On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure
In Galilee, that fhe fhould bear a Son
Great in Renown, and call'd the Son of God;
Then toldft her, doubting how these things could be
To her a Virgin, that on her should come
The Holy Ghoft, and the Power of the Highest
O'er fhadow her: this Man born and now up-grown,
Of his Apoftafie; he might have learnt
Lefs overweening, fince he fail'd in Job,
Whose conftant perfeverance overcame
What e'er his cruel malice could invent,
He now fhall know I can produce a Man
Of female Seed, far abler to refift
All his follicitations, and at length
All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell,
Winning by Conqueft what the first man loft
By fallacy furpriz’d. But first I mean
To exercife him in the Wilderness,
There he fhall firft lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I send him forth
To conquer Sin and Death the two grand foes,
By Humiliation and ftrong Sufferance:
His weakness shall o'ercome Satanick strength
And all the World and mafs of finful flesh;
That all the Angels and Ætherial Powers,
They now, and men hereafter may difcern,
From what confummate virtue I have chofe
This perfect Man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn Salvation for the Sons of men.
So fpake th' Eternal Father, and all Heav'n
Admiring stood afpace, then into Hymns
Burft forth, and in Celestial measures mov'd
Circling the Throne and Singing, 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 vanquish by wifdom hellifh wiles.
The Father knows the Son; therefore fecure
Ventures his filial Virtue, though untry'd,
Against what e'er may tempt, what e'er seduce,
Allure, or terrify, or undermine.
Be fruftrate all ye ftratagems of Hell,
And devillish 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,
Mufing and much revolving in his breast,
How beft the mighty work he might begin
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way
Publish his God-like Office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading;
And his deep thoughts, the better to converse
With folitude, till far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He entred now the bordering defart wild,
And with dark shades and rocks environ'd round,
His Holy meditation thus purfu'd.
O what a multitude of thoughts at once
Awaken'd in me fwarm, while I confider
What from within I feel my felf, and hear,
What from without comes often to my ears,
Ill forting with my present state compar'd.
When I was yet a Child, no childish play
To me was pleafing, all my mind was fet
Serious to learn and know, and thence to do
What might be publick good; my self I thought
Born to that end, born to promote all truth,
All righteous things: therefore above my years,
The Law of God I read and found it sweet
Made it my whole delight, and in it grew
To fuch perfection, that ere yet my age
Had meafur'd twice fix years, at our great Feaft
I went into the Temple, there to hear
The Teachers of our Law, and to propose
What might improve my knowledge or their own;
And was admir'd by all, yet this not all
To which my Spirit afpir'd, victorious deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To rescue Ifrael from the Roman Yoke,
Then to fubdue and quel o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud Tyranick pow'r,
Till truth were freed, and equity restor❜d:
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly, first
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perswasion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring Soul
Not wilfully mif-doing, but unaware
Mif-led; the stubborn only to destroy.
These growing thoughts my Mother foon perceiving
By words at times caft forth inly rejoyc❜d,
And said to me apart, High are thy thoughts
O Son, but nourish them and let them foar
To what heighth facred virtue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchless Deeds exprefs thy matchless 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 men,
A meffenger from God foretold thy Birth
Conceiv'd in me a Virgin, he foretold
Thou should't be great and fit on David's Throne,
And of thy kingdom there fhall be no end.
At thy Nativity a glorious Quire
Of Angels in the field of Bethlehem lung
To Shepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Meffiah now was born,
Where they might see him, and to thee they came ;
Directed to the Manger where thou lay'st,
For in the Inn was left no better room :
A Star, not seen before in Heav'n appearing
Guided the Wife Men thither from the East,
To honour thee with Incense, Myrrh, and Gold,
By whose bright course led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy Star new grav'n in Heav'n,
By which they knew the king of Israel born.
Juft Simeon and Prophetick Anna, warn’d
By Vision found thee in the Temple, and spake
Before the Altar and the vested Priest,
Like things of thee to all that present stood:
This having heard, strait I again revolv’d
The Law and Prophets, searching what was writ
Concerning the Meffiah, to our Scribes
Known partly, and soon found of whom they spake
Iam; this chiefly, that my way must lie
Through many a hard affay even to the death,
Ere I the promis'd Kingdom can attain,
Or work Redemption for mankind, whose sins
Full weight must be transferr❜d upon my head.
Yet neither thus dishearten'd or difmay'd,
The time perfix'd I waited, when behold
The Baptist (of whose birth I oft had heard,
Not knew by sight) now come, who was to come
Before Meffiah and his way prepare.
I as all others to his Baptifm came,
Which I believ'd was from above; but he
Straight knew me, and with loudeft voice proclaim'd
Me him (for it was thew'n him fo from Heav'n)
Me him whose Harbinger he was; and first
Refus'd on me his Baptism to confer,
As much his greater, and was hardly won :
But as I rofe out of the laving ftream,
Heav'n open'd her eternal doors, from whence
The fpirit defcended on me like a Dove,
And laft the fum of all, my Father's Voice;
Audibly heard from Heav'n, pronounc'd me his,
Me his beloved Son, in whom alone
He was well pleas'd; by which I knew the time
Now full, that I no more should live obfcure,
But openly begin, as best becomes
The Authority which I deriv'd from Heav'n.
And now by fome ftrong motion I am led
Into this Wilderness, to what intent
I learn not yet, perhaps I need not know;
For what concerns my knowledge God reveals.
So Spake our Morning ftar, then in his rife,
And looking round on every fide beheld
A pathlefs Defart, dusk with horrid fhades ;
The way he came not having mark'd, return
Was difficult, by humane steps untrode;
And he ftill on was led, but with fuch thoughts
Accompanied of things paft and to come
Lodg'd in his breaft, as well might recommend
Such Solitude before choiceft Society.
Full forty days he pafs'd, whether on hill,
Sometimes, anon in fhady vale, each night
Under the covert of some ancient Oak,
Or Cedar, to defend him from the dew,
Or harbour'd in one cave, is not reveal'd;
Nor tafted humane food, nor hunger felt
Till those days ended, hunger'd then at last
Among wild Beafts: they at his fight grew mild,
Nor fleeping him nor waking harm'd, his walk
The fiery Serpent fled, and noxious Worm,
The Lion and fierce Tiger glar'd aloof.
But now an aged man in Rural weeds,
Following, as feem'd, the queft of fome ftray Ewe, 31s
Or wither'd sticks to gather; which might serve
Against a Winters day when winds blow keen,
To warm him wet return'd from Field at Eve,
He faw approach, who firft with curious eye
Perus'd him, then with words thus utter'd spake.
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