Page:Elegy upon the death of that famous and faithful minister and martyr Mr. James Renwick.pdf/2

) 2 ) Ere’s work, alas! for mourners to deplore

This fatal stroke, sadly presaging more!

In such a day, let’s hang our Harps on willows;

’Tis not a time of laying heads on pillows:

In such a day of wrath, and consternation,

In such a day of dread, and desolation;

A day of trial, and of treading down,

A day wherein our head hath lost its crown,

A day of blasphemy, rebuke, and trouble,

A day of darkness, and of sorrows double;

A day of great vexations, and confusions,

A day of great temptations, and delusions,

A day of jumbling, manifold distractions,

A day of stumbling, manifest defections,

A day of famine of the word of life,

A day of sinning, suffering and strife:

When Babel's brats the world so much encumber,

When Zion's Sons daily decrease in number,

When now the godly cease, the faithful fail,

When few are left, their funerals to bewail,

When nought but thorns, where corn grew, we can find,

When gold is gone, and dross but left behind,

When our Elijahs, Israel's Chariot’s gone,

When yet, alas! their mantle’s left with none,

When many hypocrites Christ’s fan discovers,

When few are left, that are his loyal Lovers,

When for his laws, these few are sore oppress’d,

When for his cause, they’re pillag’d and distress’d,

When those are hunted, and always afflicted,

When of all help, and harbour interdicted.

When chas’d through country, and pursu’d in city,

When banish’d, butcher'd, yet, instead of pity,

(When counted slaughter-sheep, and daily killed,

By such as sit, at ease) they much are filled

With insolent contempt, and sad reproaches,

Which of all falshood still the Father broaches;

When Popish tyrants, vile Beelzebub’s drudges,

On thrones of tyranny, are own’d for judges,

When now, like stupid Asses, men are mute,

When such usurpers challenge absolute

And arbitrary power, to sacrifice

Religion, laws, and lives, and liberties;

When faithful Gospel-preachers are so few,

In times, to give a warning due;

When now foul-murd ring wolves, Christ’s flock devour

When watchmen wanting are on Zion’s Tower,