Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first
Publish his God-like office now mature,

One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading,
And his deep thoughts, the better to converse 190
With folitude, till far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He enter'd now the bord'ring defert wild,
And with dark shades and rocks environ'd round,
His holy meditations thus pursu’d.

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O what a multitude of thoughts at once Awaken'd in me swarm, while I confider What from within I feel myfelf, 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 pleasing; all my mind was set Serious to learn and know, and thence to do What might be public good; myself 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 sweet, Made it my whole delight, and in it grew To fuch perfection, that ere yet my age

Had measur'd twice fix years, at our great feast 210

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

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To which my Spi'rit afpir'd; victorious deeds 215
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To rescue Ifrael from the Roman yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud tyrannic power,
Till truth were freed, and equity reftor'd:
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly firft
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfuafion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring foul
Not wilfully mif-doing, but unware
Misled; the ftubborn only to fubdue.
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 Son, but nourish them and let them foar
To what highth facred virtue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchless deeds exprefs thy matchlefs Sire.
For know, thou art no fon of mortal man;
Though men efteem thee low of parentage,
Thy Father is th' eternal King who rules
All Heav'n and Earth, Angels and Sons of men;
A messenger from God foretold thy birth

Conceiv'd in me a virgin, he foretold

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Thou should'st be great and fit on David's throne, And of thy Kingdom there fhould be no end. 241 At thy nativity a glorious quire

Of

Of Angels in the fields of Bethlehem fung
To fhepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Meffiah now was born

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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:

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A star, not seen before, in Heav'n appearing
Guided the wife men thither from the east,
To honor thee with incense, myrrh, and gold,
By whose bright course led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy ftar new grav'n in Heaven,
By which they knew the king of Ifrael born.
Just Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd
By vision, found thee in the temple', and spake
Before the altar and the vested priest,

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Like things of thee to all that present stood.
This having heard, ftrait I again revolv'd
The law and prophets, searching what was writ 260
Concerning the Meffiah, 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 ev'n to the death,
Ere I the promis'd kingdom can attain,

Or work redemption for mankind, whose 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

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The Baptist (of whose birth I oft had heard, 270

Not

Not knew by fight) now come, who was to come Before Meffiah and his way prepare.

I as all others to his baptifm came,

Which I believ'd was from above; but he

Strait knew me, and with loudeft voice proclaim'd 275 Mẹ him (for it was shown him so from Heaven) Me him whose harbinger he was; and first Refus'd on me his baptism to confer,

280

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 descended on me like a dove,
And last the sum of all, my Father's voice,
Audibly heard from Heav'n, pronounc'd me his,
Me his beloved Son, in whom alone

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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
Th' authority which I deriv'd from Heaven.
And now by some 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 Star then in his rife,
And looking round on every fide beheld
A pathless defert, dufk with horrid fhades;

The way
he came not having mark'd, return
Was difficult, by human steps untrod;

295

And

And he still on was led, but with such thoughts

Accompanied of things past and to come

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Lodg'd in his breast, as well might recommend Such folitude before choiceft society.

Full forty days he pass'd, whether on hill

Sometimes, anon in fhady vale, each night
Under the covert of some ancient oak,

3.05

Or cedar, to defend him from the dew,

Or harbour'd in one cave, is not reveal'd;

Nor tafted human food, nor hunger felt

Till those days ended, hunger'd then at last
Among wild beafts: they at his fight grew mild, 310
Nor fleeping him nor waking harm'd, his walk
The fiery ferpent fled, and noxious worm,
The lion and fierce tiger glar'd aloof.

But now an aged man in rural weeds,

Following, as feem'd, the quest of some strayewe, 315
Or wither'd sticks to gather, which might serve
Against a winter's day when winds blow keen,
To warm him wet return'd from field at eve,
He saw approach, who first with curious eye
Perus'd him, then with words thus utter'd spake. 320

Sir, what ill chance hath brought thee to this place
So far from path or road of men, who pass
In troop or caravan? for single none

Durst ever, who return'd, and dropt not here
His carcass, pin'd with hunger and with drouth. 325
I ask the rather, and the more admire,

For