I loft not what I lost, rather by them
I gain'd what I have gain'd, and with them dwell
Copartner in these Regions of the World,
If not disposer; lend them oft my aid,
Oft my advice by presages and figns,
And answers, oracles, portents, and dreams,
Whereby they may direct their future life.
Envy they say excites me, thus to gain
Companions of my misery and wo.
At first it may be; but long since with wo
Nearer acquainted, now I feel by proof,
That fellowship in pain divides not fmart,
Nor lightens aught each man's peculiar load;
Small confolation then, were man adjoin'd:
This wounds me most (what can it less) that Man,
Man fall'n shall be restor'd, I never more.
To whom our Saviour sternly thus reply'd: Deservedly thou griev'st, compos'd of lyes From the beginning, and in lyes wilt end; Who boaft'ft release from Hell, and leave to come Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns: thou com'st indeed, 410 As a poor miferable captive thrall,
Comes to the place where he before had fat1
Among the Prime in Splendor, now depos'd,
Ejected, emptied, gaz'd, unpitied, shun'd,
A spectacle of ruin or fof scorn
To all the Host of Heav'n; the happy place
Imports to thee no happiness, no joy,
Rather inflames thy torment, representing
Loft bliss, to thee no more communicable,
So never more in Hell than when in Heav'n.
But thou art serviceable to Heavn's King.
Wilt thou impute t'obedience what thy fear
Extorts, or pleasure to do ill excites?
What but thy malice mov'd thee to mifdeem
Of righteous Job, then cruelly to aflict him
With all inflictions? but his patience won.
The other fervice was thy chofen task,
To be a lyar in four hundred mouths;
For lying is thy fustenance, thy food.
Yet thou pretend'st to truth; all Oracles
By thee are giv'n, and what confeft more true
Among the Nations? that hath been thy craft,
By mixing somewhat true to vent more lyes.
But what have been thy answers, what but dark,
Ambiguous, and with double sense deluding,
Which they who ask'd have feldom understood,
And not well understood as good not known?
Who ever by consulting at thy shrine
Return the wifer, or the more inftruct
To fly or follow what concern'd him most,
And run not fooner to his fatal snare?
For God hath juftly given the Nations up
To thy Delufions, justly, fince they fell
Idolatrous; but when his purpose is
Among them to declare his Providence
To thee not known, whence haft thou then thy truth,
But from him or his Angels president
In ev'ry Province, who themselves disdaining
T' approach thy Temple, give thee in command
What to the smallest tittle thou shalt say
To thy Adorers? thou with trembling fear,
Or like a fawning Parafite obey'it;
Then to thy felf afcrib'ft the truth foretold.
But this thy glory shall be foon retrench'd;
No more shalt thou by oracling abuse
The Gentiles; henceforth Oracles are ceas'd;
And thou no more with Pomp and Sacrifice
Shalt be enquir'd at Delphos or elsewhere,
At least in vain, for they shall find thee mute.
God hath now sent his loving Oracle
Into the World to teach his final will,
And fends his Spirit of Truth henceforth to dwell
In pious Hearts, an inward Oracle
To all truth requisite for men to know.
So fpake our Saviour; but the fubtle Fiend, Though inly stung with anger and disdain, Dissembled, and this Answer smooth return'd.
Sharply thou hast infisted on rebuke,
And urg'd me hard with doings, which not will
But mifery hath wrested from me; where
Easily canst thou find one miserable,
And not inforc'd oft-times to part from truth,
If it may stand him more in stead to lye,
Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or abjure?
But thou art plac'd above me, thou art Lord;
From thee I can and must submiss endure
Check or reproof, and glad t'escape so quit.
Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk,
Smooth on the tongue discours'd, pleasing to th' ear,
And tuneable as Silvan Pipe or Song;
What wonder then if I delight to hear
Her dictates from thy mouth? most men admire
Virtue, who follow not her lore: permit me
To hear thee when I come (fince no man comes)
And talk at least, though I despair t'attain.
Thy Father, who is holy, wife and pure,
Suffers the Hypocrite or Atheous Prieft
Inspir'd; disdain not fuch access to me.
To tread his Sacred Courts, and minister
About his Altar, handling holy things,
Praying or vowing; and vouchsaf'd his voice
To Balaam Reprobate, a Prophet yet
To whom our Saviour with unalter'd brow. Thy coming hither, though I know thy scope, I bid not or forbid; do as thou find'st Permission from above; thou canst not more.
He added not; and Satan bowing low
His gray diffimulation, disappear'd
Into thin Air diffus'd: for now began
Night with her sullen wings to double-shade
The Defart, Fowls in their clay nests were couch'd;
And now wild Beasts came forth the Woods to roam.
At Jordan with the Baptist, and had feen
Him whom they heard so late exprefly
Jesus Meffiah 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, though in Holy Writ not nam'd,
Now missing him their Joy so lately found,
So lately found, and so abruptly gone,
Began to doubt, and doubted many days,
And as the days increas'd, increas'd their doubt:
Sometimes they thought he might only be shewn,
And for a time caught up to God, as once
Mofes was in the Mount, and missing long
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, so in each place these
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