Divine poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Thus, when the great Embassadour of Heaven
Had done that sacred service, which was given,
And trusted to his faithfull charge, he spred
His ayre-dividing pinions, and fled:
But now, th'affrighted woman apprehends
The strangenesse of the Message; recommends
Both it, and him, that did it, to her feares;
The newes was welcome to her gratefull eares,
But what the newesman was did so encrease
Her doubts, that her strange hopes could finde no peace;
For when her hopes would build a Tower of joy,
O, then her feares would shake it, and destroy
The maine foundation; what her hopes in vaine
Did raise, her feares would ruinate againe:
One while, she thought; It was an Angel sent;
And then her feares would teach her to repent
That frighfull thought; but whē she deeply waigh'd
The joyfull message, then her thoughts obay'd
Her first conceit; Distracted, with confusion,
Sometimes she fear'd it was a false delusion,

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Suggested in her too beleeving eares;
Sometimes she doubts it was a Dreame, that beares
No waight but in a slumber; till at last,
Her feet, advised by her thoughts, made haste
Vnto her husband; in whose eares she brake
This minde-perplexing secret thus, and spake;
Sir,

As my discursive thoughts did lately muse
On those great blessings, wherewith heaven doth use
To crowne his children, here; among the rest,
Me thoughts no one could make a wife more blest,
And crowne her youth, her age with greater measure
Of true content, than the unprized treasure
Of her chaste wombe: but as my thoughts were bent
Upon this subject, being in our Tent,
And none but I, appear'd before mine eyes
A man of God: His habit, and his guise
Was such as holy Prophets use to weare,
But in his dreadfull lookes there did appeare
Something that made me tremble; Jn his eye
Mildnesse was mixt with awfull Majesty;
Strange was his language, and I could not chuse
But feare the man, although J lik'd his newes;

Woman (said he) Cheare up, and doe not feare;
I have no Vials, nor no Iudgements here;
My hand hath no Commission, to enquire
Into thy sinnes; nor am I clad in fire:
I come to bring thee tydings of such things,!
As have their warrant from the King of Kings;
Thou shalt conceive, and when thy time is come,
Thou shalt enjoy the blessings of thy wombe;
Before the space of twice five months be runne,
Thou shalt become the parent of a Sonne;
Till then, take heed, thou neither drinke, nor eate

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Wines, or strong drinke, or Law-forbidden meate,
For when this promis'd child shall see the light,
Thou shalt be mother to a Nazarite.

While thus he spake, I trembled: Horrid feare
Vsurpt my quivering heart; Onely mine eare
Was pleas'd to be the vessell of such newes,
Which Heaven make good; and give me strength to use
My better Faith: The holy Prophets name
I was affraid t'enquire, or whence he came.

Meditat. 2.

And dost thou not admier? Can such things
Obtain lesse priviledge, thā a Tale, that brings
The audience wonder, enter mixt with pleasure?
Is't a small thing, that Angels can finde leisure
To leave their blessed seates; where face to face,
They see their God, and quit that heavenly place,
The least conception of whose joy, and mirth,
Transcends th'united pleasures of the earth?
Must Angels leave their Thrones of glory thus,
To watch our foot-steps, and attend on us?
How good a God have we! whose eyes can winke,
For feare they should discover the base finke
Of our loath'd sinnes; How doth he stop his eare,
Lest, when they call for Iustice, he should heare?
How often, Ah, how often doth He send
His willing Angels, hourely to attend
Our steps; and, with his bounty, to supply
Our helplesse wants, at our false-hearted cry?

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The bounteous Ocean, with a liberall hand,
Transports her laden treasure, to the land;
Inriches every Port, and makes each towne
Proud with that wealth, which now she cals her owne;
And what returne they for so great a gaine,
But sinckes and noysome Gutters, backe againe?
Even so (great God) thou sendst thy blessings in,
And we returne thee, Dunghils of our Sinne:
How are thy Angels hacknei'd up and downe
To visit man? How poorely doe we crowne
Their blessed labours? They with Ioy, dismount,
Laden with blessings, but returne th'account
Of Filth and Trash: They bring th'unvalued prize
Of Grace and promis'd Glory, while our eyes
Disdaine these heavenly Factours, and refuse
Their proferd wares; affecting, more, to chuse
A graine of pleasure than a Iemme of glory;
We finde no treasure, but in Transitory
And earth-bred Toies, while things immortal stand
Like Garments, to be sold at second hand:
Great God; Thou know'st, we are but flesh & blood;
Alas! we can interpret nothing, good,
But what is evill, deceitfull are our Ioyes;
We are but children, and we whine for Toyes:
Of things unknowne there can be no desire;
Quicken our hearts with the celestiall fire
Of thy discerning Spirit, and we shall know
Both what is good, and good desier too:

Vouchsafe to let thy blessed Angell come,
And bring the tidings, that the barren Wombe
Of our affections is inlarg'd; O when
That welcome newes shall be revealed, then,
Our soules shall soone conceive, & bring thee forth
The firstlings of a new, and holy birth.