Book II, 5: On Jesus and Sampson

An Angel did to Mnohs wife appeare,
And brought the news her barren Womb should beare:
Did not another Angel, if not He,
Thrice blessed Virgin, bring the same to thee?
The Wife of Mnoh (nine moneths being run)
Her Hev'n-saluted womb brought forth a Son:
To thee, sweet Virgin, full of Grace and Heaven,
A Child was borne, to us a Son was given:
The name of hers was Sampson, borne to fight
For captiv'd Israel, and a Nazarite:
Thine was a Naz'rite too, and bore to ease us
From Sathans burhens, and his name is Iesus:
Spson espons'd, and tooke in Marriage her
That was the child of an Idolater;
Our Iesus tooke a wife, that bow'd the knee
And orshipt unknown; as well as she:
Assaulted Sapso me, and had to doe
With fierce Lyon; oyld, and him too:
Our conquering Iesus purchas'd higher fame;
His arme encountred Death and overcame

But what! Is Sampson singular in this?
Did not our Iesus doe the like to his?
Sampson propounds a Riddle, and does hide
The folded Myst'ry in his faithles Bride:
Our blessed Iesus propounds Riddles too,
Too hard for Man, his Bride unsought, t'undoe:
The Bride forsakes her Sampson; do's betroth her
To a new Love, and falsly weds another:
And did not the adult'rous Iewes forgoe
Their first Love Iesus, and forsake him too?
Displeased Sampson had the choyce to wed
The younger Sister in the Elders stead:
Displeased Jesus had espous'd the Younger;
God send her fairer; and affections stronger:
Sampson sent Foxes on his fiery errant,
Among their corn, & made their crims his warrant:
Offended Jesus shewes as able signes
Of wrath: His Foxes have destroyd their Vines:
Our Sampsons love to Delilah was such,
That for her sake poore Sampson suffer'd much:
Our Jesus had his Delilah: For her
His Soule became so great a sffrr.
Sampson was sbject to their scorne and shame:
And was not Jesus even the very same?
Sampson's betrayd to the Philistians hands,
Was bound a while, but quickly brake his bands:
Jesus the first, and scond day, could be
The Graves clos pris'ner; but, the third was free:
In this they differ'd; Jesus dying Breath
Cry'd out for Life; but Sampsons cald for Death:
Father forgive them; did our Jesus crye;
But Sampson, Let me be reveng'd and dye:
Since then, sweet Saviour, tis thy Death must ease us,
We flye from Sampson, and appeale to Iesus.