EAN while the new-baptis'd, who yet remain'd At Jordan with the Baptift, and had seen Him whom they heard fo late exprefsly 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 loft Elijah, fo in each place thefe Nigh to Bethabara; in Jericho
The city of palms, Enon, and Salem old, Machærus, and each town or city wall'd
On this fide the broad lake Genezaret,
Or in Perea; but return'd in vain.
Then on the bank of Jordan, by a creek,
Where winds with reeds and offers whifp'ring play, Plain fisher-men, 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 relapfe Unlook'd-for are we fall'n! our eyes beheld Meffiah certainly now come, fo 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 reftor'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 Ifrael,
Send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come; Behold the kings of th' earth how they opprefs Thy chofen, to what heighth their pow'r unjust 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 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, Nor will withdraw him now, nor win recal,
Mock us with his bleft fight, then fnatch him hence: Soon we fhall fee our hope, our joy return.
Thus they out of their plaints new hope refume To find whom at the first they found unfought : But to his mother Mary, when the faw Others return'd from baptifm, not her fon, Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none;
Within her breaft, though calm, her breaft, though pure, Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd Some troubled thoughts, which the in fighs thus clad. O what avails me now that honour high To have conceiv'd of God, or that falute, Hail highly favour'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 feafon born when fearce a fhed Could be obtain'd to fhelter him or me From the bleak air; a ftable was our warmth, A manger his, yet foon 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 Private, unactive, calm, contemplative, Little fufpicious to any king; but now. Full grown to man, acknowledg'd, as I bear, By John the baptift, and in public fhown, Son own'd from heav'n by his Father's voice: I look'd for fome great change; to honour? no, But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold,
That to the fall and rising he should be Of many in Ifrael, and to a sign
Spoken against, that through my very foul A fword fhall pierce; this is my favour'd lot, My exaltation to afflictions high;
Afflicted I may be, it seems, and bleft;
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 lofe himself, but went about His Father's bufinefs; what he meant I mus'd, Since understand; much more his abfence now Thus long to fome great purpose he obfcures. But I to wait with patience am inur'd; My heart hath been a store-house long of things And fayings laid up, portending strange events.
Thus Mary pond'ring oft, and oft to mind Recalling what remarkably had pafs'd Since first her falutation heard, with thoughts Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling: The while her fon tracing the defart wild, Sole, but with holiest meditations fed, Into himself defcended, and at once All his great work to come before him fet; 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 sign of joy,
Sollicitous and blank he thus began.
Princes, heav'n's ancient fons, aetherial thrones, Demonian fpirits 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 Without new trouble; fuch an enemy Is risen to invade us, who no lefs
Threatens than our expulfion down to hell; I, as I undertook, and with the vote Confenting in full frequence was impower'd, Have found him, view'd him, tafted him, but find Far other labour to be undergone
Than when I dealt with Adam firft of men,
Though Adam hy his wife's allurement fell, However to this man inferior far,
If he be man by mother's fide at least,
With more than human gifts from heav'n adorn'd, Perfections abfolute, graces divine,
And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds. Therefore I am return'd, left confidence Of my fuccefs with Eve in Paradife Deceive you to perfuafion over-fure Of like fucceeding here; I fummon all Rather to be in readiness, with hand Or counsel to affift; left I who erst
Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd. So fpake th' old ferpent doubting, and from all With clamour was affur'd their utmost aid At his command; when from amidst them rofe Belial, the diffoluteft fpirit that fell,
The fenfualleft, and after Afmodai
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