But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and inslave 75 Peaceable nations, neighb'ring, or remote,
Made captive, yet deserving freedom more
Than those their conquerors, who leave behind Nothing but ruin wherefoe'er they rove,
And all the flourishing works of peace destroy, 80 Then fwell with pride, and must be titled Gods, Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,
Worshipt with temple, priest and facrifice; One is the son of Jove, of Mars the other; Till conqu'ror Death discover them scarce men, 85 Rolling in brutish vices, and deform'd,
Violent or fhameful death their due reward. But if there be in glory ought of good, It may by means far different be attain'd Without ambition, war, or violence; By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent, By patience, temperance: I mention still
Him whom thy wrongs with faintly patience borne Made famous in a land and times obfcure; Who names not now with honor patient Job?
Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?)
By what he taught and suffer'd for so doing, For truth's fake suffering death unjust, lives now Equal in fame to proudeft conquerors. Yet if for fame and glory ought be done, Ought fuffer'd; if young African for fame His wafted country freed from Punic rage,
The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least, And loses, though but verbal, his reward,
Shall I feek glory then, as vain men seek,
Oft not deferv'd? I seek not mine, but his Who fent me', and thereby witness whence I am. To whom the Tempter murm'ring thus reply'd. Think not fo flight of glory; therein least Resembling thy great Father: he seeks glory, And for his glory all things made, all things Orders and governs; nor content in Heaven By all his Angels glorify'd, requires
Glory from men, from all men good or bad, Wife or unwise, no difference, no exemption; Above all facrifice, or hallow'd gift Glory' he requires, and glory he receives Promiscuous from all nations, Jew, or Greek, Or barbarous, nor exception hath declar'd; From us his foes pronounc'd glory' he exacts. To whom our Saviour fervently reply'd. And reafon; fince his word all things produc'd, Though chiefly not for glory as prime end, But to show forth his goodness, and impart His good communicable to every foul Freely; of whom what could he lefs expect Than glory' and benediction, that is thanks, The flightest, easiest, readiest recompense
From them who could return him nothing else, And not returning that would likelieft render
Contempt instead, dishonor, obloquy? Hard recompense, unsuitable return
For fo much good, so much beneficence.
But why should man seek glory, who' of his own Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs But condemnation, ignominy', and shame? Who for fo many benefits receiv'd Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and false, And fo of all true good himself defpoil'd, Yet, facrilegious, to himself would take That which to God alone of right belongs; Yet fo much bounty is in God, such grace, That who advance his glory, not their own, Them he himself to glory will advance.
So fpake the Son of God; and here again Satan had not to answer, but flood struck With guilt of his own fin, for he himself Infatiable of glory had lost all, Yet of another plea bethought him soon.
Of glory, as thou wilt, faid he, so deem, Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass: But to a kingdom thou art born, ordain'd To fit upon thy father David's throne; By mother's fide thy father; though thy right
Be now in pow'rful hands, that will not part Easily from possession won with arms:
Judæa now and all the promis'd land,
Reduc'd a province under Roman yoke,
Obeys Tiberius; nor is always rul'd
With temp'rate sway; oft have they violated The temple, oft the law with foul affronts, Abominations rather, as did once Antiochus: and think'st thou to regain Thy right by fitting still or thus retiring? So did not Maccabeus: he indeed
Retir'd unto the defert, but with arms; And o'er a mighty king fo oft prevail'd,
That by ftrong hand his family obtain'd, Though priests, the crown,and David's throne ufurp'd, With Modin and her suburbs once content.
If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal And duty; zeal and duty are not slow; But on occafion's forelock watchful wait. They themselves rather are occafion beft, Zeal of thy Father's house, duty to free Thy country from her Heathen fervitude; So shalt thou best fulfil, best verify
The prophets old, who fung thy endless reign; The happier reign the sooner it begins;
Reign then; what canft thou better do the while? 180
To whom our Saviour answer thus return'd.
All things are best fulfill'd in their due time, And time there is for all things, Truth hath said: If of my reign prophetic Writ hath told, That it shall never end, fo when begin The Father in his purpose hath decreed,
He in whofe hand all times and seasons roll. What if he hath decreed that I fhall first
Be try'd in humble state, and things adverse, By tribulations, injuries, insults,
Contempts, and fcorns, and fnares, and violence,
Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting, Without diftruft or doubt, that he may know What I can fuffer, how obey? who best
Can fuffer, best can do; best reign, who first Well hath obey'd; just trial ere I merit My exaltation without change or end. But what concerns it thee when I begin My everlasting kingdom, why art thou Solicitous, what moves thy inquifition? Know'st thou not that my rising is thy fall, And my promotion will be thy deftruction?
To whom the Tempter inly rack'd reply'd. Let that come when it comes; all hope is loft Of my reception into grace; what worse? For where no hope is left, is left no fear: If there be worse, the expectation more Of worse torments me than the feeling can. I would be at the worft; worst is my port, My harbour and my ultimate repose, The end I would attain, my final good. My error was my error, and my crime My crime; whatever for itself condemn'd, And will alike be punish'd, whether thou
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