Page images
PDF
EPUB

Raise him to be the second 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 seeks

165

To stop their overgrowth, as inmate guests
Too numerous; whence,of guests, he makes them flaves,
Inhofpitably, and kills their infant males:

Till by two brethren (those two brethren call
Mofes and Aaron) sent from God to clame
His people from inthralment, they return,
With glory and spoil back to their promis'd land.
But first the lawless tyrant, who denies

170

180

To know their God, or message to regard,
Must be compell'd by signs and judgments dire; 175
To blood unfhed the rivers must be turn'd;
Frogs, lice, and flies must all his palace fill
With loath'd intrusion, and fill all the land;
His cattel muft of rot and murren die;
Botches and blains must all his flesh imboss,
And all his people; thunder mix'd with hail,
Hail mix'd with fire,muft rend th' Egyptian sky,
And wheel on th'earth, devouring where it rolls;
What it devours not, herb, or fruit, or grain,
A darksome cloud of locufts fwarming down
Muft eat, and on the ground leave nothing green;
Darkness muft overfhadow all his bounds,

Palpable darkness, and blot out three days;
Last,with one midnight stroke, all the first-born

185

[blocks in formation]

With God, who call'd him, in with ten wounds 190

[ocr errors]

Canaan he now attains; Ingth fubmits

Pitch'd about Sechem, a
Of Moreh; there by
Gift to his proge
From Hamath

(Things by

From He
Mount

In r

M

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

and oft

heart, but ftill as ice
er thaw, till in his rage
he late difmifs'd, the fea

with his hoft; but them lets pass,

dland between two crystal walls,
This rescued gain their shore:
And by the rod of Moses so to stand

195

rous pow'r God to his faint will lend, 200

go

Ta prefent in his Angel, who fhall
Bere them in a cloud, and pillar of fire,
Sa cloud, by night a pillar of fire,
Teide them in their journey, and remove
ind them, while th'obdurate king pursues: 205
All night he will pursue, but his approach
Darkness defends between till morning watch;
Then, through the fiery pillar and the cloud,
God looking forth,will trouble all his host,
And craze their chariot wheels, when, by command,
Mofes once more his potent rod extends
Over the fea; the fea his rod obeys;
On their imbattel'd ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war: the race elect
Safe towards Canaan from the shore advance
Through the wild defert; not the readiest way,
Left,entring on the Canaanite alarm'd,

211

215

War

m inexpert, and fear.

to Egypt, choosing rather
rvitude; for life

'more sweet

ere rashness leads not on.

gain by their delay

220

iderness, there they shall found
rnment, and their great fenate choose, 225

gh the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain'd:
od from the mount of Sinai, whose gray top
Shall tremble, he descending, will himself

In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets found,
Ordain them laws; part fuch as appertain

To civil juftice, part religious rites
Of facrifice, informing them, by types

230

And fhadows, of that deftin'd Seed to bruise
The Serpent, by what means he shall achieve
Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God

235

To mortal ear is dreadful; they befeéch
That Mofes might report to them his will,
And terror ceafe; he grants what they befought,
Infructed that to God is no accefs

Without mediator; whofe high office now

240

Moses in figure bears, to introduce

One greater, of whofe day he shall foretel,

And all the prophets in their age the times
Of great Messi ah fhall fing. Thus laws and rites
Establish'd, such delight hath God in men

245
Obedient

Of Egypt must lie dead. Thus with ten wounds 190
The river-dragon tam'd, at length submits

To let his fojourners depart, and oft

Humbles his stubborn heart, but still as ice
More harden'd after thaw, till in his rage
Pursuing whom he late dismiss'd, the sea
Swallows him with his host; but them lets pass,
As on dry land, between two crystal walls,
Aw'd by the rod of Moses so to stand

Divided, till his rescued gain their shore:

195

Such wondrous pow'r God to his faint will lend, 200
Though present in his Angel, who shall go
Before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire,

By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire,
To guide them in their journey, and remove
Behind them, while th'obdurate king pursues: 205
All night he will pursue, but his approach
Darkness defends between till morning watch;
Then, through the fiery pillar and the cloud,
God, looking forth,will trouble all his host,
And craze their chariot wheels, when, by command,
Mofes once more his potent rod extends
Over the fea; the fea his rod obeys;
On their imbattel'd ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war: the race elect
Safe towards Canaan from the shore advance
Through the wild defert; not the readiest way,
Left entring on the Canaanite alarm'd,

211

215

War

War terrify them inexpert, and fear.

Return them back to Egypt, choosing rather
Inglorious life with fervitude; for life

To noble and ignoble is more sweet
Untrain'd in arms, where rafhnefs leads not on.
This also shall they gain by their delay

220

In the wide wilderness, there they shall found
Their government, and their great fenate choose, 225
Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain'd:
God from the mount of Sinai, whose gray top
Shall tremble, he descending, will himself

In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets found,
Ordain them laws; part fuch as appertain

To civil juftice, part religious rites
Of facrifice, informing them, by types

230

And fhadows, of that deftin'd Seed to bruise
The Serpent, by what means he shall achieve
Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God
To mortal ear is dreadful; they befeéch
That Mofes might report to them his will,
And terror cease; he grants what they befought,
Inftructed that to God is no accefs

235

Without mediator; whose high office now

240

Moses in figure bears, to introduce

One greater, of whofe day he shall foretel,

And all the prophets in their age the times
Of great Meffi ah fhall fing. Thus laws and rites
Establish'd, such delight hath God in men

245 Obedient

« PreviousContinue »