Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 4.djvu/422

414 so strong a habit of believing him backward, that I am confident nine parts in ten of those who have read or heard of his introduction, have slept in greater security ever since. It is like the melancholy tone of a watchman at midnight, who thumps with his pole as if some thief were breaking in; but you know by the noise, that the door is fast.

However, he thanks God there are many among us who stand in the breach: I believe they may; it is a breach of their own making, and they design to come forward, and storm and plunder, if they be not driven back. They make themselves a wall for their church and country. A south wall I suppose, for all the best fruit of the church and country to be nailed on. Let us examine this metaphor. The wall of our church and country, is built of those who love the constitution in both: our domestick enemies undermine some parts of the wall, and place themselves in the breach, and then they cry, we are the wall. We do not like such patchwork; they build with untempered mortar; nor can they ever cement with us, till they get better materials and better workmen. God keep us from having our breaches made up with such rubbish. They stand upon the watch-tower! they are indeed pragmatical enough to do so; but who assigned them that post, to give us false intelligence, to alarm us with false dangers, and send us to defend one gate, while their accomplices are breaking in at another? They cry to God day and night to avert the judgment of popery, which seems to hasten toward us. Then I affirm, they are hypocrites by day, and filthy dreamers by night: when they cry unto him, he