Fruits of Retirement Or, Miscellaneous Poems, Moral and Divine. Being Some Contemplations, Letters, &c. Written on a Variety of Subjects and Occasions. By Mary Mollineux ... To which is Prefixed, Some Account of the Author |
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On the Three Holy Children.
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On the Three Holy Children.
When Conqu'ring Babel's Foes were subjugate,And fair Jerusalem depopulate,
King Nebuchadnezzar Triumph'd in Pride,
And his Concerns of War seem'd laid aside;
Who Glorying in his Strength, not in the Lord,
Formed a Golden God to be ador'd.
Now this great Image, made by Mortal Hand,
Must worship'd be (such was the King's Command)
Tho' senseless, helpless, tho' he ne'er could bless
Their War-like Enterprizes with success:
But 'tis the King's Decree, and then who dare
Resist, but such as do a Greater fear?
The Sentence is, The Fiery Furnace must
Consume the Rebels Body unto Dust.
Yet there were Captive Jews of Royal Blood,
Who, in their Zeal for Israels God, withstood
That cursed Edict, that vain Law reject,
That strict Decree with them had small Effect:
Then the Informers, that observ'd the Jews,
And sought for an occasion to accuse
The Innocent, (as some do now) drew near;
And first, to gain acceptance in his Ear,
Said, Live, O King, for ever! Thou hast made
A firm Decree, which some have not obey'd;
Even Three conceited Jews, who neither Thee
Regard, nor to thy Gods do bow their Knee.
O how his Fury doth at this arise!
That any should his Golden God despise:
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His Eyes, with sparkling Rage, proclaim Revenge:
Therefore, at his Command, they all in haste
The Persons of the Innocent arrest;
Call'd Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
And they before the wrathful King must go
To prove the Matter; and, it seems, to try
If they would Bow: Which, when they still deny,
As knowing, He alone that did create
The Fire, and all things else, could soon abate
Its Violence; and from the threatning Hand
Of Babel's King, deliver them that stand
In Awe to none but him, and fear not Man;
But dread the Living God, who only can
Kill and Destroy, or save and keep Alive;
For He to Man doth Life and Being give.
This they believing, did not study how
To answer; but resolved not to Bow
To any, but the Lord: Altho' the King
Seem'd, in his Wrath, to count it as a thing
Impossible, that any God could be
So Potent, to withstand his fierce Decree.
But Great JEHOVAH did that Law confound;
For when all Three were in their Vestments bound,
And cast into the furious Fiery Flame,
Th'Eternal Word did Pow'rfully restrain
Its proper Quality, and so surround
Them with Defence, no harm on them was found:
Yet did the Fire retain its former Vigor,
And manifest it with resistless Rigor,
Against those Men, who bold to execute
The King's Command, the Just did persecute:
Which, when Nebuchadnezzar saw, dismay'd,
He rose in haste, and to his Nobles said,
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They answer'd, True: The King reply'd again,
Now, in the midst thereof, behold, I see
Four Men walk loose, and from their Fetters free;
Whereof the Fourth seems cloath'd in Majesty,
As Son of the Immortal Deity.
Thus was the Lofty forced to confess,
There was a Pow'r above him, and to bless
The God of Isr'el; set his Servants free,
That, trusting in him, would not bow the Knee
Unto, or serve another, than the Lord,
Their only God; but, as with one accord,
Did yield their Bodies to his Will, that they
Might magnify him in their Trial-Day.
Consider now, had they not Faithful been,
The Captive Seed of Isr'el had not seen
That great Deliverance, so signally
Wrought for them, that, in true Simplicity,
Resign'd themselves, their all, unto the Lord,
Who is alone worthy to be ador'd:
Nor Babel's Monarch been constrain'd to bless
His holy Name, who Reigns in Righteousness;
Deposing Kingdoms unto whom he sees
Most fit, and Changing Man's perverse Decrees.
Lord, may thy Wisdom, in these latter Days,
Limit, or turn Man's Wrath unto thy Praise!
Put thou an Hook into the Jaws of those,
That study Politickly to oppose
Thy Works of Love and Wonder, in the Land,
And with their Subtilty seek to withstand
The Progress of despised Israel,
In their Return towards thy Holy Hill,
Sion, the sacred Mount of thy Renown,
Which Babylon hath sought to Batter down,
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To sit in Pomp, like to a Stately Queen,
That sees no Sorrow; all her Pride is vain;
For fall she must, and never rise again;
The Time's appointed: Then shall Sion rise,
And Triumph over all her Enemies.
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