Above all names fhall this diftinguish'd ftand:
And ev'ry knee shall bow therein at last.
The word a Mighty SAVIOUR fignifies;
And he fhall fave his people from their fins;
So Gabriel fpake; and Jefus fhall fulfil,
By price and pow'r; he's mighty to perform.
When forty days had pass'd, a moving scene
Took place within the Temple's facred walls;
Which, ere I farther pass, I must relate.
Jefus was carry'd in his mother's arms,
To be presented to the Lord of Hofts,
According to the Law by Mofes giv'n,
That ev'ry first-born male should be devote
As holy to the Lord; to offer there
Two turtle doves, or harmless pigeons young;
For fhe was poor, and could not bring a lamb.
Long had Old Simeon, juft, devout, and good,
Been waiting for this day, with longing heart:
For by the Holy Ghost it was reveal'd,
That Death fhould never close his longing eyes,
Until he fhould behold the Chrift of God.
Methinks I fee the aged, pious man,
Take in his wither'd arms, the heav'nly Babe,
While tears of joy run down his furrow'd cheeks.
Come, hear his dying fong, and learn to feel
The rapt'rous language of his heart and lips.
Lord, now thy word's fulfill'd, let me depart;
I go in peace; my foul is fatisfy'd:
Because mine
eyes have thy falvation seen,
Which thou before all people haft prepar'd;
To be a light to Gentiles blinded long,
And glory to thy fervant Ifrael's race.
O grant, dear Saviour, that our longing eyes
May fee thee come to reign, before we sleep:
But if our flesh muft drop into the dust,
Before our Jefus fhall return to reign;
One favour, Lord, moft earnestly we beg:
In this, we must not-cannot be deny'd;
O never let our eyes be clos'd in death,
'Till we are made acquainted with our God,
And have, by faith, beheld the bleeding Lamb,
And are, by grace, deliver'd from our fins.
Like Simeon, may our fouls depart in peace! 250
Juft as the good old man had clos'd his fong,
An aged widow came that inftant in;
Full fourscore years and four she had remain'd
Within the facred place; had serv'd the Lord
With faftings, and with pray'rs, both night and day;
And waited long the Saviour to behold,
Whom now she saw, and greatly did rejoice:
Gave public thanks, and spake of him to all
Who look'd and waited for redemption there.
Ye holy widows, who are waiting now
For Jefu's second coming, view him near!
Behold, the figns and tokens plainly shew
The great expected day is at the door.
Prepare to meet your God; prepare, prepare.
This generation fhall not pass, perhaps,
Until that grand event shall be fulfill'd,
Of which I have propos'd, ere long, to fing,
Unless the icy hand of Death prevent.
Fain would I live to fee my Saviour come;
But, not my will be done, but thine, O Lord.
The infancy of Him now let us trace,
The Sinner's Friend, and Saviour of mankind!
When one full year was past, from JESU's birth,
Before the second had fulfill'd its round,
The eastern fages, by a wond'rous star,
Were mov'd, and led to seek the new-born King;
And coming to Jerufalem, enquir'd
Where they might find the heir of David's throne?
In that fam'd city, reign'd a man of blood,
Crafty, fevere, proud, cruel, jealous, fierce,
Full of resentment; fwoln with envious spite.
Hater of Judah's race of kings and priests.
Born of Idumean blood. He gain'd the throne
(Supported by the pow'r of hoftile Rome)
By feats of arms, too cruel to rehearse;
(His cruel nature foon must be expos'd).
He heard, with inward rage, and troubled mind,
The strict enquiries for the new-born Prince;
But his malicious purpose fo difguis'd,
As might deceive the wisest of mankind.
He, gath'ring all the scribes and priests, demands
Where Chrift, the great Meffiah, should be born?
In Bethlehem's city, all at once agreed;
As Micah long before had prophefy'd.
O famous city! now we clearly fee
What God hath fpoken-cannot, will not, fail;
No, not the fmalleft tittle fhall be loft.
When Mary first conceiv'd this holy child,
She dwelt in Naz'reth's city, far remote;
But as he must be born in Bethlehem's town,
The great Auguftus must his subjects count,
And put
the tribes in motion to repair
Each to their native place, to be enroll❜d ;
That fo, the Virgin, mother of our Lord,
Attending Jofeph in his journeying home,
Might thither come before the time arriv'd,
When Chrift, the King of Glory, should be born,
When crafty Herod gain'd The knowledge of the sacred prophecy, Which inly he prefum'd to overthrow; He fent the eastern Magi on the way, To find the object of their grand purfuit, Defiring them, to bring him word again. That he might follow, and obedience pay; Though nothing lefs was in his cruel thoughts, 315 The Prince he wifh'd to fee; but, 'twas to kill,
But God, who faw the malice of his heart, Sent home the wife men fafe another way, When they had seen, ador'd, and honour'd him, Whom long they fought, and much rejoic'd to fee. 320 While Jofeph, warn'd by friendly Angel, fled,
With his lov'd charge, to Egypt's land, in
So, Heav'nly Wisdom baffled the defigns
Of him who fought the Saviour to destroy.
But now I fing the babes of Bethlehem,
By Herod's curs'd decree condemn'd to die;
And, left the dreaded infant should escape,
(The facred object of his jealous rage)
The cruel-hearted tyrant fpared none.
What shrieks, and dying groans, torment the ear! 330 While mothers mourn their fons untimely flain!
Ye weeping mothers, hear the voice of God;
voice from crying, dry your eyes, Your work shall be rewarded, faith the Lord;
Your children from the land of death fhall come, 335
Shall rife to glorious immortality,
And reign with him for whom they fuffer'd here!
I hafte from fields of blood, and flaughter'd heaps Of mangled infants, flain by cruel hands; And now return to Jefus, precious babe! To Egypt he defcends, that God might call His Son from thence, as Jacob's tribes, of old, Were call'd and led by his Almighty hand. What happen'd there, while Chrift in Mizraim dwelt, Who can pretend to fay? Some tell, indeed,
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