Acceptance of large grace, from fervile fear
To filial, works of law to works of faith.
And therefore fhall not Mofes, tho' of God
Highly belov'd, being but the minifter
Of law, his people into Canaan lead ;
But Jofhua, whom the Gentiles Jefus call,
His name and office bearing, who fhall quell
The adverfary ferpent, and bring back
Thro' the world's wilderness long wander'd man
Safe to eternal Paradife of rest.
Meanwhile they in their earthly Canaan place'd, 315 'Long time fhall dwell and prosper; but when fins National interrupt their public peace,
Provoking God to raise them enemies ;
From whom as oft he faves them penitent
By judges first, then under kings; of whom
The fecond, both for piety renown'd
And puiffant deeds, a promise fhall receive
Irrevocable, that his regal throne
For ever shall endure; the like shall fing
All prophecy, that of the royal ftock.
Of David (so I name this king) shall rife.
A fon, the woman's feed to thee foretold,
Foretold to Abraham, as in whom shall truft
All nations, and to kings foretold, of kings
The laft; for of his reign fhall be no end.
But first a long fucceffion must ensue ;
And his next fon, for wealth and wifdom fam'd,
The clouded ark of God, till then in tents
Wand'ring, fhall in a glorious temple' infhrine.
Such follow him as fhall be register'd
Part good, part bad, of bad the longer fcroll;
Whofe foul idolatries, and other faults
Heap'd to the popular fum, will fo incenfe
God, as to leave them, and expose their land,.
Their city', his temple, and his holy ark,
With all his facred things, a fcorn and prey
To that proud city, whofe high walls thou faw'st
Left in confufion, Babylon thence call'd.
There in captivity he lets them dwell
The space of fev'nty years, then brings them back,
Rememb'ring mercy, and his covenant fworn
To David, stablish'd as the days of heaven.
Return'd from Babylon by leave of kings
Their lords, whom God difpos'd, the house of God They first re-edify, and for a while
In mean eftate live moderate, till grown
In wealth and multitude, factious they grow;
Bur first among the priests diffention springs,
Men who attend the altar, and fhould moft
Endeavour peace: their ftrife pollution brings
Upon the temple itself: at last they seize
The fceptre, and regard not David's fons ;
Then lofe it to a stranger, that the true
Anointed King Meffiah might be born
Barr'd of his right; yet at his birth a star,
Unfeen before in heaven, proclaims him come,
And guides the eastern fages, who enquire
His place, to offer incenfe, myrrh, and gold;
His place of birth a folemn angel tells
To fimple fhepherds, keeping watch by night;
They gladly thither hafte, and by a quire
Of fquadron'd angels hear his carol fung.
A virgin is his mother, but his fire
The power of the Moft High; he fhall afcend
The throne hereditary, and bound his reign
With earth's wide bounds, his glory with the heavens, He ceas'd, difcerning Adam with fuch joy Surcharge'd, as had like grief been dew'd in tears, Without the vent of words, which thefe he breath'd.
O prophet of glad tidings, fmisher
Of utmost hope! now clear I understand
What oft my fteddieft thoughts have fearch'd in vain; Why our great expectation fhould be call'd
The feed of woman: Virgin mother, hail !
High in the love of Heaven; yet from my loins 380
Thou fhalt proceed, and from thy womb the Son
Of God Moft High; fo God with man unites.
Needs must the ferpent now his capital bruife
Expect with mortal pain: fay where and when 384
Their fight, what ftroke fhall bruise the victor's heel.
To whom thus Michael. Dream not of their fight,
As of a duel, or the local wounds
Of head or heel: not therefore joins the Son
Manhood to Godhead, with more strength to foil
Thy enemy; nor fo is overcome
Satan, whofe fall from heaven, a deadlier bruise,
Disabled not to give thee thy death's wound:
Which he, who comes thy Saviour, fhall recure,
Not by destroying Satan, but his works
In thee and in thy feed: 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 fuffering death,
The penalty to thy tranfgreffion due,
And due to theirs which out of thine will grow:
So only can High Juftice reft appaid.
The law of God exact he fhall fulfil
Both by obedience and by love, tho' 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. For this he fhall live hated, be blafphem'd, Seiz'd on by force, judge'd, and to death condemn'd, A fhameful and accurs'd; nail'd to the crofs 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 trust In this his fatisfaction. So he dies, But foon revives; Death over him no power Shall long ufurp; ere the third dawning light, Return, the stars of morn fhall fee him rife Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light Thy ransom 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 should'st have dy'd,
In fin for ever loft from life; this act
Shall bruise 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 temp'ral death fhall bruise the victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems, a death-like fleep,
A gentle wafting to immortal life.
Nor after refurrection shall he stay
Longer on earth, than certain times to' appear
To his difciples, men who in his life
Still follow'd him; to them shall leave in charge
To teach all nations what of him they learn'd,
And his falvation, 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 fo befall,
For death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd.
All nations they shall teach: for from that day
Not only to the fons of Abraham's loins
Salvation fhall be preach'd, but to the fons
Of Abraham's faith wherever thro' the world;
So in his feed all nations fhall be blefs'd.
Then to the heaven of heavens he fhall afcend
With victory, triumphing thro' the air
Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise
The ferpent, prince of air, and drag in chains
Thro' all his realm, and there confounded leave;
Then enter into glory, and refume
His feat at God's right hand, exalted high
Above all names in heaven; and thence fhall come,
When this world's diffolution fhall be ripe,
With glory' and power to judge both quick and dead;
To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward
His faithful, and receive them into blifs,
Whether in heaven or earth; for then the earth
Shall all be Paradife, far happier place
Than this of Eden, and far happier days.
So fpake th' archangel Michaël, then paus'd,
As at the world's great period; and our fire,
Replete with joy and wonder, thus reply'd.
O goodness infinite, goodnefs immenfe !
That all this good of evil fhall produce,
And evil turn to good; more wonderful
Than that which by creation first brought forth
Light out of darkness! Full of doubt I stand
Whether I fhould repent me now of fin
By me done and occafioned, or rejoice
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 heaven
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