124 BAXTER'S POEMS. If early helps, parents and teachers fail, , And sin the childish mind and life pervert; If folly, flesh, and tempting baits prevail, Yet God his chosen will in time convert. He'll either give them better company, Or better helps and teachers whom he 'll bless ; Or bring some useful book unto their ~ye, And make their snares, and their temptations less: Or he 'll some sharp affliction o:o. them lay, Which may.awake the harden'd sleepy heart; Or conscience shall some quick'ning motion feel, Tell them thei~· sins, their danger, and desert1 0 ! how the case with sinners now is changed, Things all appear now in anather shape ; Sin now is madness; mad he calls himself For loving death, and thinks now how to 'scape. Now God is holy, just, his word is true, He .is in earnest, though sinners be in jest; The face of all his works and ways seem new, Those things seemworst, which formerly seem'dbest. The common texts and truths he daily heard, Do now begin to have some life and sense: He wonders how he pass'd them by before, As if they had been of no consequence. That wounds, and shames, and grieves, and breaks his heart, Which formerly was his delight and pleasure; That's vanity, and mortal poison now, For which he hunger'd as his food and treasure.
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