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But rob and spoil, burn, flaughter, and inflave
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 deftroy, 80
Then fwell with pride, and must be titled Gods,
Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,
Worshipt with temple, priest and facrifice;
One is the fon 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 fo doing,
For truth's fake suffering death unjuft, 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 feek 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
Refembling 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 unwife, no difference, no exemption;
Above all sacrifice, 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 fhow 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, readieft recompenfe
From them who could return him nothing else,
And not returning that would likeliest render
D
Contempt instead, dishonor, obloquy?
Hard recompense, unsuitable return
For fo much good, so much beneficence.
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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 ftruck
With guilt of his own fin, for he himself
Insatiable of glory had lost all,
Yet of another plea bethought him soon.
Of glory, as thou wilt, said 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
Eafily from poffeffion 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 fway; 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 ftill or thus retiring?
So did not Maccabeus: he indeed
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Retir'd unto the defert, but with arms;
And o'er a mighty king so 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 fuburbs once content.
If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal
And duty; zeal and duty are not flow;
But on occafion's forelock watchful wait.
They themselves rather are occasion 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 faid:
If of my reign prophetic Writ hath told,
That it shall never end, so 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 shall first
Be try'd in humble state, and things adverse,
By tribulations, injuries, insults,
Contempts, and scorns, and snares, 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 rifing 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 worst; 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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