Is loft, which always with right reafon dwells Twin'd, and from her hath no dividual being: Reafon in man obfcur'd, or not obey'd, Immediately inordinate defires,
And upftart paffions, catch the government From reafon; and to fervitude reduce
Man, till then free. Therefore, fince he permits 90 Within himfelf unworthy pow'rs to reign, Over free reafon; GoD in judgment juft Subjects it from without to violent Lords: Who oft as undefervedly inthral
His outward freedom. Tyranny must be; Though to the tyrant thereby no excuse. Yet fometimes nations will decline fo low From virtue (which is reafon) that no wrong, But juftice, and fome fatal curfe annex'd, Deprives them of their outward liberty; Their inward loft: witnefs th' irreverent fon Of him who built the Ark; who for the fhame Done to his father, heard his heavy curfe, Servant of Servants, on his vitious race. Thus will this latter, as the former world, Still tend from bad to worfe; till GoD at laft Wearied with their iniquities, withdraw His prefence from among them, and avert His holy eyes; refolving from thenceforth To leave them to their own polluted ways: And one peculiar nation to felect
From all the reft, of whom to be invok'd: A nation from one faithful man to fpring: Him, on this fide EUPHRATES yet refiding, Bred up in idol- worship. O that men (Canft thou believe? Thould be fo ftupid grown, While yet the Patriarch liv'd, who fcap'd the flood, As to forfake the living God, and fall' To worship their own work in wood, and ftone, For Gods! Yet him Gon the Mott High vouchsafes To call by vifion, from his father's house,
His kindred, and falfe Gods; into a land Which he will fhew him: and from him will raise A mighty nation; and upon him show'r His benediction fo, that in his feed
All nations thall be bleft: he ftraight obeys; Not knowing to what land, yet firm believes. I fee him, (but thou canst not) with what faith He leaves his Gods, his friends, and native foil UR of CHALDA A, paffing now the ford To HARAN: after him a cumbrous train Of herds, and flocks, and numerous fervitude: Not wandring poor, but trufting all his wealth With God, who call'd him, in a land unknown: CANAAN he now attains; I fee his tents Pitch'd about SICHEM, and the neighb'ring plain Of MOREH. There by promife he receives Gift to his progeny of all that land;
From HAMATH northward, to the Defert fouth; (Things by their names I call, tho' yet unnam'd) 140 From HERMON caft, to the great western fea; Mount HERMON! yonder fea! (each place behold In profpect, as I point them) on the shore Mount CARMEL; here the double-founted ftream, JORDAN, true limit eastward; but his fons Shall dwell to SENIR, that long ridge of hills! This ponder, that all nations of the earth Shall in his feed be bleffed: by that feed
Is meant thy GREAT DELIVERER, who shall bruise The ferpent's head; whereof to thee anon Plainlier fhall be reveal'd. This Patriarch bleft, (Whom FAITHFUL ABRAHAM due time fhall call) A fon, and of his fon, a grand-child leaves; Like him in faith, in wisdom, and renown. The grand-child with twelve fons increas'd, departs From CANAAN, to a land hereafter call'd ÆGYPT, divided by the River NILE:
See where it flows, disgorging at feven mouths Into the fea! To fojourn in that land
He comes, invited by a younger fon
In time of dearth; a fon, whofe worthy deeds Raife him to be the fecond in that realm
Of PHARAOH: there he dies, and leaves his race Growing into a nation: and now grown, Sufpected to a fequent King, who feeks To ftop their over-growth, as in-mate guests Too numerous: whence of guests he makes them flaves Inhofpitably; and kills their infant males: Till by two brethren (those two brethren call MOSES, and AARON) fent from God to claim His people from inthralment, they return With glory, and fpoil, back to their promis'd land. But firit the lawless tyrant, (who denies To know their GoD, or meffage to regard) Muft be compell'd by figns and judgments dire: 175 To blood unihed, the rivers must be turn'd; Frogs, lice, and flies, muft all his palace fill With loath'd intrufion, and fill all the land: His cattle muft of rot and murrain die; Botches and blains must all his fleth imbofs, And all his people: thunder mix'd with hail, Hail mix'd with fire, muft rend th'ÆGYPTIAN sky, And wheel on th' earth, devouring where it rolls; What it devours not, herb, or fruit, or grain, A darkfom cloud of locufts fwarming down Muft eat, and on the ground leave nothing green: Darkness muft overshadow all his bounds, Palpable darkness and blot out three days:
Of ÆGYPT muft lye dead. Thus with ten wounds
Laft, with one midnight-ftroke, all the first-born
The river dragon tam'd at length, submits
To let his fojournors depart; and oft Humbles his ftubborn heart; but ftill as ice More harden'd after thaw: till in his rage Perfuing whom he late difinifs'd, the fea Swallows him with his hoft; but them lets pafs (As on dry land) between two chrystal walls;
« ZurückWeiter » |