صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

THE

SECOND BOOK

O F

PARADISE

REGAIN'D.

REGA I N'D.

BOOK II.

EAN while the new-baptiz'd, who yet remain'd

ME

At Jordan with the Baptift, and had seen

Him whom they heard fo late exprefly call'd
Jefus Meffiah Son of God declar'd,

And on that high authority had believ’d,

And with him talk'd, and with him lodg'd, I mean
Andrew and Simon, famous after known,
With others though in holy writ not nam'd,
Now miffing him their joy fo lately found,
So lately found, and so abruptly gone,
Began to doubt, and doubted many days,
And as the days increas'd, increas'd their doubt:
Sometimes they thought he might be only shown,
And for a time caught up to God, as once
Mofes was in the mount, and missing long;
And the great Thisbite, who on fiery wheels
Rode up to Heav'n, yet once again to come.
Therefore as thofe young prophets then with care

5

ΙΟ

15

Sought

Sought lost Elijah, so in each place these
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jericho

The city' of palms, AEnon, and Salem old,
Machærus, and each town or city wall'd
On this fide the broad lake Genezaret,
Or in Peræa; but return'd in vain.

Then on the bank of Jordan, by a creek,

20

25

Where winds with reeds and ofiers whisp'ring play,
Plain fishermen, no greater men them call,
Clofe in a cottage low together got,

Their unexpected lofs and plaints out breath'd.

Alas, from what high hope to what relapse Unlook'd for are we fall'n! our eyes beheld Meffiah certainly now come, so long

30

Expected of our fathers; we have heard

His words, his wifdom full of grace and truth;
Now, now, for fure, deliverance is at hand,

35

The kingdom shall to Ifrael be restor❜d:

Thus we rejoic'd, but foon our joy is turn'd
Into perplexity and new amaze:

For whither is he gone, what accident

Hath rapt him from us? will he now retire
After appearance, and again prolong

40

Our expectation? God of Ifraël,

Send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come;

Behold the kings of th' earth how they oppress

Thy chofen, to what highth their pow'r unjust

45

They have exalted, and behind them caft

All

All fear of thee; arise and vindicate

Thy glory, free thy people from their yoke.
But let us wait; thus far he hath perform'd,
Sent his Anointed, and to us reveal'd him,
By his great Prophet, pointed at and shown
In public, and with him we have convers'd;
Let us be glad of this, and all our fears
Lay on his providence; he will not fail,

50

Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recall,

55

Mock us with his bleft fight, then fnatch him hence; Soon we shall see our hope, our joy return.

60

Thus they out of their plaints new hope resume To find whom at the first they found unfought: But to his mother Mary, when she saw Others return'd from baptifm, not her son, Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none,

Within her breast though calm, her breaft though pure, Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd

66

Some troubled thoughts, which fhe in fighs thus clad.
O what avails me now that honor high
To have conceiv'd of God, or that falute
Hail highly favor'd, among women blest!
While I to forrows am no less advanc'd,
And fears as eminent, above the lot
Of other women, by the birth I bore,

70

In fuch a season born when scarce a shed

Could be obtain'd to fhelter him or me

From the bleak air; a ftable was our warmth,

A

« السابقةمتابعة »