Israel's Reformation.
WHen the Children of
Israel did what they wou'd,
Not crampt with dull Notions of Evil or Good,
But liv'd at their Liberty, curb'd by no Law,
No
King to controul 'em, or keep 'em in Awe;
Then blest were the People with Plenty and Peace,
Till their wavering Minds took a Surfeit of ease;
For Humour, like blood, in a high State of Health,
Grows disorderly hot, and enflameth it self.
The
Hebrews were always a murmuring Rout,
A giddy-brain'd Race ever veering about;
What with eager Desires one day they pursu'd,
The next they despis'd, and more heartily loath'd;
Like the
Frogs in the Fable, a King they would have,
For the sake of a Change, they would
Slavery crave.
Many
Monarchs of different Tempers they had;
Now blest with a Good, next opprest with a bad:
But long were they rul'd by a
Monarch, did hate
The troublesome Cares and Affairs of the State:
Aegyptian Delights his Affections did please,
He dissolv'd all his Senses in Riot and Ease;
His Will was his Law, and his Pleasure his Guide,
A
Slave to his Tust, without Power or Pride:
He by his Example made them go astray,
Tho' stubborn, yet in Ill, they their
Rulers obey,
Then
Sodom was guiltless, compar'd to the Land,
For who was in Fashion, was sure to be damn'd;
But nothing that's mortal can ever remain,
A Period is put to his Life and his Reign.
Now
Israelites Hope, since this
Monarch is dead,
That the Vices and Customs of
Aegypt are fled;
And the next
Prince's Virtue so far may extend,
His Example may teach all the Bad to amend;
They're in a Mistake, tho' they've chang'd their Condition,
'Tis worse and worse still, to a damn'd
Superstition;
For he curst Idolatry strove to recal,
Building Altars and Temples to
Moloch and
Baal:
But Heaven to shew how that People he lov'd,
In Pity look'd down, and those Mischefs remov'd;
And sent 'em a
Hero, who eas'd all their Care,
And made 'em more happy than ever they were;
His Person did venture, of Dangers partake,
Despis'd any Hazards that were for their Sake;
War's frightful Alarms, he commanded to cease,
And through the Realm scatter'd Plenty and Peace.
Just so, when bellowing Winds roar'd our aloud;
And dismal Tempests shook the affrighted Croud;
When hardy Sailors trembled at the Storm,
Fearless of death, yet fear'd it in this Form;
The mounting Waves our Blessed
Saviour layd,
A Calm commanded, and the Winds obey'd.
The
Sanbedrim for the great Blessing was sent,
Vote their Thanks to the
Lord with a mutual Consent;
And the Land to reform they resolve in a trice,
With
Statutes and
Laws to give Battle to
Vice.
To encounter with
Satan their Fore-fathers thought,
'Twas enough if
Gods Doctrine was faithfully taught,
For
Moses against him no otherwise fought:
But
Senate profound, by Experience did find,
That
Scripture Divine had small Force on the Mind,
And that
Others no more, than
Themselves it did bind:
To tell you the Truth, 'twas no Wonder at all,
That their
Faith and
Religion were dwindled so small;
For how should a Stranger walk in the right Way,
When the Guide he relies on is wandred astray,
Who considers how loosely the Teachers did ride,
Can't blame the poor Learners for slipping aside;
The
Levite on Sabboth 'gainst Drinking would rail,
And on the next day to his Text would turn tayl.
A Gleek of their Teachers whose
Pockets were stor'd,
With the Ready so flush, as good Wine to afford,
Would secretly meet to avoid the Worlds Eye,
That censuring Laity might not espy;
In Rome that was private, but first they took Care,
Good store to procure of their Darling Red Ware;
A dosen and half of good Flasks they provide,
With Edibles curious, and Plenty beside,
For
Priests have nice Palates or else they're bely'd:
Too much you'll imagine six Bottles a piece,
But Faith Sir, believe me, they'll do it with Fase;
Three's enough for a Layman, but a Divine
Will easily dispence with six bottles of Wine;
For he that drinks most will be sure to inherit,
Of all the dull Tribe the best Portion of Spirit:
Time pleasantly passes, they're merry and free,
Good sanctify'd Men, for the World did not see.
Nay the poor Country
Levite, whose 20 Pound yearly,
Could no higher stretch than Infusion of
Barley;
In some little Ale-house he never would fail,
To soak divine Carcass in Nappy brown Ale,
Contentedly swallowing his vile Muddy Liquor,
Till changing his Station, he rises to better;
And now the true Reason is found out at last,
Why the
Rabbins full Sides grow so gracefully fast;
When his own very
Curate's so lean you would swear,
He was fed by the
Tythes of the fat
Drs. Prayer,
Or like the
Cameleon he liv'd upon air;
Cram him with a Living as large as the rest,
He'll soon make as Jolly a
Priest as the best;
Their
Paunches and
Tythes grow in Consort together,
As one does encrease, so encreases the other.
Hilkiab, whom
Israelite Annals do place
'Mongst the Reverend Heads of the sanctify'd Race.
For Eloquence fam'd, for his Learning was prais'd,
But his Wir above all lasting Lawrels had rais'd,
Because 'tis a Plant very rarely is found
To grow upon barren
Levitical Ground;
Yet this famous
Rabbin is left on Record,
As suspected to live without fear of the
Lord;
Tho' the
Jews for his Wit did him so much adore,
It was whisper'd about that he both drank and swore;
Nay, 'twas shrewdly suspected too that he did—more.
Jehazel, another
Rabbinical Chief,
Fam'd for grave Aspect, and Sanctity of Life,
But powerful Int'rest so strongly was mixt,
That the
Priest from his pious Resolves it unfixt,
His
Jehu-like furious desire to be Great,
To the
Hebrews betray'd his Devotion a Cheat.
Nor must
Rabbi Joram escape being nam'd,
Thro' all their Records for his Avarice fam'd,
So publickly known to be guilty, the Poor
Set a Mark (that they might not lose time) at his door;
So in Places of Danger, a
Beacon's rais'd high,
To give Notice to Sailors they must not come nigh,
But keep as far off as they can, and pass by.
Their
Magistrates too, as their Histories say,
Were found with the
Levites to walk the wrong Way;
And those were invested with Power immense,
Cou'd boast of possessing most Riches, not Sense;
Their
Judges took
Bribes, and perverted the
Laws,
He that gave the most
Money ner'e fail'd of the
Cause;
For Right to the Wealthy does always belong,
To be poor is demonstrative Proof to be wrong;
Forma Pauperis never recovers the Land,
Bad Latin, how should the wise Judge understand?
Abiezer would fit all the Morning on Bench,
And in Ev'ning was found to be smuggling a Wench;
Tho' the Power had left him a long time ago,
And Wishing and Kissing are all he can do.
So swift-footed
Ringwood, that in the fair Chace,
Was ever the Leader, and ne're fail'd the Race;
And Fleet-as the Winds, having run down his Foe,
With a Courage undaunted he seizes him too;
Tho' worn out with Age, yet he still loves the Park,
And unable to stand, he'll lye down and bark.
When the News of hard
Laws, and severe
Reformation,
Was first nois'd about through the
Israelite Nation,
The Toper so scar'd, with Affright he turn'd pale,
And the blustring Courage of Swearer did fail;
Pretty Miss, who with Pleasure takes pains for her Bread,
At the hated Report, was most dismally 'fraid,
Lest the Ill-natur'd
Laws should have ruin'd her Trade;
But their Fears were all vain, for the very
Law-makers,
In an Instant of time, were converted to Breakers;
For rising from
Hall, where they gravely had been,
Seven hours declaiming 'gainst
Satan and
Sin,
They parted, and each took a several way,
Some Gaming, some Drinking, and some to the Play.
Dull
Elaham swills till he's almost dead drunk,
Then staggering, reels to some nasty Clapt Punk.
Pert
Azel at Gaming sits up the whole Night,
He has nothing to live by, but what he gets by't;
With these many more might be nam'd, but my
Muse,
For their Quality's sake, does the Office refuse.
Thus by their
Example encourag'd in Ill,
The rest of the People remain'd wicked still;
Their
Statutes and
Laws had no Power or Force,
For the
Hebrews instead of Reforming, grew worse;
And ev'ry one follow'd his own Inclination,
Sin still reign'd triumphant and kept in the Fashion,
In spight of the Cry of a strict
Reformation;
As soon as the
Statutes were made, they were broke,
And the
Penalties all flew away in a Smoke.
So when upon the Beach I've safely stood,
Viewing the Surges of the curling Flood,
I've seen the lofty Billows roaring, rise
With foaming Tops, and dash'd the frighted Skies;
Look but one Minute hence, the threatning Wave is gone,
And to a silent Bubble turn'd, unheeded glides along.
FINIS.