Our inward men, and conftant frame
Of spirit ftill were near the same ;
And till they first began to cant,
And sprinkle down the covenant,
We ne'er had call in any place,

Nor dream'd of teaching down free-grace;
But join'd our gifts perpetually,

Against the common enemy.

Although 'twas ours, and their opinion,
Each other's church was but a rimmon.
And yet, for all this gospel-union,

And outward fhew of church communion,
They'll ne'er admit us to our shares,
Of ruling church, or state affairs,

Nor give us leave t' absolve, or sentence
T'our own conditions of repentance:
But fhar'd our dividend o' th' crown,
We had so painfully preach'd down:

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And forc'd us, tho' against the grain,
T' have calls to teach it up again.
For 'twas but justice to restore

The wrongs we had receiv'd before;

And when 'twas held forth in our way,

785

We'ad been ungrateful not to pay :

Who for the right we 've done the nation,
Have earn'd our temporal falvation,

And put our vessels in a way,

Once more to come again in play :

For if the turning of us out,

Has brought this providence about,

And that our only suffering,

790

But whether that be fo, or not,

We've done enough to have it thought, 800

And that's as good as if we 'ad don't,

And easier past upon account:

For if it be but half deny'd,

'Tis half as good as justify'd.
The world is naturally averse
To all the truth it fees or hears,
But fwallows nonsense and a lie,
With greediness and gluttony;
And tho' it have the pique, and long,
'Tis still for fomething in the wrong :

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As women long when they 're with child,
For things extravagant and wild;

For meats ridiculous and fulfome,

But seldom any thing that's wholesome ;
And, like the world, men's jobbernoles
Turn round upon their ears, the poles;

815

1

And what they're confidently told,
By no fenfe else can be controll❜d.
And this, perhaps, may be the means,
Once more to hedge in providence.
For as relapfes make diseases

More defp'rate than their first accesses;
If we but get again in pow'r,
Our work is easier than before;
And we more ready and expert
I' th' mystery, to do our part:
We, who did rather undertake
The first war to create, than make;
And when of nothing 'twas begun,
Rais'd funds as strange, to carry 't on :
Trepann'd the state, and fac'd it down,
With plots and projects of our own:
And if we did fuch feats at first,

What can we now we're better vers'd;

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Who have a freer latitude

Than finners give themselves, allow'd;

And therefore likeliest to bring in,

On fairest terms, our discipline;

835

To which it was reveal'd long fince,

840

We were ordain'd by providence,

When three faints' ears, our predeceflors,

The cause's primitive confessors,

B'ing crucify'd, the nation stood
In just fo many years of blood,
That, multiply'd by fix, express'd
The perfect number of the beast,
And prov'd that we must be the men
To bring this work about agen:

And those who laid the first foundation,

845

Complete the thorough reformation:

For who have gifts to carry on

So great a work, but we alone?

850