Thy Enemy, nor fo is overcome
Satan, whofe fall from Heav'n, a deadlier bruife, Difabl'd not to give thee thy deaths wound: Which he, who comes thy Saviour, fhall recure, Not by deftroying Satan, but his works
In thee and in thy Seed: nor can this be, But by fulfilling that which thou didst want, Obedience to the Law of God, impos'd On penalty of death, and suffering death, The penalty to thy tranfgreffion due,
And due to theirs which out of thine will grow: 400 So only can high Juftice reft appaid.
The Law of God exact he shall fulfil
Both by obedience and by love, though love Alone fulfil the Law; thy punishment He fhall endure by coming in the Flesh To a reproachful Life and curfed Death, Proclaiming Life to all who fhall believe In his Redemption, and that his Obedience Imputed, becomes theirs by Faith, his Merits To fave them, not their own, tho' legal Works. 410 For this he fhall live hated, be blafphem'd, Seis'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd A fhameful and accurít, nail'd to the Cross By his own Nation, flain for bringing Life; But to the Crofs he nails thy Enemies, The Law that is against thee, and the fins Of all Mankind, with him there crucify'd, Never to hurt them more, who rightly truft In this his Satisfaction; fo he dies,
But foon revives, Death over him no power Shall long ufurp; e'er the third dawning light Return, the Stars of Morn fhall fee him rife Out of his Grave, fresh as the dawning light, The Ranfom paid, which Man from death redeems, His death for Man, as many as offer'd Life Neglect not, and the benefit embrace
By Faith not void of Works: this God-like act Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have dy'd, In fin for ever loft from Life; this act
Shall bruife the head of Satan, crush his ftrength 430 Defeating Sin and Death, his two main arms, And fix far deeper in his head their stings Than temporal death fhall bruife the Victor's heel, Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like fleep, A gentle wafting to immortal Life. Nor after Refurrection fhall he stay Longer on Earth than certain times to appear To his Difciples, Men who in his Life
Still follow'd him; to them fall leave in charge To teach all Nations what of him they learn'd 440 And his Salvation, them who fhall believe Baptizing in the profluent stream, the fign Of washing them from guilt of fin to Life Pure, and in mind prepar'd, if so befal,
For death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd. 445. All Nations they fhall teach; for from that day. Not only to the Sons of Abraham's Loins Salvation fhall be preach'd, but to the Sons
Of Abraham's Faith, where-ever thro' the World;
So in his Seed all Nations fhall be bleft.
Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns fhall he afcend With victory, triumphing through the Aire Over his Foes and thine; there fhall surprise The Serpent, Prince of Aire, and drag in Chains Thro' all his Realm, and there confounded leave; Then enter into Glory, and resume
His Seat at God's right hand, exalted high Above all Names in Heav'n; and thence fhall come, When the World's Diffolution fhall be ripe, With Glory and Pow'r to judge both quick and dead, To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward
His faithful, and receive them into Blifs, Whether in Heav'n or Earth, for then the Earth Shall all be Paradife, far happier place Than this of Eden, and far happier days.
So fpake th' Arch-angel Michael, then paus'd, As at the World's great Period; and our Sire Repleat with joy and wonder thus reply'd.
O Goodness infinite, Goodness immenfe! That all this good of evil shall produce, And evil turn to good; more wonderful Than that which by creation firft brought forth Light out of darkness! full of doubt I stand, Whether I should repent me now of fin
By me done and occafion'd, or rejoyce Much more,that much more good thereof shall spring. To God more glory, more good will to Men From God, and over wrath grace shall abound, But fay, if our deliverer up to Heav'n
Muft reafcend, what will betide the few
His faithful, left among th' unfaithful herd,
The enemies of truth; who then shall guide
His people, who defend? will they not deal Worfe with his followers than with him they dealt? Be sure they will, faid th’Angel; but from Heav'n He to his own a Comforter will fend,
The promise of the Father, who fall dwell
His Spirit within them, and the Law of Faith Working thro' love, upon their hearts shall write, To guide them in all truth, and also arm With spiritual Armour, able to resist Satan's affaults, and quench his fiery darts, What men can do against them, not afraid, Though to the death, against fuch cruelties With inward confolations recompenc'd, And oft supported so as shall amaze Their proudest perfecuters: for the Spirit Pour'd firft on his Apoftles, whom he fends To evangelize the Nations, then on all
Baptiz'd, fhall them with wondrous Gifts endue seo To speak all Tongues, and do all Miracles, As did their Lord before them. Thus they win Great numbers of each Nation to receive
With joy the tidings brought from Heav'n: at length Their Ministry perform'd, and race well run, 505 Their doctrine and their flory written left, They die; but in their room, as they forewarn, Wolves fhall fucceed for teachers, grievous Wolves, Who all the facred myfteries of Heav'n
To their own vile advantages shall turn
Of lucre and ambition, and the truth With fuperftitions and traditions taint, Left only in those written Records pure, Though not but by the Spirit understood.
Then hall they feek to avail themselves of names, Places and titles, and with thefe to join Secular power, though feigning ftill to act By fpiritual, to themselves appropriating The Spirit of God, promis'd alike and giv'n To all Believers; and from that pretence, Spiritual Laws by carnal power shall force On every confcience; Laws which none fhall find Left them inroll'd, or what the Spirit within Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then But force the Spirit of Grace it felf, and bind 525 His confort Liberty; what, but unbuild
His living Temples, built by Faith to ftand, Their own Faith not anothers; for on Earth Who against Faith and Confcience can be heard Infallible yet many will prefume:
Whence heavy perfecution fhall arife On all who in the worship perfevere
Of Spirit and Truth; the reft, far greater part, Well deem in outward Rites and fpecious forms Religion fatisfy'd; Truth fhall retire
Beftuck with flandrous darts, and works of Faith Rarely be found: fo fhall the World go on, To good malignant, to bad men benign, Under her own weight groaning till the day
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