Ean-while the new-baptiz'd, who yet remain'd
At JORDAN with the Baptist, and had seen
Him whom they heard fo late exprefly call'd
JESUS MESSIAH, SON of GOD declar'd,
And on that high authority had believ❜d,
And with him talk'd,and with him lodg'd,(I mean,
ANDREW and SIMON, famous after known,
With others, tho' in holy writ not nam'd,)
Now miffing him their joy, fo lately found,
So lately found, and fo abruptly gone,
Began to doubt, and doubted many days,
And as the days increas'd, increas'd their doubt.
Sometimes they thought he might be only fhewn,
And for a time caught up to GOD, as once
MOSES was in the mount, and miffing long; 15
And the great THISBITE, who on fiery wheels
Rode up to heav'n, yet once again to come.
Therefore as those young Prophets then with care
Sought loft ELIJAH, fo in each place these
Nigh to BETHABARA; in JERICO
The city of palms, ENON, and SALEM old,
MACHERUS, 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, 25
Where winds with reeds and ofiers whifp'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 what high hope to what relapse
Unlook'd-for are we fall'n! our eyes beheld
MESSIAH certainly now come, fo long
Expected of our fathers; we have heard
His words, His wifdom full of grace and truth;
Now, now, for fure, deliverance is at hand,
The kingdom fhall to ISRAEL be restor❜d:
Thus we rejoic'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 ISRAEL,
Send thy MESSIAH forth, the time is come;
Behold the kings of th'earth how they opprefs
Thy chofen, to what height 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, 55
Mock us with His bleft fight,then fnatch Him hence;
Soon we shall see our hope, our joy return.
Thus they, out of their plaints, new hope resume To find whom at the first they found un-fought: But to his mother MARY, when the faw Others return'd from Baptism, not her fon, 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 fighs thus clad.
O! what avails me now that honour high
To have conceiv'd of GOD, or that falute
Hail highly favour'd, among women blest!
While I to forrows am no less advanc'd,
And fears as eminent, above the lot
Of other women, by the birth I bore;
In fuch a feafon born, when scarce a shed
Could be obtain'd, to fhelter him or me
From the bleak air; a stable was our warmth,
A manger his: yet soon enforc'd to fly
Thence into EGYPT, 'till the murd'rous king Were dead, who fought his life; and miffing, fill'd With infant blood the streets of BETHLEHEM: From EGPYT home return'd, in NAZARETH
Hath been our dwelling many years; his life 80
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: 85
I look'd for fome great change; to honour? no,
But trouble, as old SIMEON plain foretold,
That to the fall and rising he should be
Of many in ISRAEL, and to a fign
Spoken against; that through my very foul
A sword 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 95 Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had feen, I loft him, but fo found, as well I faw
He could not lofe himself; but went about
His FATHER's bufinefs; what he meant I mus'd, Since understand; much more his abfence now 100 Thus long to fome great purpose he obfcures.
But I to wait with patience am inur'd;
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