484 PARADISE REGAIN'D. I3ome A meffenger from God foretold thy birth Conceiv'd in me a virgin, he foretold Thou fhould'Il be great, and fit on David's throne, 240 nd of thy kingdom there should be no end. At thy nativity a glorious quire Of Angels in the fields of Bethlehem lung To thepherds watching at their folds by night, And told them the 1VI, ffiah now was born 245 Where they might tee him, and to thee they came, areaed to the manger where thou For in the inn was lett no better room A liar, not feen before, in Heav'n appearing Guided the wife men thither from the call, 2so T honor thee with incenfe, myrrh, and gold, By whose bright coolie led on they found the place, Affirming it thy liar new grav'n in Heaven, By which they knew the king of Ifrael born. tut' Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd 255 By vifion, found thee in the temple', and fpake 13 fore the altar and the vetted prieft, Like things of thee to all that prefent ftood. Ths. having heard, ftrait I again revolv'd 'I he law and prophets, fearching what was writ 260 Concerning the Metliah, to our fcribes Known partly, and loon found of whom they fpake 1 am ; this chiefly, that my way mutt lie 'Through many a hard affay ev'n to the death, Ere 1 the promis'd kingdom can attain, 265 Or work redemption for mankind, whole fins Full weight mutt be transferr'd upon my head: Yet neithtr thus d thearten'd or difmay'd, 'The time prcfix'd I waited, when behold 13aptiff (of whole birth I oft had heard, 270 NO knew by fight) now come, who was to come 13etoR. Mahal and his way prepare.
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