REDEMPTION. 319
How would you have him come ? with what appear ?
As prophet ? priest ? a king in royal state,
With equipage and pow'r? or low born, poor?
Clad in soft raimant, glut with meats and drinks,
Or abstinent, content with humble fare ?
Come, let us reason this, search, note, inquire,
And learn what Moses and the Prophets teach.
'Tis scarce meridian past, and long the way,
Which us Directs to whither we would go ;
The sun will easy hold his westward course,
And ample day to our communion give.
Let us inquire the time when Christ should come,
From whom, with what, and how he should appear;
Nor doubt their testimonies, clear disposed,
From when the Spirit inchoative mark'd
The primal traces of Messias' day,
To that full period, when he was to come.
Let Israel's leader, Israel's promise show,
Given what time the Patriarch blessed the Twelve
1 From Juda shall the scepter not be ta'en,
Nor ruler from his thigh, till Shiloh comes.'
Who holds this scepter now ? Doth Juda reign ?
Or rather hath it not to Edom pass'd ?
And is her gov'aior one of Juda's seed ?
But lest defect from vagueness be inferr'd,
Consult that prophet, who foretold the year,
Exact, from when Darius' reign began ;
To whom, devout in prayer, Gabriel said
' In seventy weeks the Saint of saints anoint
Shall be, sin end, and justice reign;
In threescore weeks and two shall Christ be slain,
And they, who him deny, shall not be his.'
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