1671. A SONG of the Mercies and Deliverances of the LORD.
HAD not the Lord been on our Side
May Ifrael now fay,
We were not able to abide
The Trials of that Day.
When Men did up against us rife,
With Fury, Rage and Spight,
Hoping to catch us by Surprize,
Or run us down by Might.
Then had not God for us arose,
And fhewn His mighty Pow'r,
We had been swallow'd by our Foes,
Who waited to devour.
When the joint Pow'rs of Death and Hell
Against us did combine,
And, with united Forces fell
Upon us, with Defign
To root us out; then had not God
Appear'd to take our Part,
And them chastized with His Rod,
And made them feel the Smart,
We then had overwhelmed been,
And trodden in the Mire,
Our Enemies on us had seen.
Their cruel Hearts Defire.
When fton'd, when stockt, when rudely ftript,
Some to the Waift have been,
(Without Regard of Sex) and whipt,
Until the Blood did fpin;
Yea, when their Skins with Stripes look'd black,
Their Flesh to Jelly beat,
Enough to make their Sinews crack,
The Lashes were fo great;
Then had not God been with them to
Support them, they had dy'd,
His Pow'r it was, that bore them thro',
Nothing cou'd do't befide.
When into Prifons we were throng'd
(Where Peftilence was rife)
By bloody-minded Men, that long'd
To take away our Life ;
Then had not God been with us, we
Had perish'd there no doubt,
'Twas He preferv'd us there, and He
It was that brought us out.
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1670. When fentenced to Banishment
Inhumanly we were,
To be from native Country fent,
From all that Men call dear;
Then had not God been pleas'd t' appear,
And take our Cause in hand,
And ftruck them with a pannick Fear,
Which put them to a stand:
Nay, had He not great Judgments fent,
And compass'd them about,
They were, at that Time fully bent
To root us wholly out.
Had He not gone with them that went,
The Seas had been their Graves,
Or, when they came where they were fent,
They had been fold for Slaves.
But God was pleased still to give
Them Favour where they came,
And in His Truth they yet do live,
To praise His holy Name.
And now afresh do Men contrive
Another wicked Way,
Of our Estates us to deprive,
And take our Goods away.
But will the Lord (who to this Day,
Our Part did always take)
Now leave us to be made a Prey,
And that too for His Sake?
Can any one, who calls to Mind
Deliverances past,
Difcourag'd be at what's behind,
And murmur now at laft!
O that no unbelieving Heart
Among us may be found,
That from the Lord wou'd now depart,
And Coward-like, give Ground.
For, without doubt, the God we serve
Will fill our Caufe defend,
If we from Him do never fwerve,
But truft Him to the End.
What if our Goods by Violence,
From us be torn, and we,
Of all Things but our Innocence,
Should wholly ftripped be?
Would this be more than did befal
Good Job? Nay fure, much less
He loft Eftate, Children and all,
Yet he the Lord did blefs.
1671. But did not God his Stock augment,
Double what 'twas before?
And this was writ to the Intent,
That we should hope the more.
View but the Lillies of the Field,
That neither knit nor fpin,
Who is it that to them doth yield
The Robes they're decked in?
Doth not the Lord the Ravens feed,
And for the Sparrows care?
And will not He for His own Seed,
All needful Things prepare ?
The Lions shall sharp Hunger bear,
And pine for lack of Food,
But who the Lord do truly fear,
Shall nothing want that's good.
Oh! which of us can now diffide
That God will us defend,
Who hath been always on our Side,
And will be to the End.
Spes confifa Deo nunquam confufa recedet.
Hope, which on God is firmly grounded,
Will never fail, nor be confounded.
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