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THE

SECOND BOOK

OF

PARADISE REGAIN'D.

PARADISE REGAIN'D.

воок II.

EAN while the new-baptiz'd, who yet remain'd

MA

At Jordan with the Baptift, 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,

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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 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 these
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jericho

The city' of palms, Anon, and Salem old,
Macharus, 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,

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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 lofs 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, 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 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,

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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 unjuft 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 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 will recall,

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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 first they found unfought : But to his mother Mary, when she saw

бо Others

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Others return'd from baptism, not her fon,
Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none,
Within her breast though calm,her breast 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 honor high
To have conceiv'd of God, or that falute
Hail highly favor'd, among women blest!
While I to forrows am no less advanc'd,
And fears as eminent, above the lot
Of other women, by the birth I bore,

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In fuch a feafon born when fcarce 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

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Thence into Egypt, till the murd rous king
Were dead, who fought his life, and miting fill'd
With infant blood the streets 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 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 fword fhall pierce; this is my favor'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

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