Violent or fhameful death their due reward.
But if there be in glory ought of good,
It may be means far different be attain'd
Without ambition, war, or violence;
By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent,
By patience, temperance: I mention ftill
Him whom thy wrongs with faintly patience borne
Made famous in a land and times obfcure:
Who names not now with honor patient Job?
Poor Socrates (who next more memorable ?)
By what he taught and fuffer'd for fo doing,
For truth's fake fuffering death, unjuft, lives now
Equal in fame to proudest conquerors.
Yet if for fame and glory ought be done,
Ought fuffer'd; if young African for fame
His wafted country freed from Punic rage,
The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least,
And lofes, though but verbal, his reward.
Shall I feek glory then, as vain men feek,
Oft not deferv'd? I seek not mine, but his
Who fent me, and thereby witness whence I am.
To whom the Tempter murm'ring thus reply'd.
Think not fo flight of glory; therein leaft
Refembling thy great Father; he seeks glory,
And for his glory all things made, all things
Orders and governs; nor content in Heaven
By all his Angels glorify'd, requires
Glory from men, from all men good or bad,
Wife or unwife, no difference, no exemption;
Above all facrifice, or hallow'd gift
Glory' he requires, and glory he receives
Promifcuous from all nations, Jew, or Greek,
Or barbarous, nor exception hath declar'd;
From us his foes pronounc'd glory' he exacts.
To whom our Saviour fervently reply'd.
And reafon; fince his word all things produc'd
Though chiefly not for glory as prime end,
But to fhew forth his goodness, and impart
His good communicable to every foul
Freely; of whom what could he less expect
Than glory and benediction, that is thanks,
The flighteft, eafieft, readieft recompenfe
From them who could return him nothing else,
And not returning that would likelieft render
Contempt instead, difhonour, obloquy?
Hard recompenfe, unfuitable return
For fo much good, fo much beneficence.
But why fhould man seek glory, who of his own
Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs
But condemnation, ignominy', and fhame?
Who for fo many benefits receiv'd
Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and false,
And fo of all true good himself defpoil'd,
Yet facrilegious, to himfelf would take
That which to God alone of right belongs;
Yet fo much bounty is in God, fuch grace,
That who advance his glory, not their own,
Them he himself to glory will advance.
So fpake the Son of God; and here again
Satan had not to answer, but ftood ftruck
With guilt of his own fin, for he himself
Infatiable of glory had lost all,
Yet of another plea bethought him foon.
Of glory, as thou wilt, faid he, fo deem, Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass: But to a kingdom thou art born, ordain'd
To fit upon thy father David's throne;
By mother's fide thy father; though thy right
Be now in pow'rful hands, that will not part
Eafily from poffeffion won with arms:
Judæa now and all the promis'd land,
Reduc'd a province under Roman yoke,
Obeys Tiberius; nor is always rul'd
With temp'rate fway; oft have they violated
The temple, oft the law with foul affronts,
Abominations rather, as did once
Antiochus: and think'st thou to regain
Thy right by fitting ftill, or thus retiring?
So did not Maccabeus: he indeed
Retir'd into the defert, but with arms;
And o'er a mighty king fo oft prevail'd,.
That by ftrong hand his family obtain'd,
Though priests, the crown, and David's throne ufurp'd,
With Modin and her fuburbs once content.
If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal
And duty; zeal and duty are not flow;:
But on occafion's forelock watchful wait.
They themselves rather are occafion best,
Zeal of thy Father's houfe, duty to free
Thy country from her Heathen fervitude;
So fhalt thou beft fulfil, best verify
The prophets old, who fang thy endless reign;;
The happier reign the fooner it begins;
Reign then; what canft thou better do the while? 180
To whom our Saviour answer thus return'd..
All things are best fulfilled in their due time,
And time there is for all things, Truth hath faid;
If of my reign prophetic Writ hath told
That it shall never end, fo when begin
The Father in his purpose hath decreed,
He in whofe hand all times and feasons roll.
What if he hath decreed that I shall firft
Be try'd in humble ftate, and things adverfe,.
By tribulations, injuries, infults,
Contempts, and fcorns, and fnares, and violence,
Suffering, abftaining, quietly expecting,
Without diftruft or doubt, that he may know
What I can fuffer, how obey? who best
Can fuffer, beft can do; beft reign, who first
Well hath obey'd; juft trial ere I merit
My exaltation without change or end.
But what concerns it thee when I begin
My everlasting kingdom, why art thou
Solicitous, what moves thy inquifition?
Know'st thou not that my rifing is thy fall,
And my promotion will be thy deftruction?
To whom the Tempter inly rack'd reply'd.
Let that come when it comes; all hope is loft
Of my reception into grace; what worse ?
For where no hope is left, is left no fear::
If there be worfe, the expectation more
Of worse torments me than the feeling can.
I would be at the worft; worst is my port,
My harbour and my ultimate repose,.
The end I would attain, my final good.
My error was my error,, and my crime
My crime; whatever for itself condemn'd,
And will alike be punish'd, whether thou
Reign or reign not; though to that gentle brow
Willingly I could fly, and hope thy reign,
From that placid aspect and meek regard,
Rather than aggravate my evil state,
Would stand between me and thy Father's ire
(Whose ire I dread more than the fire of Hell)
A fhelter and a kind of shading cool
Interpofition, as a fummer's cloud.
If I then to the worst that can be haste,
Why move thy feet so flow to what is best,
Happiest both to thyself and all the world,
That thou who worthiest art should'st be their king?
Perhaps thou linger'ft in deep thoughts detain'd
Of th' enterprise fo hazardous and high;
No wonder, for though in thee be united
What of perfection can in man be found,
Or human nature can receive, confider
Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent
At home, scarce viewed the Galilean towns,
And once a year Jerufalem, few days
Short fojourn; and what thence could'st thou obferve?
The world thou haft not seen, much less her glory,
Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts,
Beft school of best experience, quickest insight
In all things that to greatest actions lead..
The wifeft, unexperienc'd will be ever
Timorous and loath, with novice modesty,
(As he who seeking asses found a kingdom)
Irrefolute, unhardy, unadvent'rous:
But I will bring thee where thou foon fhall quit
Thofe rudiments, and fee before thine eyes
The monarchies of th' earth, their pomp and state,
Sufficient introduction to inform
Thee, of thyfelf fo apt, in regal arts,
And regal myfteries, that thou may't know
How beft their oppofition to withstand.
242. As he who seeking affes, &c.] Saul, who feeking his father's
loft affes came to Samuel, and by him was anointed King. The ftory
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