When lo, a long expected day appears,
Sought for above a hundred rowling years;
A day i’th’ register of Doom set down,
Presents ’em with an Heir of Israels Crown.
Here their vast hopes of the rich Israels spoils,
Requites the pains of their long Ages Toyls.
Baals Banners now i’th’ face of day shall march,
With Heav’ns bright Roof for his Triumphal Arch.
His lurking Missioners shall now no more
From Forreign Schools in borrow’d shapes come o’re;
Convert by Moon-light, and their Mystick Rites
Preach to poor Female half-Soul’d Proselytes.
An all-commanding Dragon now shall soar,
Where the poor Serpents onely crawl’d before.
|
Baals Restoration, that most blest Design, Now the great work of Majesty, shall shine, Made by his consecrating hand Divine. | } |
He shall new plant their Groves with each blest Tree,
A graft of an Imperial Nursery.
In the kind Air of this new Eden blest,
Percht on each bough, and Palaces their nest;
No more by frighting Laws forc’d t’obscure flight,
And gloomy walks, like obscene Birds of Night;
Their warbling Notes like Philomel shall sing,
And like the Bird of Paradise their wing.
Thus Israels Heir their ravisht Souls all fired;
For all things to their ardent hopes conspired.
His very youth a Bigot Mother bred,
And tainted even the Milk on which he fed.
Him onely of her Sons design’d for Baals
Great Champion ’gainst Jerusalems proud Walls;
Him dipt in Stygian Lake, by timely craft,
Invulnerable made against Truths pointed shaft.
22 But to confirm his early poyson’d Faith,
’Twas in the cursed Forreign Tents of Gath,
’Twas there that he was lost. There Absolon
By Davids fatal Banishment undone,
Saw their false Gods till in their Fires he burn’d,
Truths Manna, for Egyptian Fleshpots, scorn’d.
Not David so; for he Faiths Champion Lord,
Their Altars loath’d, and prophane Rites abhorr’d:
Whilst his firm Soul on wings of Cherubs rod,
And tun’d his Lyre to nought but Abrahams God.
Thus the gay Israel her long Tears quite dry’d,
Her restor’d David met in all her Pride,
Three Brothers saw by Miracle brought back,
Like Noahs Sons sav’d from the worlds great wrack;
An unbelieving Ham graced on each hand,
’Twixt God-like Shem, and pious Japhet stand.
’Tis true, when David, all his storms blown o’re,
Wafted by Prodigies to Jordans shore,
(So swift a Revolution, yet so calm)
Had cur’d an Ages wounds with one days Balm;
Here the returning Absolon his vows
With Israel joyns, and at their Altars bows.
Perhaps surpriz’d at such strange blessings showr’d,
Such wonders shewn both t’Israels Faith, and Lord,
His Restoration-Miracle he thought
Could by no less than Israels God be wrought.
Whilst the enlightened Absolon thus kneels,
Thus dancing to the sound of Aarons Bells,
What dazling Rays did Israels Heir adorn,
So bright his Sun in his unclouded Morn!
’Twas then his leading hand in Battle drew
That Sword that Davids fam’d ten thousand slew:
Davids the Cause, but Absolons the Arm.
Then he could win all Hearts, all Tongues could charm:
Whilst with his praise the ecchoing plains all rung,
A thousand Timbrels play’d, a thousand Virgins sung;
And in the zeal of every jocund Soul,
Absolons Health with Davids crown’d one Bowl.
Had he fixt here, yes, Fate, had he fixt here,
To Man so Sacred, and to Heav’n so dear,
23 What could he want that Hands, Hearts, Lives could pay,
Or Tributary Worlds beneath his feet could lay?
What Knees, what Necks to mount him to his Throne;
What Gems, what Stars to sparkle in his Crown?
So pleas’d, so charm’d, had Israels Genius smil’d;
But oh the Pow’rs, by treacherous snakes beguil’d,
Into a more than Adams Curse he run,
Tasting that Fruit has Israels World undone.
Nay, wretched even below his falling state,
Wants Adams Eyes to see his Adams Fate.
In vain was Davids Harp and Israels Quire;
For his Conversion all in vain conspire:
For though their influence a while retires,
His own false Planets were th’Ascendant Fires.
Heav’n had no lasting Miracle design’d;
It did a while his fatal Torrent bind.
As Joshua’s Wand did Jordan’s streams divide,
And rang’d the watry Mountains on each side.
|
But when the marching Israel once got o’re, Down crack the Chrystal Walls the Billows pow’r, And in their old impetuous Channel roar. | } |
At this last stroke thus totally o’rethrown,
Apostasie now seal’d him all her own.
Here ope’d that gaping Breach, that fatal door,
Which now let in a thousand Ruines more.
All the bright Virtues, and each dazling Grace,
Which his rich Veins drew from a God-like Race;
The Mercy, and the Clemency Divine,
Those Sacred Beams which in mild David shine;
Those Royal Sparks, his Native Seeds of Light,
Were all put out, and left a Starless Night.
A long farewel to all that’s Great and Brave:
Not Cataracts more headstrong; as the Grave
Inexorable; Sullen and Untun’d
As Pride depos’d; scarce Lucifer dethron’d
More Unforgiving; his enchanted Soul
Had drank so deep of the bewitching Bowl,
Till he whose hand, with Judahs Standart, bore
Her Martial Thunder to the Tyrian shore,
Arm’d in her Wars, and in her Laurels crown’d;
Now all forgotten at one stagg’ring wound,
24 Falling from Israels Faith; from Israels Cause,
Peace, Honour, Int’rest, all at once withdraws:
Nor is he deaf t’a Kingdoms Groans alone,
But could behold ev’n Davids shaking Throne;
David, whose Bounty rais’d his glittering Pride,
The Basis of his Glories Pyramide.
But Duty, Gratitude, all ruin’d fall:
Zeal blazes, and Oblivion swallows all.
So Sodom did both burnt and drown’d expire;
A poyson’d Lake succeeds a Pile of Fire.
On this Foundation Baals last Hope was built,
The sure Retreat for all their Sallying Guilt:
A Royal Harbour, where the rowling Pride
Of Israels Foes might safe at Anchor ride;
Defie all Dangers, and even Tempests scorn,
Though Judahs God should Thunder in the Storm.
Here Israels Laws, the dull Levitick Rolls,
At once a clog to Empire, and to Souls,
Are the first Martyrs to the Fire they doom,
To make great Baals Triumphant Legends room.
But ere their hands this glorious work can Crown,
Their long-known Foe the Sanedrin must down;
Sanedrins the Free-born Israels Sacred Right,
That God-like Ballance of Imperial Might;
Where Subjects are from Tyrant-Lords set free,
From that wild Thing unbounded man would be;
Where Pow’r and Clemency are poys’d so even,
A Constitution that resembles Heav’n.
So in th’united great THREE-ONE we find
A Saving with a Dooming Godhead joyn’d.
(But why, oh why! if such restraining pow’r
Can bind Omnipotence, should Kings wish more?)
A Constitution, so Divinely mixt,
Not Natures bounded Elements more fixt.