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PARADISE REGAIN'D.

BOOK II.

M

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

main'd

At Jordan with the Baptift, and had feen

Him whom they heard fo late exprefly call'd

Jefus Meffiah Son of God declar'd,

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And with him talkt, 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 so 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 fhewn,
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 thofe young Prophets then with care
Sought loft Elijah, fo in each place these

Nigh to Bethabara; in Jerico

The City of Palms, Anon, and Salem Old,
Macharus and each Town or City wall'd

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On

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,
Close in a Cottage low together got,
Their unexpected lofs and plaints out breath'd.
Alas, from that high hope to what relapse
Ualook'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 Ifracl be reftor'd:
Thus we rejoyc'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

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Our expectation? God of Ifrael,

send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come;

Behold the Kings of th' Earth how they oppress

Thy chofen, to what heighth their Pow'r unjust
They have exalted, and behind them caft

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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

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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 the faw

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Others

Others return'd from Baptifm, not her Son,
Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none;

Within her breast, though calm; her breast, though Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais'd

[ pure,

Some troubled thoughts, which the in fighs thus clad.
O what avails me now that honour high
To have conceiv'd of God, or that falute
Hale highly favour'd, among Women bleft;
While I to Sorrows 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 scarce a Shed

Could be obtain❜d to shelter him or me

From the bleak air; a Stable was our warmth,

A Manger his, yet soon enforc'd to fly
Thence into Egypt, till the Murd❜rous King

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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 fohn 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 fore-told,

That to the fall and rising 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 favour'd lot,
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 intent

Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had seen,

I loft him, but fo found, as well I faw

He could not lofe himfelf; but went about

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His Father's business; what he meant I mus’d,
Since underftand; much more his absence now
Thus long to fome great purpose he obscures.
But I to wait with patience am inur'd;
My heart hath been a ftore-house long of things
And sayings laid up, portending ftrange events.
Thus Mary pond'ring oft, and oft to mind
Recalling what remarkably had pass'd
Since firft her Salutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling:
The while her Son tracing the Defart wild,
Sole but with holieft Meditations fed,
Into himself defcended, and at once

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All his great work to come before him fet;
How to begin, how to accomplish best

His end of being on Earth, and mission high:
For Satan with fly preface to return

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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.

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Princes, Heav'ns ancient Sons, Etherial 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

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Have found him, view'd him, tafted him, but find

Far other labour to be undergon

Than when I dealt with Adam firft 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,

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With more than humane 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 perfuafion over-fure
Of like fucceding here; I fummon all
Rather to be in readiness, with hand
Or counsel to affift; left I who erft
Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd,
So Spaketh' old Serpent doubting, and from all
With clamour was affur'd their utmost aid

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At his command; when from amidst them rose
Belial, the diffoluteft Spirit that fell,

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The fenfualleft, and, after Afmodai,
The fleshlieft 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 discreet,
Expert in am'rous Arts, enchanting tongues
Perfuafive, Virgin majefty with mild
And sweet 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 soft'n and tame
Severeft temper, smooth the rugged'st 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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Women, when nothing else, beguil'd the heart
Of wifeft Solomon, and made him build,
And made him bow to the Gods of his Wives.

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To whom quick anfwer Satan thus return'd:
Belial, in much uneven fcale thou weigh'ft
All others by thy felf; because of old

Thou

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