Ver. We on our necks the heavy yoke 5 Of perfecution bear; We toil, and have not from the fhock 6 With Egypt we were forc'd to make And alfo hands with Afhur shake, 7 Our fathers finn'd, and are no more, 8 Base flaves have o'er us domineer'd; 9 Yet none have for our help appear'd, In peril of our life with pain, Our bread we daily fnatch'd; 10 The ftorm of famine's fierce attack, Our skin was dry'd and parched black, II In Zion, women of chafte names Were ravish'd and o'erpower'd; 12 Ev'n princes, with their hands in rage, Were hang'd up by the neck: To elders faces, grave and fage, 13 Young men were fet to grind, and stress'd With work in flavish mode; And children fmall, with wood opprefs'd, 14 Elders and judges from the gate, Muficians young, their lutes tranflate Ver. Our former folemn feft'al mirth 15 And joy of heart is gone; Our merry dance is turn'd on earth 16 The crown is fallen from off our head, Wo's us, for we have finn'd indeed, 17 For this our fin and guilt fo grim, 18 For Zion mount's fo defolate, And crafty foes of church and state, 19 Juftly uncrown'd, uncrown'd, we chime; 20 Lord, wherefore doft thou us forget? Why left in this deserted ftate 21 Turn us to thee, Lord, and we shall And fave us, as of old. 22 For wilt thou quite reject us, Lord, Then, where's thy love, thy truth, thy word? 7 PART. VI. POEMS Selected from the Minor PROPHETS. INTRODUCTION. The twelve Prophets, whofe writings compofe the latter part, and, confequently, complete the cannon of the Old Teftament, are ufually denominated the leffer Prophets: not as if they themselves were any way inferior to the other Prophets, or lefs in Gon's account; or their writings of lefs authority, importance, and ufefulness, than thefe of the greater prophets: but only because they are thorter, and lefs in fize than the other. There is the greateft reafon to believe, that thefe Prophets preached as much as the other; but did not commit fo much of what they delivered to writing: and it is certain they were as ufeful in their day, and held in as great reputation as the other, although there is not fo much of their prophecies kept on record, and tranfmitted to pofterity. On this account, their compofitions cannot be fuppofed to contain fo many facred odes, or fo much fertile matter for divine hymns, as the other prophets, whofe writings are vaftly larger; yet the following Songs are felected from them. SONG I.. JONAH's Prayer out of the Whale's belly. S. JONAH ii. 1,-9. "Then Jonah prayed unto the Ver. I CRY'D to God the Lord most high, 2 When trouble me befel; He hear'd, and liften'd to my cry, 3 Thou me into the fwelling deeps 4 Quite from thy fight I'm caft, said I, Yet, to thine holy place mine eye Ver. Around me to my very foul 5 The roaring feas were spread: The fwelling deeps inclos'd me whole; 6 To bottoms of the mountains down Yet, Lord, my life thou didst restore 7 For when amidst the rolling waves I call'd to mind the Lord who faves, And was in mercy heard. 8 All these from their own mercies fwerve, Who lying vanities obferve, 9 But I with thankful voice will found I'll pay my vows afhore, undrown'd: A prayer of HABAKKUK the prophet, upon Sigionoth; [or, according to the variable fongs or tunes.] 2 L Hab. iii. 2,-19. SECT. I HABAKKUK's Prayer. ORD, I have heard thy awful fpeech, Revive thy work, Lord, I befeech, Amidst the woful years; Ver. Amidst the feventy years of thrall In wrath, though just, to mind recall 3 [Our fathers in their loweft ftate 4 His brightness pure outfhon the light, 5 Before him went the peftilence, Hot plagues went forth in Egypt, thence, 6 He stood and mete the promis'd land: States, that like movelefs mountains were, At the rebuke of God. [On him may Ifra'l's children place His ways of pow'r, and truth, and grace, 7 [They're ftill the fame to dafh and fhake 8 Did heav'n against the rivers frown? That thou didst mount thy horfe, and on |