EAN while the new-baptiz'd, who yet remain'd
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,
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 fhown,
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 those young prophets then with care
Sought loft Elijah, fo in each place these
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jericho
The city' of palms, Ænon, 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 ofiers 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 what 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 shall 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 wrapt 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
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,
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 refume
To find whom at the first they found unfought :
But to his mother Mary, when she faw
Others return'd from baptifm, 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 she 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 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 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 streets of Bethlehem;
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;
I look'd for fome great change; to honor?' no,
But trouble, as old Simeon plain foretold,
That to the fall and rising he should be
Of many in Ifraël, and to a sign
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
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 business; 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 fay'ings laid up, portending strange events.
Thus Mary pond'ring oft, and oft to mind
Recalling what remarkably had pafs'd
Since firft her falutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling :
The while her fon tracing the defert 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 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 dir,
Where all his potentates in council fat;
There without fign of boast, or sign 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 Without new trouble; fuch an enemy Is rifen to invade us, who no lefs
Threatens than our expulsion 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 labor to be undergone
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 you to persuasion over-fure
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