THE ARGUMENT. The disciples of Jesus, uneasy at his long absence, reason amongst themselves concerning it. Mary also gives vent to her maternal anxiety; in the expression of which she recapitulates many circumstances respecting the birth and early life of her Son. Satin again meets his infernal council, reports the bad success of his first temptation of our blessed Lord, and calls upon them for counsel and assistance. Belial proposes the tempting of Jesus with women. Satan rebukes Belial for his dissoluteness, charging on him all the profligacy of that kind ascribed by the poets to he heathen gods, and rejects his proposal as in no respect likely to succeed. Satan then suggests other modes of temptation, particularly proposing to avail himself of the cir cumstance of our Lord's hungering; and, taking a band of chosen spirits with him, returns to resume his enterprise. Jesus hungers in the desert. Night comes on; the manner in which our Saviour passes the night is described. Morning advances. Satan again appears to Jesus, and, after expressing wonder that he should be so entirely neglected in the wilderness, where others had been miraculously fed, tempts him with a sumptuous banquet of the most luxurious kind. This he rejects, and the banquet vanishes. Satan, finding our Lord not to be assailed on the ground of appetite, tempts him again by offering him riches, as the means of acquiring power; this Jesus also rejects, producing many instances of great actions performed by persons under virtuous poverty, and specifying the danger of riches, and the cares and pains inseparable from power and greatness. M BOOK II. EANWHILE the new-baptized, who yet At Jordan with the Baptist, and had seen 5 And on that high authority had believed, And with him talked, and with him lodged-I mean With others, though in Holy Writ not named--- 10 So lately found and so abruptly gone, Began to doubt, and doubted many days, And, as the days increased, increased their doubt. Sometimes they thought he might be only shown, And for a time caught up to God, as once 15 Moses was in the Mount and missing long, And the great Thisbite, who on fiery, wheels The city of palms, Ænon, and Salem old, On this side the broad lake Genezaret, Or in Peræa-but returned in vain. 25 Then on the bank of Jordan, by a creek, Their unexpected loss and plaints outbreathed: 30 Alas, from what high hope to what relapse Unlooked for are we fallen! Our eyes beheld Messiah certainly now come, so long Expected of our fathers; we have heard His words, his wisdom full of grace and truth. For whither is he gone? what accident Send thy Messiah forth; the time is come. Let us be glad of this, and all our fears Lay on his providence; He will not fail, 55 Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recall— Mock us with his blest sight, then snatch 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 unsought. 60 But to his mother Mary, when she saw Others returned from baptism, not her Son, Within her breast though calm, her breast though Motherly cares and fears got head, and raised 65 Some troubled thoughts, which she in sighs thus clad : "Oh, what avails me now that honour high, 70 And fears as eminent above the lot In such a season born, when scarce a shed Could be obtained to shelter him or me From the bleak air? A stable was our warmth, 75 A manger his; yet soon enforced to fly Thence into Egypt, till the murderous king Were dead, who sought his life and, missing, filled Ɛo Hath been our dwelling many years; his life |