With folitude, 'till far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He entred now the bordering desart wild,
And with dark shades and rocks environ'd round,
His holy meditation thus pursu'd.
O what a multitude of thoughts at once Awaken'd in me fwarm, while I confider What from within I feel my self, and hear What from without comes often to my ears, Ill forting with my present state compar'd. When I was yet a child, no childish play
To me was pleafing, all my mind was set
Serious to learn and know, and thence to do
What might be publick good; my self I thought
Born to that end, born to promote all truth, 205
All righteous things: therefore, above my years,
The law of GOD I read, and found it fweet,
Made it my whole delight, and in it
To fuch perfection, that ere yet my age
Had measur'd twice fix years, at our great feast
I went into the temple, there to hear
The teachers of our law, and to propose
What might improve my knowledge, or their own; And was admir'd by all: yet this not all
To which my fpirit afpir'd; victorious deeds 215
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To rescue ISRAEL from the ROMAN yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence, and proud tyrannick pow'r,
'Till truth were freed, and equity restor❜d:
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly, first
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfuafion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring soul,
Not willfully mis-doing, but unaware
Mif-led; the stubborn only to destroy.
These growing thoughts my mother foon perceiving
By words at times caft forth, inly rejoic'd,
And faid to me apart, High are thy thoughts
O fon, but nourish them, and let them foar 230
To what height facred virtue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchlefs deeds exprefs thy matchless Sire.
For know, thou art no fon of mortal man;
Though men esteem thee low of parentage, 235
Thy father is th' Eternal King, who rules
All heav'n and earth, angels and fons of men;
A meffenger from GOD foretold thy birth
Conceiv'd in me a Virgin, he foretold
Thou should'st be great, and fit on DAVID's throne,
And of thy kingdom there shall be no end.
At thy nativity a glorious quire
Of angels in the fields of BETHLEHEM fung
To fhepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the MESSIAH now was born, 245
Where they might see him, and to thee they came;
Directed to the manger where thou lay'st,
For in the inn was left no better room:
A ftar, not seen before in heav'n, appearing,!
Guided the wife men thither from the east,
To honour thee with incenfe, myrrh, and gold;
By whose bright course led on they found the place'
Affirming it thy star new grav'n in heav'n,
By which they knew the King of ISRAEL born.
Juft SIMEON, and prophetick ANNA, warn'd 255
By vifion, found thee in the temple, and spake
Before the altar, and the vested priest,
Like things of thee to all that present stood.
This having heard, straight I again revolv'd
The law and prophets, searching what was writ
Concerning the MESSIAH, to our scribes
Known partly, and foon found of whom they spake
I am; this chiefly, that my way must lie
Through many a hard assay even to the death,
Ere I the promis'd kingdom can attain,
Or work redemption for mankind, whofe fins
Full weight must be transferr'd upon my head.
Yet neither thus difhearten'd, or dismay'd,
The time prefix'd I waited; when behold
The Baptift (of whose birth I oft had heard, 270 Not knew by fight) now come, who was to come Before MESSIAH, and his way prepare.
I, as all others, to his baptism came,
Which I believ'd was from above; but he 274 Straight knew me, and with loudest voice proclaim'd Me Him (for it was shew'n him fo from heav'n) Me Him whofe harbinger he was; and first Refus'd on me his baptifm to confer,
As much his greater, and was hardly won:
But as I rofe out of the laving stream,
Heav'n open'd her eternal doors, from whence
The SPIRIT defcended on me like a Dove;
And last, the fum of all, my Father's voice,
Audibly heard from heav'n, pronounc'd me His,
Me his beloved SoN, in whom. alone
285
He was well pleas'd; by which I knew the time
Now full, that I no more fhould live obfcure,
But openly begin, as best becomes
The authority which I deriv'd from heav'n.
And now by fome strong motion I am led
Into this wilderness, to what intent
I learn not yet, perhaps I need not know;
For what concerns my knowledge God reveals.
So fpake our morning ftar, then in his rise, And looking round on every fide, beheld
A pathless defart, dusk with horrid shades;
The way he came not having mark'd, return
Was difficult, by humane steps untrod:
And he still on was led, but with such thoughts
Accompanied of things past and to come
Lodg'd in his breast, as well might recommend
Such folitude before choicest society.
Full forty days he pass'd, whether on hill,
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