Part 42 (1/2)

_Esaias._ Thy praises condign no mortal tongue can tell, Most worthy maker and king of heavenly glory, For all capacities thy goodness doth excel, Thy plenteous graces no brain can compa.s.s truly, No wit can conceive the greatness of thy mercy, Declared of late in David thy true servant, And now confirmed in this thy later covenant.

Of goodness thou madest Solomon of wit more pregnant, Asa and Josaphat, with good king Hezechiah, In thy sight to do that was to thee right pleasant.

To quench idolatry thou raisedst up Elijah Jehu, Elisha, Micah, and Obdiah, The Syrian Naaman thou purgedst of a lepry[623]

Thy works wonderful who can but magnify?

Arise, Jerusalem, and take faith by and by,[624]

For the very light that shall save thee is coming.

The Son of the Lord appear will evidently, When he shall resort, see that no joy be wanting.

He is thy saviour, and thy life everlasting, Thy release from sin, and thy whole righteousness, Help me in this song t' acknowledge his great goodness.

[_Then in a tuneful voice he begins an antiphon, ”O radix Jesse,” which the chorus follows with instruments._

O fruitful root of Jesse, that shall be set as a sign among people, against the worldly rulers shall fiercely open their mouths, whom the Gentiles wors.h.i.+p as their heavenly Lord. Come now to deliver us, and delay the time no longer.

ACT VII

OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

_Pater Clestis._ I have with fierceness mankind oft-times corrected, And again I have allured him by sweet promise.

I have sent sore plagues, when he hath me neglected, And then by and by, most comfortable sweetness.

To win him to grace, both mercy and righteousness I have exercised, yet will he not amend.

Shall I now lose him, or shall I him defend?

In his most mischief, most high grace will I send To overcome him by favour, if it may be.

With his abuses no longer will I contend But now accomplish my first will and decree.

My word being flesh, from hence shall set him free, Him teaching a way of perfect righteousness, That he shall not need to perish in his weakness.

_John the Baptist._ Mana.s.seh is past, who turned from thee his heart.

Ahaz and Ammon have now no more ado, Jechoniah with others who did themselves avert From thee to idols, may now no farther go.

The two false judges, and Baal's wicked priests also, Pha.s.sur and Semaiah, with Nebuchadnosor, Antiochus and Triphon, shall thee displease no more.

Three score years and ten, thy people into Babylon Were captive and thrall for idols' wors.h.i.+pping.

Jerusalem was lost, and left void of dominion, Burnt was their temple, so was their other building, Their high priests were slain, their treasure came to nothing; The strength and beauty of thine own heritage, Thus didst thou leave them in miserable bondage.

Oft had they warnings, sometimes by Ezekiel And other prophets, as Isay and Jeremy, Sometimes by Daniel, sometimes by Hosea and Joel, By Amos and Abdiah, by Jonah and Sophonya,[625]

By Nahum and Micah, Haggai and by Zachary, By Malachias, and also by Habakkuk, By Olda the widow, and by the prophet Baruch.

Remember Josiah, who took the abomination From the people, then restoring the laws again.

Of Rahab consider the faithful generation, Whom to wine drinking no friends.h.i.+p might constrain.

Remember Abimelech, the friend of truth certain, Zerubabel the prince, who did repair the temple, And Jesus Josedech, of virtue the example.

Consider Nehemiah, and Esdras the good scribe, Merciful Tobias, and constant Mardocheus;[626]

Judith and Queen Esther, of the same G.o.dly tribe, Devout Matthias and Judas Maccabaeus.

Have mind of Eleazer, and then Joannes Hirca.n.u.s, Weigh the earnest faith of this G.o.dly company, Though the other clean fall from thy memory.

_Pater Clestis._ I will John, I will, for as I said before, Rigour and hardness I have now set apart, Minding from henceforth to win man evermore By wonderful kindness to break his stubborn heart, And change it from sin. For Christ shall suffer smart, In man's frail nature for his iniquity, This to make open, my messenger shalt thou be.

_John the Baptist._ As thy pleasure is, so blessed Lord appoint me, For my health thou art, and my soul's felicity.

_Pater Clestis._ Long ere I made thee, I the predestinate, Before thou wert born I thee endued with grace.

In thy mother's womb wert thou sanctificate By my G.o.dly gift, and so confirmed in place, A prophet, to shew a way before the face Of my most dear son, who will come: then until Apply thee apace thine office to fulfil.

Preach to the people, rebuking their negligence, Dip them in water, acknowledging their offence; And say unto them, The kingdom of G.o.d doth come.