By this he gain'd the point at which he aim'd;
And which he might have fought, and fought in vain,
Had not the Jews been fill'd with cruel hate
To Jefus Chrift, their rightful Lord and King:
Which made them now acknowledge Cæfar's right,
And therefore justify'd the Roman war; 481
Which quell'd their bold rebellion, and destroy'd
Their temple as the Savior had foretold :
And scatter'd all their nation through the earth,
He compafs'd thus his ends; they compass'd theirs:
Cæfar, as fov'reign lord, was recogniz'd
Murd'rous, feditious Barabbas releas'd,
And Jefus to the cross was now condemn'd.
The purple robes exchanged for his own,
To crucifiction inftant he was led.
The Transverse beam he carry'd on his back,
Till, weak and finking underneath his load,
A ftranger was compell'd the fame to bear.
The holy JESUS ftill had female friends.
Bleft women had attended him through life—
Had feen his miracles, his doctrine heard-
Had fed him with their fubftance, and supply'd,
From out their little fulness, all his wants-
Had pour'd that ointment on his feet and head,
Which was most costly: Though by some esteem'd
A vain expence, 'twas by the Lord approv'd.
Nor did they leave him in his hours of pain;
But wept, bemoan'd, and wail'd him to the last.
While men blafphem'd, more tender women cry'd.
They fhew'd their love and sympathizing hearts, 505
By standing near the cross till he expir'd ;
Then waiting to attend him to the grave.
When they had seen his body fafely lodg'd,
Thence they departed, ointments to prepare,
And coftly fpices, to embalm his flesh;
Prompted by love, were early at the tomb.
To woman firft the rifen Lord appear'd :
And woman first proclaim'd the joyful news,
By the authority of CHRIST our King.
O Woman, thy memorial fhall be fweet?
The bleft remembrance of the kindness fhewn
By female fouls to JESUS while on earth,
Shall draw a veil of charity to hide
Those faults and weakneffes to which they lean.
CHRIST was of woman born, by woman nurs'd,
By woman fuckled, dandled, and ador'd;
By woman bleft, lov'd, prais'd, and entertain'd;
Believ'd own'd, follow'd, hearken'd to, obey'd,
Fed, cloth'd, reliev'd, anointed, comforted,
Supply'd in life, bemoaned in his death;
Conftant they stood, while men like cowards fled.
(Such hardness in females we admire)
They lov❜d their Savior to the end, with warmth;
Dead or alive they still attended him,
Waiting and minist'ring to all his wants.
First seen by woman-kind was JESUS ris'n,
First touch'd, first worshipp'd, and proclaim'd by them.
We never read of any females found Among the perfecutors of our Lord. Did any woman ever mock or rail,
Revile, blafpheme, oppose, defpife, or hate
The fon of God, thro' all his pilgrimage?
Another thing I mention to their praise,
Is their attention and known readiness
To hear, learn, and obey the word of God.
And through all ages it hath been observ'd,
That women more than men have fought the LORD,
Remain'd more true and faithful in his cause.
They follow'd him when he the cross did bear.
As they bewail'd him JESUS turn'd and faid, 545
Daughters of Salem, weep no more for me;
But for yourselves, and children, wail and mourn.
Behold, the dreadful days are at the door
When blefed shall the barren womb be call'd,
And breafts that never gave their children fuck. 550
Then shall they say to mountains, Fall on us,
And call on rocks and hills to cover them.
For if the fire confumes the growing tree,
How will it prey upon and burn the dry!
If I, who ne'er offended, fuffer thus,
What fearful woes Jerufalem must know!
O how exactly were these words fulfill'd,
When the destruction of that city came !
When by the famine, peftilence, and fword,
In one short fiege, more than a million fell.
Where mothers, ftary'd for food, their infants flew,
And fed upon their mangled carcafes.
When thousands crucify'd around the walls,
Might put the Jews in mind of what, this day,.
Was done to JESUS, by their own defire.
But now to ghaftly Golgotha we come ;
A place without the gates, and deem'd accurft.
'Twas call'd The place of fculls, for reasons plain;
For criminals were executed there,
And also bury'd. Our Redeemer's grave
Was there appointed by his murderers;
But was by GoD ordain'd with the rich man.
But O what words can speak the doleful grief
That Jefus felt in that tremendous hour!
Affist me, Savior, to describe thy pain.
Thou bearest still in mind thy Bloody fweat;
Thy shameful cross; the tuff'rings thou didst feel.
O break my heart, while I relate thy woes!
When he arriv'd at the appointed place,
They stript him naked, bor'd his hands and feet, 580
With cruel irons nail'd him to the cross:
Then rear'd him up between the earth and heav'ns,
As tho' of neither worthy; when of both
He was the maker, and the rightful heir.
Between two thieves they hung him, to disgrace, 585
As much as poffible, his memory.
Now we behold him on the curfed tree.
Ah who can bear the fight! his foul is fill'd
With deepest forrow, and his flesh with pain. 589
See how it quakes and trembles! View this fcene,
O finner, till thy heart diffolves in tears.
"Tis said, our dreams are pictures of our thoughts When we're awake, continu'd in our fleep.
But fuch a vifion once in fleep I had
Of Jesus crucify'd, as far outwent
All the conceptions I had ever form'd,
In all my meditations on this theme.-
Methought I faw the Savior crucify'd :
Naked upon the fatal wood he hung ;
The crown of thorns remain'd upon his head, 600 And drops of blood ran trickling down his flesh, Which trembled with the agony he felt.
His skin appear'd to me like lily fair,
Save that it was disfigur'd o'er with wounds,
And blush'd, as if the blood would iffue forth. 605
Silent he hung; grief, pity, innocence,
Were pictur'd on his Face. Around there flood
The greatest multitude I e'er beheld.
Most seem'd to mock, reproach, and ridicule
The fuff'rer; who with patience bore at all.
Such courage, love, and zeal, inspir'd my breast,
As in degree I never felt till then.
(O might I always feel the fame through life!)
Upon my knees i bow'd, and thus I pray'd-
Lord, thee I own my Savior, in thee trust;
Though now I fee thee hang in deep disgrace :
I caft my foul into thy arms of pow'r.
So confident am I that thou canst fave,
That I depend on thee, and thee alone :
Nay, I risk all on this foundation firm;
And never wish to be redeem'd it all,
If thou art not the Savior of mankind,,
And art not able to redeem my foul.
Thus thrice I pray'd upon my bended knees, And at the third time thus my LORD addrefs'd: 625
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