Divine Fancies :: :: University of Virginia Library

An Angel did to Manoahs wife appeare,
And brought the news her barren womb should beare:
Did not another Angel, if not He,
Thrice blessed Virgin, bring the same to thee?
The Wife of Manoah (nine moneths being run)
Her Heav'n-saluted womb brought forth a Son:
To thee, sweet Virgin, full of Grace and Heaven,
A Child was borne, to us a Son was giuen:
The name of hers was Sampson, borne to fight
For captiv'd Israel, and a Nazarite:
Thine was a Naz'rite too, and borne to ease us
From Sathans burthens, and his name is Iesus:
Sampson espous'd, and tooke in Marriage her
That was the child of an Idolater;
Our Iesus tooke a wife, that bow'd the knee
And worshipt unknowne gods, as well as she:
Assaulted Sampson met, and had to doe
With a fierce Lyon; foyld, and slue him too:
Our conquering Iesus purchas'd higher fame;
His arme encountred Death, and overcame:
Victorious Sampson stept aside, and drew
Pure Honey from the Carcasse that he slue;
When our triumphing Iesus sought, and found
A greater sweetnes in his Lyons wound.
Vxorious Sampson pleases to divide
His purchas'd Honey, to his fairest Bride:

But what! Is Sampson singular in this?
Did not our Iesus doe the like to his?
Sampson propounds a Riddle, and does hide
The folded Myst'ry in his faithles Bride:
Our blessed Iesus propounds Riddles too,
Too hard for Man, his Bride unsought, t'undoe:
The Bride forsakes her Sampson; do's betroth her
To a new Love, and falsly weds another:
And did not the adult'rous Iewes forgoe
Their first Love Iesus, and forsake him too?
Displeased Sampson had the choyce to wed
The younger Sister in the Elders stead:
Displeased Iesus had espous'd the Younger;
God send her fairer; and affections stronger:
Sampson sent Foxes on his fiery errant,
Among their corn, & made their crimes his warrant:
Offended Iesus shewes as able signes
Of wrath: His Foxes have destroyd their Vines:
Our Sampsons love to Delilah was such,
That for her sake poore Sampson suffer'd much:
Our Iesus had his Delilah: For her
His Soule became so great a sufferer.
Sampson was subject to their scorne and shame:
And was not Iesus even the very same?
Sampson's betrayd to the Philistians hands,
Was bound a while, but quickly brake his bands:
Iesus, the first, and second day, could be
The Graves close pris'ner; but, the third, was free:
In this they differ'd; Iesus dying Breath
Cry'd out for Life; but Sampsons cald for Death:
Father forgive them, did our Iesus crye;
But Sampson, Let me be reveng'd and dye:

Since then, sweet Saviour, tis thy Death must ease us,
We flye from Sampson, and appeale to Iesus.