From Hell's deep-vaulted Den to dwell in light,
Regents and Potentates, and Kings, yea gods
Of many a pleasant Realm and Province wide.
So to the Coast of Jordan he directs
His eafie fteps; girded with fnaky wiles,
Where he might likelieft find this new-declar'd,
This man of men, attefted Son of God,
Temptation and all guile on him to try;
So to fubvert whom he suspected rais'd
To end his Raign on Earth fo long enjoy'd :
But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd
The purpos'd Counsel pre-ordain'd and fixt
Of the most High, who in full frequence bright
Of Angels, thus to Gabriel fmiling fpake.
Gabriel this day by proof thou shalt behold, 130
Thou and all Angels converfant on Earth
With man or mens affairs, how I begin
To verifie that folemn meffage late,
On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure
In Galilee, that she should 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 Ghost, and the power of the highest
O're-shadow her: this man born and now up-grown,
To shew him worthy of his birth divine
And high prediction, henceforth I expose
To Satan; let him tempt and now affay
His utmost fubtilty, because he boasts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng
Of his Apoftafie; he might have learnt
Lefs over-weening, fince he fail'd in Job,
Whose constant perfeverance overcame
Whate're his cruel malice could invent.
He now shall know I can produce a man
Of female Seed, far abler to resist
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 exercise him in the Wilderness,
There he shall firft lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, e're I fend him forth
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conquer Sin and Death the two grand foes,
By Humiliation and strong Sufferance:
His weakness shall o'recome Satanic ftrength
And all the world, and mass of finful flesh;
That all the Angels and Etherial Powers,
They now, and men hereafter
may difcern,
From what confummate vertue I have chose
This perfect Man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn Salvation for the Sons of men.
So fpake the Eternal Father, and all Heaven Admiring stood a space, then into Hymns Burft forth, and in Celestial measures mov'd, 170 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 wisdom hellish wiles. The Father knows the Son; therefore fecure Ventures his filial Vertue, though untri'd, Against whate're may tempt, whate're seduce, Allure, or terrifie, or undermine.
Be frustrate 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, Mufing and much revolving in his brest, How beft the mighty work he might begin Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first Publish his God-like office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading;
And his deep thoughts, the better to converse 190
With folitude, till far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He entred now the bordering Desert wild,
And with dark fhades and rocks environ'd round,
His holy Meditations thus perfu'd.
O what a multitude of thoughts at once Awakn'd in me fwarm, while I confider What from within I feel my self, 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 pleasing, all my mind was fet Serious to learn and know, and thence to do What might be publick good; my felf 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 fweet, Made it my whole delight, and in it grew To fuch perfection, that e're yet my age Had measur'd twice fix years, at our great Feast 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 aspir'd, victorious deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To rescue Ifrael from the Roman yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o're all the earth
Brute violence and proud Tyrannick pow'r,
Till truth were freed, and equity restor❜d:
Yet held it more humane, more heavenly first
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfwafion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring Soul
Not wilfully mif-doing, but unware
Misled; the stubborn only to subdue.
Thefe 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 highth facred vertue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchless Deeds express thy matchless Sire.
For know, thou art no Son of mortal man,
Though men efteem thee low of Parentage,
Thy Father is the Eternal King, who rules
All Heaven and Earth, Angels and Sons of men,
A meffenger from God fore-told thy birth
Conceiv'd in me a Virgin, he fore-told
Thou shouldst be great and fit on David's Throne,
And of thy Kingdom there should be no end. 241
At thy Nativity a glorious Quire
Of Angels in the fields of Bethlehem fung
To Shepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Meffiah now was born,
Where they might fee him, and to thee they came;
Directed to the Manger where thou lais't,
For in the Inn was left no better room:
A Star, not seen before in Heaven appearing
Guided the Wife Men thither from the East, 250
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 Heaven,
By which they knew thee King of Ifrael born.
Juft Simeon and Prophetic 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, fearching what was writ
Concerning the Meffiah, to our Scribes
Known partly, and foon found of whom they spake
I am; this chiefly, that my way must lie
Through many a hard affay even to the death,
E're I the promis'd Kingdom can attain,
Or work Redemption for mankind, whose fins
Full weight must be transferr'd upon my
head.
Yet neither thus difheartn'd or dismay'd,
The time prefixt I waited, when behold
The Baptist, (of whose birth I oft had heard, 270
Not knew by fight) 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
Strait knew me, and with loudest voice proclaim'd
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