They whom I favour thrive in wealth amain, That seat, and reign in Israel without end. For I esteem those names of men so poor, Accomplish what they did, perhaps, and more? The wise man's cumbrance, if not snare; more apt To slacken virtue, and abate her edge, Than prompt her to do aught may merit praise. Riches and realms? yet not for that a crown, Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and sleepless nights. When on his shoulders each man's burden lies; \ And who attains not, ill aspires to rule Or lawless passions in him, which he serves. BOOK III. THE ARGUMENT, Satan, in a speech of much flattering commendation, endea vours to awaken in Jesus a passion for glory, by particular izing various instances of conquests achieved, and great ac tions performed, by persons at an early period of life. Our Lord replies, by showing the vanity of worldly fame, and the improper means by which it is generally attained; and contrasts with it the true glory of religious patience and vir. tuous wisdom, as exemplified in the character of Job. Satan justifies the love of glory from the example of God himself, who requires it from all his creatures. Jesus detects the fal lacy of this argument, by showing that, as goodness is the true ground on which glory is due to the great Creator of all things, sinful man can have no right whatever to it. Satan .hen urges our Lord respecting his claim to the throne of David; he tells him that the kingdom of Judea, being at that time a province of Rome, cannot be got possession of without much personal exertion on his part, and presses him to lose no time in beginning to reign. Jesus refers him to the time allotted for this, as for all other things; and, af ter intimating somewhat respecting his own previous suffer. ings, asks Satan why he should be solicitous for the exalta tion of one, whose rising was destined to be his fall. Satan replies, that his own desperate state, by excluding all hope, leaves little room for fear; and that, as his own punishment was equally doomed, he is not interested in preventing the reign of one, for whose apparent benevolence he might ra ther hope for some interference in his favour. Satan still pursues his former incitements, and supposing that the seeming reluctance of Jesus to be thus advanced might arise from his being unacquainted with the world and its glories, conveys him to the summit of a high mountain, and from thence shows him most of the kingdom of Asia, particular. ly pointing out to his notice some extraordinary military preparations of the Parthians to resist the incursions of the Scythians. He then informs our Lord, that he showed him this purposely, that he might see how necessary military ex. ertions are to retain the possession of kingdoms, as well as to subdue them at first, and advises him to consider how impossible it was to maintain Judea against two such powerful neighbours as the Romans and Parthians, and how neces sary it would be to fm an alliance with one or other of them. At the same time he recommends, and engages to secure to him, that of the Parthians; and tells him, that by this means his power will be defended from any thing that Rome or Cæsar might attempt against it, and that he will be able to extend his glory wide, and especially to accomplish what was particularly necessary to make the throne of Judea really the throne of David, the deliverance and restoration of the ten tribes, still in a state of captivity. Jesus, having briefly noticed the vanity of military efforts, and the weakness of the arm of flesh, says, that when the time comes for his ascending his allotted throne, he shall not be slack. He remarks on Satan's extraordinary zeal for the deliverance oi the Israelites, to whom he had always showed himself an enemy, and declares their servitude to be the consequence of their idolatry, but adds, that at a future time it may perhaps please God to recall them, and restore them to their liberty and native land. So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood Urim and Thummim, those oraculous gems Of most erected spirits, most temper'd pure And dignities and powers all but the highest? 警 At his dispose; young Scipio had brought down To whom our Saviour calmly thus replied: "Thou neither dost persuade me to seek wealth For empire's sake, nor empire to affect For glory's sake, by all thy argument. For what is glory but the blaze of fame, The people's praise, if always praise unmix'd ? And what the people but a herd confus'd, A miscellaneous rabble, who extol Things vulgar, and, well weigh'd, scarce worth the praise? They praise, and they admire, they know not what, To live upon their tongues, and be their talk, Recount his praises; thus he did to Job, |