Contempt instead, dishonor, obloquy?. Hard recompense, unsuitable return For fo much good, fo much beneficence.
But why should man seek glory, who' of his own Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs 135 But condemnation, ignominy', and shame? Who for fo many benefits receiv'd Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and false, And so of all true good himself despoil'd, Yet, facrilegious, to himself would take That which to God alone of right belongs; Yet so 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 145 Satan had not to answer, but stood ftruck With guilt of his own fin, for he himself Infatiable of glory had loft all,
Yet of another plea bethought him soon.
Of glory, as thou wilt, faid he, so 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 powerful hands, that will not part 155 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 160 The temple, oft the law with foul affronts, Abominations rather, as did once
Antiochus and think'ft thou to regain Thy right by fitting ftill or thus retiring? So did not Maccabeus: he indeed
Retired into the defert, but with arms;
And o'er a mighty king fo oft prevail'd,
That by ftrong hand his family obtain'd,
Tho' 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 beft, Zeal of thy Father's house, duty to free Thy country from her Heathen fervitude; So fhalt thou beft fulfil, best verify
The prophets old, who fung 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 beft fulfill'd in their due time, And time there is for all things, Truth hath faid: If of my reign prophetic Writ hath told, That it fhall never end, fo when begin The Father in his purpose hath decreed,
He in whose hand all times and seasons roll. What if he hath decreed that I fhall first
Be try'd in humble ftate, and things adverse, By tribulations, injuries, infults,
Contempts, and fcorns, and fnares, and violence, Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting, Without diftruft or doubt, that he may know
What I can fuffer, how obey? who best
Can fuffer, beft can do; best reign, who firft 195 Well hath obey'd; just 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 worse, 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 215, Willingly I could fly, and hope thy reign,
From that placid aspect and meek regard, Rather than aggravate my evil ftate,
Would ftand between me and thy Father's ire
(Whose ire I dread more than the fire of Hell) 220 A fhelter and a kind of fhading cool Interpofition, as a fummer's cloud.
If I then to the worst that can be haste, Why move thy feet fo flow to what is best, Happiest both to thyself and all the world, That thou who worthieft art should'st be their king? Perhaps thou linger'ft in deep thoughts detain'd Of th' enterprise so 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, fcarce view'd the Galilean towns, And once a year Jerufalem, few days Short fojourn; and what thence could'ft thou obferve? The world thou haft not seen, much less her glory, Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts, Best 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 modefty, (As he who seeking affes found a kingdom)
Irrefolute, unhardy, unadventrous:
But I will bring thee where thou foon fhalt quit Those rudiments, and fee before thine eyes 245 The monarchies of th' earth, their pomp and state, Sufficient introduction to inform
Thee, of thyself so apt, in regal arts,
And regal mysteries, that thou may'st know How best their oppofition to withstand.
With that (such pow'r was giv'n him then) he took The Son of God up to a mountain high.
It was a mountain at whofe verdant feet
A fpacious plain out-ftretch'd in circuit wide Lay pleasant; from his fide two rivers flow'd, 255 Th' one winding, th' other ftrait, and left between Fair champain with lefs rivers intervein'd, Then meeting join'd their tribute to the fea: Fertile of corn the glebe, of oil and wine; With herds the pastures throng'd, with flocks the hills; Huge cities and high towr'd, that well might seem The feats of mightiest monarchs, and fo large The prospect was, that here and there was room For barren defert fountainless and dry. To this high mountain top the Tempter brought 265 Our Saviour, and new train of words began.
Well have we speeded, and o'er hill and dale, Forest and field and flood, temples and towers, Cut shorter many a league; here thou behold'st Affyria and her empire's ancient bounds,
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