EANwhile the new-baptiz'd, whoyet remain'd
At Jordan with the Baptist, 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 fo 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 miffing 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
Sought
Sought loft Elijah, fo 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,
Where winds with reeds and ofiers whisp'ring play,
Plain fishermen, no greater men them call,
Close in a cottage low together got,
Their unexpected loss and plaints out breath'd.
Alas, from what high hope to what relapse 30
Unlook'd for are we fall'n! our eyes beheld
Meffiah certainly now come, so long
Expected of our fathers; we have heard
His words, his wifdom full of grace and truth;
Now, now, for fure, deliverance is at hand,
The kingdom fhall 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
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 fear of thee; arife 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 fhown
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,
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.
Thus they out of their plaints new hope resume To find whom at the firft 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 breaft though calm, her breaft tho' pure, Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd Some troubled thoughts, which fhein 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 bleft! While I to forrows am no lefs advanc'd, And fears as eminent, above the lot Of other women, by the birth I bore,
In fuch a feason born when scarce a fhed
Could be obtain'd to fhelter him or me
From the bleak air; a ftable was our warmth,
A manger his; yet soon enforc'd to fly
Thence into Egypt, till the murd❜rous king
Were dead, who fought his life, and miffing fill'd
With infant blood the ftreets of Bethlehem;
From Egypt home return'd, in Nazareth
Hath been our dwelling many years; his life 80
Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,
Little fufpicious to any king; but now
Full grown to man, acknowledg'd, as I hear,
By John the Baptist, and in public shown,
Son own'd from Heaven by his Father's voice; 85
I look'd for fome great change; to honor? no,
But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold,
That to the fall and rifing he should be
Of many in Ifraël, and to a fign
Spoken against, that through my very foul
A sword shall pierce; this is my favor'd lot,
My exaltation to afflictions high;
Afflicted I may be, it seems, and blest;
I will not argue that, nor will repine.
But where delays he now? fome great intent
Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had seen,
I loft him, but fo found, as well I faw
He could not lose himself; but went about
His Father's business; what he meant I mus'd,
Since understand; much more his abfence now 100
Thus long to fome great purpose he obscures.
But I to wait with patience am inur'd;
My heart hath been a store-house long of things And fay'ings laid up, portending ftrange events.
Thus Mary pond'ring oft, and oft to mind 105
Recalling what remarkably had pass'd
Since first her falutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling:
The while her fon tracing the desert wild,
Sole but with holieft meditations fed,
Into himself defcended, and at once
All his great work to come before him set;
How to begin, how to accomplish best
His end of being on earth, and mission high:
For Satan with fly preface to return
Had left him vacant, and with speed was gone
Up to the middle region of thick air,
Where all his potentates in council fat;
There without fign of boast, or fign of joy,
Solicitous and blank he thus began.
Princes, Heav'n's ancient Sons, ethereal Thrones, Demonian Spirits now, from th' element
Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call'd
Pow'rs of fire, air, water, and earth beneath,
So may we hold our place and these mild feats 125
Without new trouble; such an enemy
Is risen to invade us, who no less
Threatens than our expulfion down to Hell;
I, as I undertook, and with the vote
Consenting in full frequence was impower'd, 130
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