University of Virginia Library

Israel, Gods own Inheritance, draw near,
And what He did to make Thee so, now hear!
Of Ages long since past, and armes I sing,
And to Thy dayes their ancient glories bring:
Acts, which with sound belief would never stand,
But that all done by the Almighty Hand;
Our Fathers witness to their Truth did bear,
And what we hear with wonder, saw with fear.
They told them Us, that we might publish down,
To Childrens Children, how His Power was known.
Such was His charge, that late Posterity,
And Generations, which should after be,
People as yet unborn, might know His Wayes,
And what they learnt, their children teach His Prayse.
That they in Him their Hope might alwayes place,
His statutes keep, and alwayes seek His Face:
Never forget His Works, but still improve
His former Favours, and His present love:
That like their Fathers they rebel no more,
Unless they'd feel the Wrath their Fathers bore:
Base stubborn Nation, who their God withstood,
Most cross to Him, who alwayes did them good!

His Wrath this kindled first, then made it burn,
Th' enraged fire on Ephraims Tribe did turn.
Ephraim, (which durst the stoutest Foe assail,
And never of the certain conquest fail,
But us'd to Come, and See, and so Prevail,
So terrible His bow, so sure his hand,
Th' unerring shaft did death at will command)
Ephraim turn'd back, but strove in vain to flie,
By His own shafts o'retook, did wounded lie,
Worthy thus signally in Warr to fall,
Whom Peace with all Her Charms could ne'r recall!
The law they brake, that Covenant which they took,
And without cause that, and their God forsook;
Forgot His Works and their own Worthy Stemm,
Their Fathers Trust, and what He did for them.

Marvellous things He did in Pharaohs land,
Zoan still witness of His Plagues do's stand.
When Israel saw His Wonders all about,
How He preserv'd them there, and brought them out.
When He no Common Road did make them keep,
But like His Own, their wayes were in the Deep.
The Deep amaz'd stood up, as they pass'd o're,
Admir'd their suddain fix'd-ness, and new shore:
How in a moment they were rais'd so high,
And fell not when they saw no storm was nigh.
By day a Cloud did their great journies hide,
At night a Sacred Flame the Host did guide;
Before them pass'd, and where their passage lay,
Not only shew'd, but also made their Way.
Hard Rocks, as they went by, pierc'd through did groan,
That fire, which dri'd the Deep, did melt the stone,
Out gusht new streams, so constant, and so strong,
They made their Channels as they ran along.

Yet still they sinn'd, and tempted Him the more,
Lack'd meat, who only Water begg'd before.
Nor did they closely think, but speak their Sins,
And with vile Mouth the Murmurer thus begins;
“Can He give Bread too? sure if He be God,
“That may as well as streams obey His Rod:
“Let Him now strike more Rocks, and make them Bread,
“That we may hope Our Armies shall be fed!
“Nothing but Manna? Can He flesh provide?
“Here in the desert let His Power be tri'd!
“And if He do's this, we'll distrust no more,
“But all Our murm'rings, as we ought, give o're.

God heard them from above, and in a flame,
To see, and be reveng'd upon them came.
Down came the fire, and like that Mighty Power,
Which gave Commission, did uncheckt devour:
The trembling Camp could not but say 'twas just,
And that no other flame could purge their lust.
Thus were they punish'd for their unbelief,
Who only in a plague knew Fear, or Grief.
They would not trust Him, though they all had seen
How constant to His Word, and them He' had been.
Though from the Clouds, He did their bread command,
And Heav'n did th' Office of a fruitful land:
Whole fourty years, once a day, open stood,
And at their dores they gath'red Angels food;
Made by an Angels hand for them to eat,
But still they discontented would have meat.
And so they shall—A strong East Wind did blow,
And o're the East th' Allmighty Word did go:
They heard it rustle, but without all fear,
And never dreamt another plague was near.
It blew all night, and at morning along with the day,
Brought shoales of Quales, which round the Army lay.
The Murmurers saw them, but yet scarce believ'd
The Miracle, and wisht they were deceiv'd;
They saw them lie in heaps, the Camp around,
So thick they seem'd a burthen to the ground:
Enough a greater Host than theirs to feed,
Would but th' event like the beginning speed.
But while the flesh was in their Mouths that God,
Who can of every Blessing make a Rod,
Scourg'd them with this, and though they saw it not,
In dressing, Death was truly in the Pot.
And down their stomachs with the Quales it went,
And thence unto the Heart its poysons sent;
So swift, they found it was in vain to flie,
And still eat on that they might sooner die,
The Rebel Princes in that plague did fall,
And God was Gracious not to ruin all.

Yet still they sinn'd, and would not yet believe,
And only, when He slew them thus, would grieve.
Wherefore in vanity their years He spent,
Waiting to see, if thence they would repent;
For when He slew them they ador'd His Wayes,
And unto God their Rock gave all the praise;
Only to flatter Him, for still their heart
Was only constant from Him to depart:
Yet He forgave them, and destroy'd them not,
And both His anger, and their Sins forgot.
He knew they were but flesh, a suddain Wind,
Which passes by, and leaves no trace behind.

How did they tempt Him in the Wilderness?
Many their plagues, their Sins were Numberless.
When in straight bounds they would that God confine,
Whose boundless Power beyond all bounds do's shine:
And measuring by themselves the Holy One,
Because they saw no help, thought there was none.
How little did they mind His Mighty Hand,
Then conquering, when He only bid them stand?
What signs in Pharaohs coast He for them wrought,
And gave deliverance e're He scarce was sought?
When with deep gore He stain'd the Chrystal flood,
And Egypt could not drink, though thirst for blood;
Infinite swarms of flies did fill the air,
Through whose thick clouds the Sun could scarce appear:
Armies of Frogs did the whole land invade:
And active lice of nimble dust were made:
Then martial Locusts came, and bore away,
What the Hayl left untoucht, for their rich prey;
For th' Hayl before had torne the sturdie Oak,
And what scap'd that fell by the Thunders stroak:
Cattle and Flocks smote down together lay,
And scattered limbs of Men strew'd every way:
No Common Thunder, 'twas the Prince of th' Air,
With all the powers of Hell were ralli'd there,
God let them loose, and bid them nothing spare:
Murrain on beasts, Ulcers on men did rage,
An hand unseen against them did engage;
Darkness upon their Palaces did rest,
A too faint Emblem of that in their breast.
They would not see though God from Heav'n came down,
And killing their First-born chose Israels for His Own.
Then like a Flock they were through Kadesh led,
By Moses hand, but God himself their Head:
Through Seas He lead them, which more scar'd then they,
Rose up in hast, and open'd them a way:
But when gone o're, they look'd upon the Main,
Pharaoh lay drown'd, their way was Sea again.
Through thousand dangers, thousand Enemies past,
To th' Promis'd Canaan they were brought at last;
The Heathen conquer'd, He gave them their Land,
Houses and Towns stood ready built to hand.
The Sacred lot did for each Tribe divide,
And what God gave, was not by Man deny'd.

Yet here they sinn'd and did their God provoke,
And all His laws and their Own Cov'nants broke:
So hard it is to fix a Crooked bow,
And make that strait, which Nature made not so.
High places now they seek, and shadie Groves,
And to foul Idols prostitute their loves.
This when God heard, and saw His laws abus'd
By them, whom He so tenderly had us'd,
He Israel hated, Shilo did forsake,
And left that Ark, which made His Foes to quake,
Who with Triumphant layes did bring it home,
After it had so often overcome.
'Tis taken, and the Captive People fall,
And one small fire gives troops a Funerall:
No Marriage Songs are heard in all the Coast,
But Amorous Harps are in shrill Trumpets lost:
And every Virgin may before she die,
Unsworn, bewayl her sad Virginitie;
Wives hear their husbands death without a groan,
And Preists unmourn'd for die, now th' Ark is gone.

'Twas then God (like a Gyant rous'd from sleep,
Whom Wine beyond His hour did Pris'ner keep,
That shouts and fights) fell on and made them flie,
And on their backs reveng'd their curious eye.
The Ark returns, but Shilo now no more
Shall be its Residence, as it was before;
Ephraim to Judah, Shilo to Sion yields,
And to the Sacred Mount, their fruitful fields:
So God would have't, who chose Himself the Place,
Sion, the Habitation of His Grace;
'Tis there He's known, there He His Temple made,
Whose ground work stable as the Worlds was laid:
Davids design, when from the Ewes with young,
By Him he was anointed to the Throne.
His Fathers flocks he carefully did keep,
And therefore made Chief Heardsman of Gods sheep;
Where all his time he fed them, with such Care,
They never were so strong, nor ever lookt so fair.