As fearing God nor man, contemning all Wealth, pleasure, pain or torment, death and life, 305 Which when he lifts, he leaves, or boasts he can. For all his tedious talk is but vain boast, Or fubtle shifts conviction to evade. Alas what can they teach, and not mislead, Ignorant of themselves, of God much more, 310 And how the world began, and how man fell Degraded by himself, on grace depending? Much of the foul they talk, but all awry, And in themselves feek virtue, and to them. felves 315 All glory arrogate, to God give none, True wisdom, finds her not, or by delu Far worse, her fion false resemblance only meets, 320 An empty cloud. However many books, Wife men have faid, are wearifome; who reads Inceffantly, and to his reading brings not A fpirit and judgment equal or fuperior, (And what he brings, what needs he elfewhere seek?) Uncertain and unfettled ftill remains, 325 Crude or intoxicate, collecting toys, And trifles for choice matters, worth a fpunge; 335 Our Hebrew fongs and harps in Babylon, That pleas'd fo well our victors ear, declare, That rather Greece from us these arts deriv'd; Ill imitated, while they loudft fing The vices of their Deities, and their own 340 Remove their swelling epithets thick laid - light, Will far be found unworthy to compare 345 With Sion's fongs, to all true taftes excel ling, Where God is prais'd aright, and God-like me The Holieft of Holies, and his Saints; Such are from God infpir'd, uot fuch from thee, 350 Unless where moral virtue is express'd In their majeftic unaffected stile Than all the' oratory of Greece and Rome 360 What ruins kingdoms, and lays cities flat; now 365 Quite at a lofs, for all his darts were spent, Thus to our Saviour with ftern brow re ply'd. Since neither wealth, nor honour, arms nor arts, Kingdom nor empire pleases thee, nor ought By me propos'd in life contemplative, 370 Or active, tended on by glory', or fame, What doft thou in this world? the wilder nefs For thee is fitteft place; I found thee there, And thither will return thee; yet remember What I foretell thee, foon thou fhalt have cause To wifh thou never hadst rejected thus 375 Which would have fet thee in fhort time with ease On David's throne, or throne of all the world, Now at full age, funefs of time, thy fea When prophecies of thee are best fulfill'd. Now contrary, if I read ought in Heaven, Or Heav'n write ought of fate, by what the ftars Voluminous, or fingle characters, In their conjunction met, give me to spell, 385 Real or allegoric I difcern not, Nor when, eternal fure, as without end, Directs me in the starry rubric set. 390 So fay'ing he took (for ftill he knew his power Not yet expir'd) and to the wilderness 395 Brought back the Son of God, and left him there, Feigning to disappear. Darkness now rose, Her Thadowy ofspring, unsubstantial both, 400 Our Saviour meek and with untroubled mind After his aery jannt, though hurried fore, Whose branching arms thick intertwin'd might fhield 405 From dews and damps of night his shelter'd heard, But fhelter'd flept in vain, for at his head The Tempter watch'd, and foon with ugly dreams Disturb'd his fleep; and either tropic now 'Gan thunder, and both ends of Heav'n, the clouds From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd 410 Fierce rain with lightnig mix'd water with fire In ruin reconcil'd: nor slept the winds Within their ftony caves, but rush'd abroad From the four hinges of the world, fell and 415 On the vex'd wilderness, whofe tallest pines, Though rooted deep as high, and sturdiest oaks |