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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, so in each place these
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jerico

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

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 whisp❜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 relapfe
Unlook'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 wisdom full of grace and truth,
Now, now, for fure, deliverance is at hand,

The

The Kingdom shall to Ifrael be restor'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
Our expectation? God of Ifrael,

Send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come;
Behold the Kings of th Earth how they opprefs
Thy chofen, to what heighth their pow'r unjust
They have exalted, and behind them caft
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

Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recall,

Mock us with his bleft fight, then snatch him hence, Soon we shall see our hope, our joy return,

Thus

Thus they out of their plaints new hope refume To find whom at the first they found unfought: But to his Mother Mary, when she saw 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 she in sighs 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, In fuch a season 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 foon enforc'd to fly Thence into Egypt, till the Murd'rous King Were dead, who fought his life, and missing 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

Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,

Little suspicious to any King; but now
Full grown

to Man, acknowledg'd, as I hear,
By John the Baptist, 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 rifing he should be
Of many in Ifrael, and to a fign

Spoken againft, that through my very Soul

A fword shall pierce, this is

my favour'd lot,

My Exaltation to Afflictions high;

Afflicted I may be, it seems, 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
His Father's Bus'nefs; what he meant I mus'd,
Since understand, much more his abfence 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

And fayings laid up, portending strange events.
Thus Mary pond'ring oft, and oft to mind
Recalling what remarkably had pass'd

Since first her Salutation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos'd awaited the fulfilling:

The while her Son tracing the Defart wild,
Sole but with holiest Meditations fed,
Into himself defcended, and at once

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

Had left him vacant, and with speed was gon
Up to the middle Region of thick Air,

Where all his Potentates in Council fate,

There without fign of boaft, or fign of joy

Sollicitous and blank he thus began.

Princes, Heav'ns ancient Sons, Æthereal 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

Without new trouble; fuch an Enemy

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