EAN while the new-baptiz'd; who yes
remain'd
At Jordan with the Baptift, and had feen
Him whom they heard fo late exprefly
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 hitely 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 only be fhewn,
And for a time caught up to God, as once
Males was in the Mount, and miffing long;
And the great Thifbite 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,
Macharus, 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 Fishermen, no greater men them call,
Clofe in a Cottage low together got,
Their unexpected lofs and plaints out breath'd..
Alas, from that high hope to what relapse
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
him from us? will he now retire After appearance, and again prolong
Our expectation? God of Ifrael,
Send toy Meffiah forth, the time is come;
Behold the Kings of th' Earth how they opprefs
Thy chofen, to what heighth their Pow'r unjuft
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 publick, 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,
Mock us with his bleft fight, then snatch 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 Son,
Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none;
Within her breast, though calm; her breaft, though pure, Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd
Some troubled thoughts, which she in fighs thus clad. 65
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 scarce a Shed:
Could be obtain'd to fhelter him or me
From the bleak air; a Stable 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 hear,
By John the Baptift, and in publick shown,
Son own'd from Heaven 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 rifing he should be
Of many in Ifrael, and to a fign
Spoken againft, that through my very Soul
A fword fhall pierce, this is
My Exaltation to Afflictions high;
Afflicted I may be, it feems, and bleft;
I will not argue that, nor will repine,
But where delays he now ? fome great
Conceals him when twelve years he fcarce had feen,
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 understood; 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 pass'd
Since first her Salutation heard, with thoughts.
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling:
The while her Son tracing the Defart wild,
Sole, but with holiest Meditations fed,
Into himself descended, and at once
All his great work to come before him fet ;
How to begin, how to accomplish beft
His end of being on Earth, and Miffion 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 fate;
There without fign of boast, or fign of joy,
Sollicitous and blank he thus began.
Princes, Heav'ns 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 thefe mild feats
Without new troubles: fuch an Enemy:
Is rifen to invade us, whom no less
Threatens 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 undergon
Than when I dealt with Adam first of Men,
Though Adam by 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 ye to persuasion 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 Serpent doubting, and from all
With clamour was affur'd their utmost aid
At his command; when from amidst them rose.
Belial, the diffoluteft Spirit that fell,
The fenfualleft, and, after Afmodai,
The flefhlieft Incubus; and thus advis'd.
Set women in his eye, and in his walk,
Among daughters of men the fairest found;
Many are in each Region paffing fair
As the noon Sky; more like to Goddeffes
Than mortal Creatures, graceful and difcreet,
Expert in am'rous Arts, enchanting Tongues
Perfuafive, Virgin majefty with mild
And fweet allay'd, yet terrible t'approach,
Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw
Hearts after them, tangl'd in amorous Nets.
Such object hath the pow'r to foft'n and tame
Severeft temper, fmooth the rugged'ft brow,,
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope diffolve,
Draw out with credulous defire, and lead..
At will the manlieft, refoluteft breast,
As the Magnetic hardest Iron draws.
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