When firft they engag'd her they blew up her ftore, i And chas'd her for hard as to wreck her on fhore; The crew that was in her, difmay'd at the fhock, Had funk to the bottom, but hung by a rock. When Cain he efpied her ruins at wreck, Tho' funk in the flood, and all hands caft away, T M Some thousands of hands to repair they have found ; Tho' fone undergird her to fail through the bay, They will find in bad weather that fomething gives way. They hoift up their colours as fplendid deceits, Yet they'll cripple their oars in paffing the Straits. Full Full many a time the has been in their docks, Sure fuch bungling workmen proclaim they are mad; No fhipwright can mend her, her timbers are bad; But still they're at labour, yet can't make her last, Nor find out a builder for fifhing her maft. Their cordage and cables are feeble as hay; Some are at repairing, while others contrive; They chriften her Virtue, or call her Sincere: But the building of Babel muft not be forgot. There There are fome pay her over, fome lay her in ftore, A Their compafs is bad, and their judgment is worfe, I in I They that go down to the jea in fhips, that do business great waters; thefe fee the works of the Lord, and bi wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the ftormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths: their foul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and ftagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit'? end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and be bringeth them out of their diftreffes. Pfalm cvii 23 28. THE packet Distress, pray deal kindly with her, She's been chased by Terror, the distance is far; The packet's from Egypt, and laden with fin, Was drove by a ftorm from the fleet she was in. The The fire drake Terror has found her at fea, And the fhip is fo leaky fhe can't run away; Leviathan the shark pursues the fick ship, prey. I know fhe'll engage, tho' amazingly hurt, O pafs her, and hail her, and bid her God's speed; She fcorneth to ftrike, tho' amazingly hurt, When When foremaft, and mizen, and bowfprit, are gone, Then take it for granted she will not fight long; She'll look to the heavens with tears in her eyes, But clouds of difpleasure fhall cover the skies. Her ally she opposes in danger of wreck, Sirs, ye fhould have hearkened unto me, and not have loofed from Crete, and have gained this harm and lofs. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no lofs of any man's life among you, but of the ship. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. Acts xxvii. 21, 22, 26. THE Pharifee frigate has bent all her fails; Saint Anthony's call'd to fupply her with gales. The ship is from Rome, fhe was built by the pope, And fitted in vain for the Cape of Good Hope. Her burden is reliques, confeffions, and deeds; |