moses by their murmuring:
And, are as thankless unto GOD, who hath
Here acted, both in Mercy and in Wrath,
As many Wonders as by him were shown
In Egypt when King Pharoh was o'rethrown;
(Though they appear not such unto their sence,
Who shut the eyes of their Intelligence)
We as distrustful are as they, as giddy
In ev'ry Tryal too; we are as ready
To make a Golden Calf, and to prefer
That Idol before our Deliverer.
As much as they, we long to repossess
The Flesh-pots of our Lusts, our Slavishness,
(Which we did cry to be deliver'd from)
As soon as into any streight we come.

Yet, GOD hath been to us (and at this time)
Continues the same GOD he was to them.
Though their example, which should make us better,
Hath made our Provocations much the greater,
He with us dealeth, as a Father mild,
Whose heart is grieved by a froward Child;
And, as he did with stubborn Ephraim
When Anger and Compassion moved him
To cry out thus, What shall I do to thee?
For at a stand with us he seems to be,
Both by his frequently himself estranging,
And by his oft returning, and oft changing
His Judgments and his Mercies, that we may
Be changed, and reform our crooked way.

We have this day (though in another mode)
The daily Presence of our gracious GOD
To lead us through that Wilderness of Sin
In which we have a long time wandring been:
He guides, guards, and provideth us Supplies
In all our wants, (though in another wise)
And is with us as wonderfully here,
As when his People brought from Egypt were.
The self-same Cloud and Pillar we have had,
(Though varied) and, as effectual made
To all intents and purposes, as they
Then had; and to refresh us in the way
Unto the Land of Rest, we have that Rock
Whereof they drank, unto that purpose broke:
And, though we oft stray, shall to what we tend
Attain, when we are at our Journeys end;
If we believe, and persevere to do
So much as GOD enableth us unto.
For, he requireth not from any one
A scruple more then may by him be done;
Nor doth expect from any to receive
More then what he at first, or last shall give;
Because of all omissions and mis-actions,
He hath in full accepted satisfactions
By his Deservings, who secure us may
From whatsoever Debts we cannot pay;
If on his Mediation we depend,
With Faith and Penitence at our lives end;
That Mark retaining, which distinguisheth
Christs chosen Sheep from Goats, in Life and Death;
To wit, that love to him, and to each other,
Which knits for ever, GOD and Man together.

This is that everlasting Gospel which
We were foretold, an Angel was to preach
To ev'ry Kindred, People, Tongue and Nation
Throughout the earth to bring men to Salvation:
And, for a preparation thereunto,
He cry'd aloud, (as all true Prophets do)
Fear God; to Him, and to the Lamb give praise,
For now the hour is come, (these are the dayes)
Wherein his Judgments must be pour'd on them
Who shall not glorifie and worship him
By whom Heaven, Earth, the Fountains & the Seas
Created were, and ev'ry thing in these.

The fear of God is that which first lets in
True Wisdom; that brings Penitence for sin:
By these within the heart of man is wrought
Such Faith and Grace, that they then taking root,
Do seasonably bring forth such blessed fruit,
As by degrees destroys the thorns and weeds
Which either choak or starve the holy Seeds,
From whence the means of those enjoyments springs
Whereof to us that Gospel tydings brings.

This method long ago was practised
By John the Baptist, when he ushered
Christ and his Everlasting Gospel in,
By preaching of true penitence for sin:
And thereby did prepare before his face,
The way intended, to soul-saving Grace.