Then toldst her doubting how these things could be
To her a virgin, that on her should come
The Holy Ghoft, and the pow'r of the Highest
O'er-shadow her: this man born and now up-
grown,
To show him worthy of his birth divine
And high prediction, henceforth I expofe
To Satan; let him tempt and now allay
His utmost fubtlety, because he boasts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the
throng
Of his apoftaly; he might have learnt
Lefs overweening, fince he fail'd in Job,
Whose constant perfeverance overcame
Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.
He now shall know I can produce a man 150. Of female feed, far abler to resist
All his folicitations, and at length
All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell,
Winning by conqueft what the first man loft
By fallacy furpris'd. But firft I mean
To exercife him in the wilderness,
There he shall firft lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I fend him forth
To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes,
By humiliation and ftrong fufferance:
160
His weakness fhall o'ercome Satanic ftrength,
And all the world, and mafs of finful flefh;
That all the Angels and ethereal Powers,
They now, and men hereafter may difcern,
From what confummate virtue I have chofe 165
This perfect man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.
So fpake th' eternal Father, and all Heaven Admiring ftood a space, then into hymns Burft forth, and in celeftial measures mov'd, 170 Circling the throne and finging, while the hand
Sung with the voice, and this the argument.
Victory' and triumph to the Son of God
Now entring his great duel, not of arms,
But to vanquifh by wildom hellish wiles. 175
The Father knows the Son; therefore secure
Ventures his filial virtue, though untry'd,
Against whate'er may tempt, whate'er feduce,
Allure, or terrify, or undermine.
Be fruftrate all ye ftratagems of Hell,
And devilish machinations come to nought.
So they in Heav'n their odes and vigils tun'd:
Mean while the Son of God, who yet fome
days
Lodg'd in Bethabara, where John baptiz'd, 185
How beft the mighty work he might begin
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first
Publifh his God-like office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit lea
And his deep thoughts, the better to con
With folitude, till far from track of men, Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He enter'd now the bord'ring defert wild, And with dark shades and rocks environ'd
His holy meditations thus purfu'd.
O what a multitude of thoughts at once Awaken'd in me warm, while I confider What from within I feel myfelf, and hear What from without comes often to my ears, Ill forting with my prefent state
When I was yet a child, no childish play
To me was pleasing; all my mind was fet
Serious to learn and know, and thence to do
What might be public good; myfelf I thought
Born to that end, born to promote all truth, 205
All righteous things: therefore above my
years,
The law of God I read, and found it fweet,
Made it my whole delight, and in it grew
To fuch perfection, that ere yet my age
Had measur'd twice fix years, at our great
I went into the temple, there to hear
The teachers of our law, and to propofe
What might improve my knowledge or their
And was admir'd by all: yet this not all To which my fpi'rit afpir'd; victorions deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To refcue Ifrael from the Roman yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud tyrannic power,
Till truth were freed, and equity reftor'd: 220
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly first
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfuafion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring foul
Not wilfully mif-doing, but unware
Mif ed; the stubborn only to fubdue.
Thefe growing thoughts my mother foon per-
ceiving
By words at times caft forth inly rejoic'd, And faid to me apart, High are thy thoughts, O Son, but nourish them and let them foar
To what highth facred virtue and true worth Can raise them, though above example high; By matchlefs deeds exprefs by matchlefs Sire. For know, thou art no son of mortal man; Though men efteem thee low of parentage,
Thy father is th' eternal King, who rules
All Heav'n and Earth, Angels and Sons of
A messenger from God foretold thy birth
Conceiv'd in me a virgin, he foretold
Thou should'st be great, and fit on David's
240 And of thy kingdom there fhould be no
At thy nativity a glorious quire
Of Angels in the fields of Bethlehem sung To fhepherds watching at their folds by night, And told them, the Messiah now was born, 245 Where they might fee him, and to thee they
Directed to the manger where thou lay'st,
For in the inn was left no better room:
A ftar, not seen before, in Heav'n appearing
Guided the wife men thither from the east, 250
To honor thee with incenfe, myrrh, and gold,
By whofe bright courfe led on they found
the place,
Affirming it thy ftar new grav'n in Heaven,
By which they knew the king of Ifrael born.
Juft Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd 255
By vifion, found thee in the temple', and
fpake
Before the altar and the vested priest,
Like things of thee to all that prefent ftood.
This having heard, strait I again revolv'd
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