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There he fhall first lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I fend him forth
To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes,
By humiliation and strong sufferance;
His weakness fhall o'ercome Satanic strength,
And all the world, and mafs of finful flesh;
That all the angels and etherial powers,
They now, and men hereafter, may difcern
From what confuinmate virtue I have chofe
This perfect Man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.

So fpake th' eternal Father, and all heav'n
Admiring ftood a fpice, then into hymns
Built forth, and in celeftial measures mov'd,
Circling the throne, and finging, while the hand
Sung with the voice, and this the argument:
Vict❜ry and triumph to the Son of God
Now ent'ring his great duel, not of arms,
But to vanquish by wifdom hellish wiles.
The Father knows the Son; therefore fecure
Ventures his filial virtue, though untry'd,
Against whate'er may tempt, whate'er feduce,
Allure, or terrify, or undermine.

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Be fruftrate all ye ftratagems of hell,

And devilish inachinations come to nought.

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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,
Muting and much revolving in his breast,
How belt the mighty work he might begin
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first
Publish his God-like office now mature,

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One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading,
And his deep thoughts, the better to converfe
With Solitude, till, far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and ftep by step led on,
He enter'd now the bord'ring defert wild,
And with dark fhades and rocks enviro'd round,
His holy meditations thus parfu’d,

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O what a multitude of thoughts at once
Awaken'd in me fwarm, while I confider
What from within I feel myfelf, 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 or know, and thence to do
What might be public good: myself 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 ere yet my age
Had meafur'd twice fix years, at our geat feaft
I went into the temple, there to hear
The teachers of our law, and to propofe
What might improve my knowledge or their
And was admir'd by all: yet this not all
To which my fpirit afpir'd; victorious deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To refcue Ifrael from the Roman yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud tyrannic power,
Till truth were freed, and equity reftor'd:
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly, first,
By winning words, to conquer willing hearts,
And make Perfuafion do the work of Fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring soul
Not willfully mil-doing, but unware
Misled; the stubborn only to fubdue.

own;

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Thefe growing thoughts my mother foon perceiving,
By words at times caft forth, inly rejoic'd,
And faid to me apart,-High are thy thoughts,
O Son, but nourish them, and let them foar
To what height facred virtue and true worth
Can raise them, though above example high;
By matchle's deeds exprefs thy matchless Sire.
Forknow, thou art no fon of mortal man;
Though men efteem thee low of parentage,

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Thy Father is th' eternal King who rules
All heav'n and earth, angels and fons 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 fhould be no end.
At thy nativity a glorious choir

Of angels in the fields of Bethlehem fung

To thepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Meffiah now was born,

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Where they might fee him, and to thee they came,
Directed to the manger where thou iayd'ft,
For in the inn was left no better room:
A ftar, not feen before, in Heav'n appearing,
Guided the wife men thither from the east,
To honour thee with incenfe, myrrh, and gold,
By whofe bright courfe led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy ftar new grav'n in heav'n,
By which they knew the King of Ifrael born.
Juft Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd
By vifion, found thee in the temple, and spake,
Before the altar and the vested priest,

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Like things of thee to all that prefent ftood.-
This having heard, strait I again revolv'd
The law and prophets, fearching what was writ
Concerning the Messiah, to our (cribes

Known partly, and foon found of whom they fpake
I am; this chiefly, that my way must lie
Through many a hard afsay, e’en to the death,
Ere 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 difhearten'd or dismay'd,
The time prefix'd I waited, when behold
The Baptift (of whofe birth I oft had heard,

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Not knew by fight) now come, who was to come
Before Meffiah, and his way prepare.

I as all others to his baptifin came,

Which I believ'd was from above; but he

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Strait knew me, and with loudest voice proclaim'd

Me him, (for it was thewn him to from heav'n,)
Me him whole harbinger he was; and first
Refus'd on me his baptifin to confer,
As much his greater, and was hardly won:
But as I rofe out of the laving stream,
Heav'n open'd her eternal doors, from whence
The Spirit defcended on me like a dove,
And laft, the fum of all, my Father's voice,

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Audibly heard from heav'n, pronounc'd me his,
Me his beloved Son, in whom alone

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He was well pleas'd; by which I knew the time
Now full, that I no more fhould live obfcure,
But openly begin, as best becomes

Th' authority which I deriv'd from heav'n.
And now by fome trong motion I am led
Into this wildernefs; to what intent
I learn not yet, perhaps I need not know;
For what concerns my knowledge God reveals.-
So fpake our Morning Star, then in his rise,
And, looking round on every fide, beheld
A pathlefs defert, dusk with horrid fhades:
The way he came not having mark'd, return
Was difficult, by human fteps untrod;

And he still on was led, but with fuch thoughts
Accompanied of things paft and to come
Lodg'd in his breaft, as well might recommend
Such folitude before choiceft fociety.
Full forty days he pafs'd, whether on hill
Sometimes, anon in fhady vale, each night
Under the covert of fome ancient oak,
Or cedar, to defend him from the dew,
Or harbour'd in lone cave, is not reveal'd;

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Nor tafted human food, nor hunger felt

Till thofe days ended, hunger'd then at last

Among wild beafts: they at his fight grew mild,

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Nor fleeping him nor waking haim'd; his walk

The fiery ferpent 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 fray ewe,

Or whither'd sticks to gather, which might ferve
Against a winter's day, when winds blow keen,
To warm him, wet return'd from field at eve,
He faw approach, who firft with curious eye

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Perus'd him, then with words thus utter'd fpake: 320 Sir, what ill chance hath brought thee to this place So far from path or road of men, who pafs

In troop or caravan ? for fingle none

Durft ever, who return'd, and dropt not here

His carcafe, pin'd with hunger and with drouth.

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I ask thee rather, and the more admire,

For that to me thou feem'ft the Man whom late

Our new baptizing Prophet at the ford

Of Jordan honour'd fo, and call'd thee Son

Of God. I faw and heard; for we fometimes,

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Who dwell this wild, conftrain'd by want, come forth

To town or village nigh, (nigheft is far,)

Where ought we hear, and curious are to hear,

What happens new: Fame alfo finds us out.

To whom the Son of God: Who brought me hither,

Will bring me hence; no other guide I feek.
By miracle he may, reply'd the fwain;

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What other way I fee not; for we here

Live on tough roots and ftubs, to thirst inur'd

More than the camel, and to drink go far,

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Men to much mifery and hardship born;

But if thou be the Son of God, command

That out of thefe hard ftones be made thee bread,

So fhalt thou fave thyfelf, and us relieve

With food, whereof we wretched feldom tafte.
He ended, and the Son of God reply'd :

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Think't thou fuch force in bread? Is it not written

(For I difcern thee other than thou feem'ft)
Man lives not by bread only, but each word
Proceeding from the mouth of God, who fed
Our fathers here with manna? In the mount
Mofes was forty days, nor ate nor drank;
And forty days Elijah without food
Wander'd this barren wafte; the fame I now:

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