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Though present in his angel ; who shall go Enlightener of my darkness, gracious things Before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire ; Thou hast reveald ; those chiefly, which concern By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire ;

Just Abraham and his seed: now first I find To guide them in their journey, and remove Mine eyes true-opening, and my heart much easid: Behind them, while the obdurate king pursues : Erewhile perplex'd with thoughts, what would be All night he will pursue ; but his approach Darkness defends between till morning watch; of me and all mankind: but now I see Then through the fiery pillar, and the cloud, His day, in whom all nations shall be blest ; God looking forth will trouble all his host, Favor unmerited by me, who sought And craze their chariot-wheels: when by command Forbidden knowledge by forbidden means. Moses once more his potent rod extends

This yet I apprehend not, why to those Over the sea ; the sea his rod obeys ;

Among whom God will deign to dwell on Earth On their embattled ranks the waves return, So many and so various laws are given. And overwhelm their war: the race elect

So many laws argue so many sins Safe towards Canaan from the shore advance Among them; how can God with such reside ?" Through the wild desert, not the readiest way; To whom thus Michael. “ Doubt not but that sin Lest, entering on the Canaanite alarm'd,

Will reign among them, as of thee begot ; War terrify them inexpert, and fear

And therefore was law given them, to evince Return them back to Egypt, choosing rather Their natural pravity, by stirring up Inglorious life with servitude; for life

Sin against law to fight: that when they see To noble and ignoble is more sweet

Law can discover sin, but not remove, Untraind in arms, where rashness leads not on. Save by those shadowy expiations weak, This also shall they gain by their delay

The blood of bulls and goats, they may conclude In the wide wilderness : there they shall found Some blood more precious must be paid for man; Their government, and their great senate choose Just for unjust; that in such righteousness Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain'd: To them by faith imputed, they may find God from the mount of Sinai, whose grey top

Justification towards God, and peace Shall tremble, he descending, will himself Of conscience; which the law by ceremonies In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets' sound, Cannot appease : nor man the moral part Ordain them laws; part, such as appertain Perform; and, not performing, cannot live. To civil justice ; part, religious rites

So law appears imperfect; and but given Of sacrifice; informing them, by types

With purpose to resign them, in full time, And shadows, of that destin'd Seed to bruise Up to a better covenant; disciplin'd The serpent, by what means he shall achieve From shadowy types to truth; from flesh to spirit ; Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God From imposition of strict laws to free To mortal ear is dreadful: they beseech

Acceptance of large grace; from servile fear That Moses might report to them his will, To filial: works of law to works of faith. And terror cease; he grants what they besought, And therefore shall not Moses, though of God Instructed that to God is no access,

Highly belov’d, being but the minister Without mediator, whose high office now

Of law, his people into Canaan lead; Moses in figure bears; to introduce

But Joshua, whom the Gentiles Jesus call, One greater, of whose day he shall foretell, His name and office bearing, who shall quell And all the prophets in their age the times The adversary-serpent, and bring back Of great Messiah shall sing. Thus, laws and rights Through the world's wilderness long-wander'd man Establish'd, such delight hath God in men

Safe to eternal Paradise of rest. Obedient to his will, that he vouchsafes

Meanwhile they, in their earthly Canaan placid, Among them to set up his tabernacle ;

Long time shall dwell and prosper, but when sins The Holy One with mortal men to dwell : National interrupt their public peace, By his prescript a sanctuary is fram'd

Provoking God to raise them enemies; Of cedar, overlaid with gold ; therein

From whom as oft he saves them penitent An ark, and in the ark his testimony,

By judges first, then under kings; of whom
The records of his covenant; over these

The second, both for piety renown'd
A mercy-seat of gold, between the wings And puissant deeds, a promise shall receive
Of two bright cherubim ; before him burn Irrevocable, that his regal throne
Seven lamps as in a zodiac representing

For ever shall endure; the like shall sing
The heavenly fires ; over the tent a cloud All prophesy, that of the royal stock
Shall rest by day, a fiery gleam by night; Of David (s0 I name this king) shall rise
Save when they journey, and at length they come, A Son, the woman's seed to thee foretold,
Conducted by his angel, to the land

Foretold to Abraham, as in whom shall trust
Promis'd to Abraham and his seed :-the rest All nations; and to kings foretold, of kings
Were long to tell; how many battles fought; The last; for of his reign shall be no end.
How many kings destroy'd; and kingdoms won ; But first, a long succession must ensue;
Or how the Sun shall in mid Heaven stand still And his next son, for wealth and wisdom fam'd,
A day entire, and night's due course adjourn, The clouded ark of God, till then in tents
Man's voice commanding. “Sun, in Gibeon stand; Wandering, shall in a glorious temple enshrine.
And thou, Moon, in the vale of Aialon,

Such follow him, as shall be registerd Till Israel overcome!' So call the third

Part good, part bad: of bad the longer scroll; From Abraham, son of Isaac; and from him Whose foul idolatries, and other faults His whole descent, who thus shall Canaan win." Heap'd to the popular sum, will so incense

Here Adam interpos d. O sent from Heaven, God, as to leave them, and expose their land,

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Their city, his temple, and his holy ark,

In his redemption; and that his obedience, With all his sacred things, a scorn and prey Imputed, becomes their’s by faith ; his merits To that proud city, whose high walls thou saw'st To save them, not their own, though legal, works. Left in confusion ; Babylon thence callid.

For this he shall live hated, be blasphem'd, There in captivity he lets them dwell

Seiz'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd The space of seventy years; then brings them back, A shameful and accurs'd, nail'd to the cross Remembering mercy, and his covenant sworn By his own nation; slain for bringing life : To David, stablish'd as the days of Heaven. But to the cross he nails thy enemies, Return'd from Babylon by leave of kings The law that is against thee, and the sins Their lords, whom God dispos'd, the house of God Of all mankind with him there crucified, They first re-edify; and for a while

Never to hurt them more who rightly trust In mean estate live moderate; till grown

In this his satisfaction: so he dies, In wealth and multitude, factious they grow: But soon revives; Death over him no power But first among the priests dissension springs, Shall long usurp: ere the third dawning light Men who attend the altar, and should most

Return, the stars of morn shall see him rise Endeavor peace : their strife pollution brings Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light, Upon the temple itself: at last they seize

Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems, The sceptre, and regard not David's sons ;

His death for man, as many as offer'd life Then lose it to a stranger, that the true

Neglect not, and the benefit embrace Anointed king Messiah might be born

By faith not void of works: this godlike act Barr'd of his right; yet at his birth a star, Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have died, Unseen before in Heaven, proclaims him come; In sin for ever lost from life; this act And guides the eastern sages, who inquire Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his strength, His place, to offer incense, myrrh, and gold : Defeating Sin and Death, his two main arms; His place of birth a solemn angel tells

And fix far deeper in his head their stings To simple shepherds, keeping watch by night; Than temporal death shall bruise the victor's heel, They gladly thither haste, and by a quire Or theirs whom he redeems; a death, like sleep, Of squadron'd angels hear his carol sung.

A gentle wafting to immortal life. A virgin is his mother, but his sire

Nor after resurrection shall he stay The power of the Most High: he shall ascend Longer on Earth, than certain times to appear The throne hereditary, and bound his reign To his disciples, men who in his life With Earth's wide bounds, his glory with the Hea- Still follow'd him; to them shall leave in charge vens."

To teach all nations what of him they learn'd He ceas'd, discerning Adam with such joy And his salvation ; them who shall believe Surcharg'd, as had like grief been dew'd in tears, Baptizing in the profluent stream, the sign Without the vent of words; which these he breath'd. Of washing them from guilt of sin to life “O) prophet of glad tidings, finisher

Pure, and in mind prepard, if so befall, Of utmost hope ! now clear I understand

For death, like that which the Redeemer died. What oft my steadiest thoughts have search'd in vain; All nations they shall teach; for, from that day, Why our great Expectation should be callid Not only to the sons of Abraham's loins The seed of woman: virgin mother, hail, Salvation shall be preach'd, but to the sons High in the love of Heaven; yet from my loins Of Abraham's faith wherever through the world ; Thou shalt proceed, and from thy womb the Son So in his seed all nations shall be blest. Of God Most High ; so God with man unites. Then to the Heaven of Heavens he shall ascend Needs must the serpent now his capital bruise With victory triumphing through the air Expect with mortal pain : say where and when Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise Their light, what stroke shall bruise the victor's heel.” The serpent, prince of air, and drag in chains

To whom thus Michael. “ Dream not of their fight, Through all his realm, and there confounded leave; As of a duel, or the local wounds

Then enter into glory, and resume Of head or heel: not therefore joins the Son His seat at God's right hand, exalted high Manhood to godhead, with more strength to foil Above all names in Heaven; and thence shall come, Thy enemy; nor so is overcome

When this world's dissolution shall be ripe, Satan, whose fall from Heaven, a deadlier bruise, With glory and power to judge both quick and dead; Disabled, not to give thee thy death's wound : To judge the unfaithful dead, but to reward Which he, who comes thy Savior, shall recure, His faithful, and receive them into bliss, Not by destroying Satan, but his works

Whether in Heaven or Earth ; for then the Earth In thee, and in thy seed : nor can this be

Shall all be Paradise, far happier place But by fulfilling that which thou didst want, Than this of Eden, and far happier days." Obedience to the law of God, impos'd

So spake the archangel Michaël; then pausid, On penalty of death, and suffering death ; As at the world's great period; and our sire, The penalty to thy transgression due,

Replete with joy and wonder, thus replied. And due to theirs which out of thine will grow : "O Goodness infinite! Goodness immense! So only can high Justice rest appaid.

That all this good of evil shall produce, The law of God exact he shall fulfil

And evil turn to good ; more wonderful Both by obedience and by love, though love Than that which by creation first brought forth Alone fulfil the law; thy punishment

Light out of darkness! Full of donbt I stand, He shall endure, by coming in the flesh

Whether I should repent me now of sin To a reproachful life, and cursed death ;

By me done, and occasion'd; or rejoice Proclaiming life to all who shall believe

Much more, that much more good thereof shall spring;

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To God more glory, more good-will to men In glory of the Father, to dissolve
From God, and over wrath grace shall abound. Satan with his perverted world ; then raise
But say, if our Deliverer up to Heaven

From the conflagrant mass, purg'd and refind, Must reascend, what will betide the few

New Heavens, new Earth, ages of endless date, His faithful, left among the unfaithful herd, Founded in righteousness, and peace, and love; The enemies of truth? Who then shall guide To bring forth fruits, joy, and eternal bliss." His people, who defend ? Will they not deal

He ended ; and thus Adam last replied. Worse with his followers than with him they dealt ?"|" How soon hath thy prediction, seer blest, "Be sure they will,” said the angel ; “but from Measur'd this transient world, the race of time, Heaven

Till time stand fix'd! Beyond is all abyss, He to his own a Comforter will send,

Eternity, whose end no eye can reach. The promise of the Father, who shall dwell Greatly instructed I shall hence depart; His Spirit within them; and the law of faith, Greatly in peace of thought; and have my fill Working through love, upon their hearts shall write, of knowledge what this vessel can contain ; To guide them in all truth: and also arm

Beyond which was my folly to aspire. With spiritual armor, able to resist

Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best, Satan's assaults, and quench his fiery darts ; And love with fear the only God; to walk What man can do against them, not afraid, As in his presence; ever to observe Though to the death; against such cruelties His providence; and on him sole depend, With inward consolations recompens'd,

Merciful over all his works, with good And oft supported so as shall amaze

Sull overcoming evil, and by small Their proudest persecutors ; for the Spirit, Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd wenk Pour'd first on his Apostles, whom he sends Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise To evangelize the nations, then on all

By simply meek: that suffering for truth's sake Baptiz'd, shall them with wondrous gifts endue Is fortitude to highest victory, To speak all tongues, and do all miracles,

And, to the faithful, death, the gate of life; As did their Lord before them. Thus they win Taught this by his example, whom I now Great numbers of each nation to receive

Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest." With joy the tidings brought from Heaven: at length To whom thus also the angel last replied. Their ministry perform’d, and race well run, "This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum Their doctrine and their story written left, Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars They die; but in their room, as they forewarn, Thou knew'st by name, and all the ethereal powers, Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous wolves, All secrets of the deep, all Nature's works, Who all the sacred mysteries of Heaven

Or works of God in Heaven, air, earth, or sea, To their own vile advantages shall turn

And all the riches of this world enjoy'dst, of lucre and ambition ; and the truth

And all the rule, one empire ; only add With superstitions and traditions taint,

Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith, Left only in those written records pure,

Add virtue, patience, temperance; add love, Though not but by the Spirit understood.

By name to come call’d charity, the soul Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names, Of all the rest : then wilt thou not be loth Places, and titles, and with these to join

To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess Secular power; though feigning still to act A Paradise within thee, happier far.By spiritual, to themselves appropriating

Let us descend now therefore from this top The Spirit of God, promisid alike, and given Of speculation ; for the hour precise To all believers; and, from that pretence, Exacts our parting hence; and see! the guards, Spiritual laws by carnal power shall force

By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect On every conscience; laws which none shall find Their motion ; at whose front a flaming sword, Left them enroll’d, or what the spirit within In signal of remove, waves fiercely round: Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then We may no longer stay: go, waken Eve; But force the Spirit of grace itself, and bind Her also I with gentle dreams have calm'd His consort Liberty? what, but unbuild

Portending good, and all her spirits compos'd His living temples, built by faith to stand,

To meek submission : thou, at season fit, Their own faith, not another's ? for, on Earth, Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard; Who against faith and conscience can be heard Chiefly, what may concern her faith to know, Infallible ? yet many will presume:

The great deliverance by her seed to come Whence heavy persecution shall arise

(For by the woman's seed) on all mankind : On all, who in the worship persevere

That ye may live, which will be many days,
Of spirit and truth; the rest, far greater part, Both in one faith unanimous, though sad,
Will deem in outward rites and specious forms With cause for evils past; yet much more cheer'd
Religion satisfied ; Truth shall retire

With meditation on the happy end.”
Bestuck with slanderous darts, and works of faith He ended, and they both descend the hill ;
Rarely be found : so shall the world go on, Descended, Adam to the bower, where Eve
To good malignant, to bad men benign;

Lay sleeping, ran before: but found her wak'd; Under her own weight groaning; till the day And thus with words not sad she him receiv'd. Appear of respiration to the just,

Whence thou return'st, and whither went'st, I And vengeance to the wicked, at return

know; Of him so lately promis'd to thy aid,

For God is also in sleep; and dreams advise, The woman's Seed ; obscurely then foretold, Which he hath sent propitious, some great good Now amplier known thy Savior and thy Lord ; Presaging, since with sorrow and heart's distress Last, in the clouds, from Heaven to be reveal'd Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on;

In me is no delay; with thee to go,

kind. Pursuing his meditations he narrates, in Is to stay here; without thee here to stay,

a soliloquy, what divine and philanthropic imIs to go hence unwilling; thou to me

pulses he had felt from his early youth, and how Art all things under Heaven, all places thou,

his mother Mary, on perceiving these dispositions Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence. in him, had acquainted him with the circumstances This further consolation yet secure

of his birth, and informed him that he was no I carry hence; though all by me is lost,

less a person than the Son of God; to which he Such favor I unworthy am vouchsafd,

adds what his own inquiries and reflections had By me the promis'd Seed shall all restore."

supplied in confirmation of this great truth, and So spake our mother Eve; and Adam heard particularly dwells on the recent attestation of it Well pleas'd, but answer'd not: for now, too nigh at the river Jordan. Our Lord passes forty days, The archangel stood; and from the other hill fasting, in the wilderness, where the wild beasts To their fix'd station, all in bright array

become mild and harmless in his presence. Satan The cherubim descended ; on the ground

now appears under the form of an old peasant; Gliding meteorous, as evening mist

and enters into discourse with our Lord, wonderRis'n from a river o'er the marish glides,

ing what could have brought him alone into so And gathers ground fast at the laborer's heel, dangerous a place, and at the same time professing Homeward returning. High in front advanc'd to recognize him for the person lately acknowThe brandish'd sword of God before them blaz’d, ledged by John, at the river Jordan, to be the Son Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat,

of God. Jesus briefly replies. Satan rejoins And vapor as the Libyan air adust,

with a description of the difficulty of supporting Began to parch that temperate clime; whereat life in the wilderness ; and entreats Jesus, if he In either hand the hastening angel caught

be really the Son of God, to manifest his divine Our lingering parents, and to the eastern gate power, by changing some of the stones into bread. Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast

Jesus reproves him, and at the same time tells To the subjected plain ; then disappear'd.

him that he knows who he is. Satan instantly They, looking back, all the eastern side beheld avows himself, and offers an artful apology for of paradise, so late their happy seat,

himself and his conduct. Our blessed Lord seWavd over by that flaming brand; the gate verely reprimands him, and refutes every part of With dreadful faces throng'd, and fiery arms : his justification. Satan, with much semblance Some natural tears they dropt, but wip'd them soon; of humility, still endeavors to justify himself; The world was all before them, where to choose and, professing his admiration of Jesus and his Their place of rest, and Providence their guide : regard for virtue, requests to be permitted at a They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, future time to hear more of his conversation ; but Through Eden took their solitary way.

is answered, that this must be as he shall find permission from above Satan then disappears, and the book closes with a short description of night coming on in the desert.

I, who erewhile the happy garden sung
PARADISE REGAINED. By one man's disobedience lost, now sing

Recover'd Paradise to all mankind,
BOOK I.

By one man's firm obedience fully tried

Through all temptation, and the tempter foil'd
THE ARGUMENT.

In all his wiles, defeated and repuls'd,

And Eden rais'd in the waste wilderness. The subject proposed. Invocation of the Holy Thou Spirit, who ledd'st this glorious eremite

Spirit.-—'The poem opens with John baptizing at Into the desert, his victorious field, the river Jordan Jesus coming there is baptized; Against the spiritual foe, and brought'st him thence and is attested, by the descent of the Holy Ghost, By proof the undoubted Son of God, inspire, and by a voice from Heaven, to be the Son of As thou art wont, my prompted song, else mute, God. Satan, who is present, upon this immedi- And bear through height or depth of Nature's ately flies up into the regions of the air: where,

bounds, summoning his infernal council, he acquaints With prosperous wing full summ'd, to tell of deeds them with his apprehensions that Jesus is that Above heroic, though in secret done, seed of the Woman, destined to destroy all their And unrecorded left through many an age ; power, and points out to them the immediate Worthy to have not remain'd so long unsung. necessity of bringing the matter to proof, and of Now had the great proclaimer, with a voice attempting, by snares and fraud, to counteract More awful than the sound of trumpet, cried and defeat the person, from whom they have so Repentance, and Heaven's kingdom nigh at hand much to dread. This office he offers himself to To all baptiz'd: to his great baptism flock'd undertake ; and, his offer being accepted, sets out With awe the regions round, and with them came on his enterprise.—In the mean time God, in the From Nazareth the son of Joseph deem'd assembly of holy angels, declares that he has given To the flood Jordan; came, as then obscure, up his Son to be tempted by Satan; but foretells Unmark'd, unknown; but him the Baptist soon that the tempter shall be completely defeated by Descried, divinely warn'd, and witness bore him :-upon which the angels sing a hymn of As to his worthier, and would have resign'd triumph. Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the To him his heavenly office; nor was long wilderness, while be is meditating on the com- His witness unconfirm'd : on him baptiz'd mencement of his great office of Savior of man- Heaven open'd, and in likeness of a dove

The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice I, when no other durst, sole undertook
From Heaven pronounc'd him his beloved Son. The dismal expedition to find out
That heard the adversary, who, roving still And ruin Adam; and the exploit perform'd
About the world, at that assembly fam’d

Successfully: a calmer voyage now
Would not be last, and, with the voice divine Will waft me; and the way, found prosperous once,
Nigh thunder-struck, the exalted man, to whom Induces best to hope of like success."
Such high attest was given, awhile survey'd

He ended, and his words impression left With wonder; then, with envy fraught and rage, Of much amazement to the infernal crew, Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air Distracted, and surpris'd with deep dismay To council summons all his mighty peers,

At these sad tidings; but no time was then Within thick clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd, For long indulgence to their fears or grief; A gloomy consistory; and then amidst,

Unanimous they all commit the care With looks aghast and sad, he thus bespake. And management of this main enterprise

“O ancient powers of air, and this wide world, To him, their great dictator, whose attempt (For much more willingly I mention air,

At first against mankind so well had thriv'd This our old conquest, than remember Hell, In Adam's overthrow, and led their march Our hated habitation,) well ye know

From Hell's deep-vaulted den to dwell in light, How many ages, as the years of men,

Regents, and potentates, and kings, yea gods, This universe we have possess'd, and rul'd, of many a pleasant realm and province wide. In manner at our will, the affairs of Earth, So to the coast of Jordan he directs Since Adam and his facile consort Eve

His easy steps, girded with snaky wiles, Lost Paradise, deceiv'd by me; though since Where he might likeliest find this new-declar'd, With dread attending when that fatal wound This Man of men, attested Son of God, Shall be inflicted by the seed of Eve

Temptation and all guile on him to try; Upon my head. Long the decrees of Heaven So to subvert whom he suspected rais'd Delay, for longest time to him is short ;

To end his reign on Earth, so long enjoyid : And now, too soon for us, the circling hours But, contrary, unweeting he fulfill'd This dreaded time have compass'd, wherein we The purpos'd council, preordain'd and fix'd, Must bide the stroke of that long-threaten'd wound, Of the Most High ; who, in full frequence bright (At least if so we can, and by the head

Of angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake. Broken be not intended all our power

“Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, To be infring'd, our freedom and our being Thou and all angels conversant on Earth In this fair empire won of Earth and air,) With man or men's affairs, how I begin For this ill news I bring, the woman's seed To verify that solemn message, late Destin'd to this, is late of woman born.

On which I sent thee to the virgin pure His birth to our just fear gave no small cause : In Galilee, that she should bear a Son, But his growth now to youth's full flower, displaying Great in renown, and called the Son of God; All virtue, grace, and wisdom to achieve

Then told'st her, doubting how these things could be Things highest, greatest multiplies my fear. To her a virgin, that on her should come Before him a great prophet, to proclaim

The Holy Ghost, and the power of the Highest His coming, is sent harbinger, who all

O'ershadow her. This man, born and now upInvites, and in the consecrated stream

grown, Pretends to wash off sin, and fit them, so

To show him worthy of his birth divine Purified, to receive him pure, or rather

And high prediction, henceforth I expose To do him honor as their king: all come,

To Satan ; let him tempt, and now assay And he himself among them was baptiz'd; His utmost subtlety, because he boasts Not thence to be more pure, but to receive And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng The testimony of Heaven, that who he is

Of his apostacy: he might have learnt Thenceforth the nations may not doubt; I saw Less overweening, since he fail'd in Job, The prophet do him reverence; on him, rising Whose constant perseverance overcame Out of the water, Heaven above the clouds Whate'er his cruel malice could invent. Unfold her crystal doors: thence on his head He now shall know I can produce a man, A perfect dove descend, (whate'er it meant,) Of female seed, far abler to resist And out of Heaven the sovran voice I heard, All his solicitations, and at length • This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd.' All his vast force, and drive him back to Hell; His mother then is mortal, but his Sire

Winning, by conquest, what the first man lost, He who obtains the monarchy of Heaven: By fallacy surpris’d. But first I mean, And what will he not do to advance his Son ? To exercise him in the wilderness ; His first-begot we know, and sore have felt, There he shall first lay down the rudiments When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep: Of his great warfare, ere I send him forth Who this is we must learn, for Man he seems To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes, In all his lineaments, though in his face

By humiliation and strong sufferance: The glimpses of his Father's glory shine.

His weakness shall o'ercome Satanic strength Ye see our danger on the utmost edge

And all the world, and mass of sinful flesh, Of hazard, which admits no long debate,

That all the angels and ethereal powers, But must with something sudden be oppos’d, They now, and men hereafter, may discern, (Not force, but well-couch'd fraud, well-woven From what consummate virtue I have chose snares.)

This perfect man, by merit call'd my Son, Ere in the head of nations he appear,

To earn salvation for the sons of men." Their king, their leader, and supreme on Earth. So spake the Eternal Father, and all Heaven