BOOK VI.
Now had the Lamb of God his mission oped, With vict'ry o'er his unrelenting foe ; Now the foundation of his kingdom laid, And raised his voice divine th' elect to choose. Not to the righteous he, but sinners, call'd; Nor to the worldly wise, the rich, or great, Gave he to be chief messengers of grace; But to the lowly poor. Simon the rock, And Andrew, first he named, fishers of men; Next after, James and John, Salome's sons And Zebedee's, the heav'nly mandate heard ; Heard, and their nets forsook to follow him. Soon Philip of Bethsaida, own'd his voice, And quicken'd into zeal, obey'd the call; And so Bartholomew ; then Thomas, great Of heart to die with his afflicted Lord, Though momentary doubting in his faith, Astonish'd that the dead, self-raised, should live, Came at the Saviour's bidding to the task, Of raising souls from death of sin to life. At Christ's inviting accents Mathew rose, The customs left and his pursuit of gain ;
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