They call her Free Grace, and themselves the elect,
And think they're eternally fix'd on the deck;
What a scandalous tale those fame villains have told,
With all their corruption confin'd in the hold!
Their fhip is so small, fhe contains but a few;
But we are refolv'd to give Jefus his due;
Our gallies are open, and all are receiv'd,
But these for election; and they are deceiv'd.
When Free-will commands no corruptions appear,
And fleshly perfection deftroys them with fear;
Examine the gallies, pray come, and behold
If there's a corruption confin'd in the hold.'
We faid we believ'd their report to be true,
They ne'er fought Corruption, nor captur'd her crew;
Nor can we confute all the story you told,
Corruption commands you, yourselves are in hold.
Free-will, if fufficient, why call ye for aid?
And if ye are perfect, why are ye afraid?
If rowing will ferve you, why whirl
And, if you're all-mighty, why don't you come out?
In fpite of Free-will, they are ftill in the bay,
And certain we are they are out of the way;
No wonder that they with a whirlpool are twirl'd,
Those gallies must fink that are mann'd by the world.
At last they perceiv'd we attempted to go,
And fired a pop-gun to make us come to.
No damage was done to the men on the deck;
For want of faltpetre their powder was weak.
We shortly difcern'd their iniquitous fcheme,
And failed away with the wind on the beam;
Those rebels that dare with election to sport
Are bound for Destruction, and fure of their
The Pharifee merchant had been to recruit;
She pass'd us, and gave us a taunting falute;
Their veffel was ftow'd, they were now fteering home,
Left heaven aftern, and were failing for Rome.
Now glories immortal began for to fhine,
As if we had failed just under the line;
The heavens appeared remarkably clear,
And all things predicted that glory was near.
Some climbed aloft, and look'd out for the land,
While others their loud acclamation began;
They cry'd, The fair havens are full in our view.'
We look'd thro' the glafs, and the tidings were true.
Immortal felicity darted its rays,
Which made all the canopy feem in a blaze;
These vifions they caused fresh light to diftil,
The city of Zion appear'd on the hill.
The tree of the Living he fent us his leaves,
Which ever have healed the foul that believes.
He bowed his branches, and yielded his fruit,
To all that had formerly made him their fuit.
The Fountain of Light he difperfed his beams,
As if all the city were burning in flames;
The river of pleasure its tide was fo high,
That millions of fpirits were bathing in joy.
The haven of reft now appear'd in a vale,
From an eafy defcent at the foot of the hill.
These raptures of joy they were balanc'd with fear,
For Death must engage us before we go there.
But we bleffed the Lord, who directed the course,
By whom we were kept both from fraud and from force;
Who ne'er will forfake us till all are at reft,
For all that fail with him are finally bless'd.
This glorious city was fuddenly veil'd
When this was perceived our courage then fail'd;
This strange alteration put numbers in fright,
Which was but a cordial to prompt us to fight.
We failed in darkness for several days,
The glorious fun had eclipsed his rays;
Some trembled to think they had yet to engage,
When many were feeble and drooping with age.
We faw at a distance a large man of war,
Which fail'd from the harbour that we were bound for;
Her colours were gloomy, her canvass was dark,
And she fail'd as fwift as a letter of marque.
Her daring broad pendant was flying at top,
Near fix thousand years have her colours been up;
There ne'er were but two but acknowledg'd her rag,
Elijah and Enoch ne'er ftruck to her flag.
She feem'd to approach in a boisterous gale,
A wind from the harbour had filled her fail;
Her decks and her hold, they all feem'd to be ftor'd, As if she had nought but destruction on board.
Her crew it consisted of terrors and fears,
Of fhadows and phantoms, diftreffes and fnares;
Of frights, of dejections, of tremblings and dread,
And every monfter ally'd to the dead.
Of deftruction, of ending, of stopping all breath,
Of judgment, of fentence, with terrible ftrife,
Of teazing, of wrecking, of turbulent wrath,
And every monfter that brings us to death.
When first she appear'd we had numbers difmay'd;
To the able in faith fhe appear'd but a fhade.
We took it for granted each failor must die,
Nor need I affign any reafon for why.
This fhip must be fought with expiring breath, Diffolution's her name; fhe's commanded by Death; Suppose she should conquer, fhe can't take our right; The prize we'll obtain, tho' we die in the fight.
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