554 SAMSON AGONISTES: Or benefit reveal'd to Abraham's race ? Why was my breeding order'd and prefcrib'd As of a perfon feparate to God, Defign'd for great exploits ; if I muff die Betray'd, captiv'd, and both my eyes put out, Made of my enemies the (corn and gaze ; To grind in brazen fetters under talk 35 With this Heav'n-gifted flrength ? 0 glorious flrength Put to the labor of a beaft, debas'd Lower than bond.flave! Promife was that I Should Ifrael from Philiflian yoke deliver ; ilk for this great deliverer now, and find him 40 Eyelets in Gaza at the mill with flaves, Himfelf in bonds under Philitlian yoke : Yet flay, let me not rafb+y call in doubt Divine prediaton ; what if all foretold Had been fulfill'd but through mine own default, 45 Whom have I to complain of but myfelf ? Who this high gift of flrength committed to me, in what part lodg'd, how eafily bereft me, Under the Leal of filence could not keep, But weakly to a woman mull reveal it, O'ercome with importunity and tears. 0 impotence of mind, in body flrong ! But what is flrength without a double !hare Of wifdom ? vaft, unwieldy, burdenfome, Proudly lecure, yet liable to fall 55 By weakea fubtleties, not made to rule, But to fubferve where wifdom bears command ! God, when he gave me flrength, to (how withal How flight the gift was, hung it in my hair. But peace, I mutt not quarrel with the will 6o Of highell difpenfation, which herein Haply had ends above my reach to know : Suffices that to me flrength is my bane, And
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