LORD! look with Mercy down on human Race,
And grant to Swearers thy converting Grace.
O Slaves to Folly, Ignorance, and Sin,
Become his Converts, and his Favour win!
The Heathens their fictitious Gods ador'd ;
But we, to damn our Blood, invoke our LORD.
One fwears to make the Gentleman compleat,
And Mouths of Devils are th' Illiterate.
[their Souls, Their Heads, their Eyes, their Hands, their Hearts,
They call on GOD to damn, and who controuls?
The Swearers being Friends, they ask not God
To pardon them, nor fear his vengeful Rod.
His mighty Arm can hurl his Vengeance down,
And you in Hell, too late his Pow'r may own."
Who fwears, forfwears too oft, and often lies;
At laft believ'd not, by the Fool or Wife.
From friv❜lous Things, Oaths fucceed Oaths apace, As Tears join Tears, faft trickling down the Face.
A Jeft no Mirth affords, and Talk is Pain,
Unless they take the Name of GOD in vain.
LORD! Could we think how great a God thou art,
And weigh thy glorious Attributes apart;
Thou, before whom the Seraphims are veil❜d,
And all the Hofts of Heav'n Obedience yield;
Thou, for thy facred Attributes ador'd,
And of the Universe the Sov'reign LORD:
Thy Pow'r and Wisdom infinite, would draw
Our Hearts to love, and Minds to learn thy Law.
Stupendous Love of GOD to fend his Son!
And the Son's Love to fay, Thy Will be done!
The Son of GOD to die! Weep at his Woes!
Bleed at his Wounds! break, Heart, to hear his Foes!
GOD's mighty Fiat caus'd from Nothing's Womb, Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Sun, Moon, Stars to come: At his Ne Fiat, Nothing will remain
Of all these Worlds, and what thefe Worlds contain.
His Eye difcerns the Secrets of the Throne,
And marks the Acts of Millions, as of One.
He, boundless in himself, gives Bounds to all,
Knowing all Things, reward or punish shall,
His Love created, and his tender Care
From Infancy brought you, to what you are. Thro' num'rous Ills of Life, where others fell, And scarce your Crimes efcap'd the Jaws of Hell: Repentance promis'd, and his Anger staid;
You liv'd, ftill live, his Goodness to upbraid.
Unworthy Wretches! who can you excufe?
Unworthy are the beft, his Name to use.
Ungrateful Tongues! more than the Hands ingrate
That lie in Ambush to affaffinate
The Judge, that Judge to Mercy much inur'd,
The Convict pardon, e'en before procur❜d.
The tortur'd Bowels of GOD's Earth befriend With Gold your Purfes, that you Swearers fpend; You breathe his Air, he all your Wants supplies; his Bleffings wafte, his Bleffings rife;
One Year with great Variety is gone,
And if He wills, another fuch comes on.
For all thefe Favours, you no Thanks return,
And, against Heav'n with Indignation fpurn.
When you, Thy Will be done on Earth, do say,
As 'tis in Heaven, ftill do you fwear, and pray?
Or pray you never? Do the Angels fo?
They fing, they love, they all Obedience show,
But how can Oaths with Hallelujahs sound?
Or do you think a Swearer there is found?
So, an Hog's grunting with an Organ vies,
And rare, a Diamond on a Dunghill lies.
Or that th' Almighty's deaf, do you believe?
Atheists you are not, Oaths can witness give;
He, who knows all Things, confequently hears;
Afar off knows you, and when he appears,
He ratifies what you so often fwore;
Then never, never to behold him more.
Then ah! the Anguish and the wild Despair,
To lofe for ever the Eternal Fair.
Did ye so oft invoke his holy Name,
In Pray'r transported in an holy Flame;
(And GOD the Language of the Heart can hear,
And Grief oppreffing, his right Hand is near.)
The Eye ne'er faw, Ear heard, or Heart conceiv'd,
The Joys of those who practis'd and believ'd.
Then oh the Raptures, and the Bliss untold,
When you the Glories of your GOD behold.
If in that finful Sound you take a Pride,
Reflect on what did Lucifer betide e;
If to look high and big, let Babel's Fall,
And let the fwelling Frog inftru&t you all;
Or if from Cuftom, that can testify,
That as you Swearers live, you Swearers die.
Refift at first, the Current ftronger grows,
And Reafon is too feeble to oppose:
If ev'ry idle Word and finful Thought,
Before the great Tribunal fhall be brought,
How will your Oaths ten thoufand ftand the Teft,
Or do you make the Word of GOD a Jest?
Loft to all Senfe, abandon'd to all Good!
And fond of the Damnation of your Blood;
Fonder than are two defp'rate Armies met,
Of Death or Victory, and Plunder great;
Or when the prowling Lions feek their Prey,
Of fuch a bloody Feaft, more fond than they,
Why doth his Lordship fwear at ev'ry Word? Young Mafter hears, and imitates MY LORD; How would his Lordship like his Lordship's Name To be mal-treated and be made a Game?
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