His confort liberty? what, but unbuild
His living temples, built by faith to stand,
Their own faith not another's? for on earth
Who against faith and confcience can be heard
Infallible? yet many will prefume:
Whence heavy perfecution fhall arise
On all who in the worship perfevere
Of Spi rit and truth; the reft, far greater part,
Will deem in outward rites and fpecious forms
Religion fatisfy'd; truth fhall retire
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Beftuck with fland'rous 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
Appear of respiration to the just,
And vengeance to the wicked, at return
Of him fo fately promis'd to thy aid
The Woman's Seed, obfcurely then foretold,
Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord,
Last in the clouds from Heav'n to be reveal'd,
In glory of the Father, to diffolve
Satan, with his perverted world, then raise
From the conflagrant mass, purg'd and refin'd,
New Heav'ns, new Earth, ages of endless date,
Founded in righteousness, and peace and love,
To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal bliss.
He ended; and thus Adam laft reply'd.
How foon hath thy prediction, Seer blest,
Meafur'd this tranfient world, the race of time,
Till time ftand fix'd? beyond is all abyss,
Eternity, whose end no eye can reach.
Greatly instructed I shall hence depart,
Greatly in peace of thought, and have my fill
Of knowledge, what this vessel can contain;
Beyond which was my folly to aspire.
Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best,
And love with fear the only God, to walk
As in his presence, ever to observe
His providence, and on him fole depend,
Merciful over all his works, with good
Still overcoming evil, and by small
Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd weak
Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wife
By fimply meek; that fuffering for truth's fake
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Is fortitude to highest victory,
And to the faithful death the gate of life;
Taught this by his example whom I now
Acknowledge my Redeemer ever bleft.
To whom thus also th'Angel last reply'd.
This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum 575
Of wisdom; hope no high er, though all the stars
Thou knew'ft by name, and all th’ethereal powers,
All secrets of the deep, all Nature's works,
Or works of God in Heav'n, air, earth, or fea,
And all the riches of this world enjoy'dft,
And all the rule, one empire; only add
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Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith,
Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,
By name to come call'd charity, the foul
Of all the reft: then wilt thou not be loath
To leave this Paradise, but shalt poffefs
A Paradise within thee, happier far.
Let us defcend now therefore from this top
Of fpeculation; for the hour precise
Exacts our parting hence; and see the guards,
By me incamp'd on yonder hill, expect
Their motion; at whose front a flaming sword,
In fignal of remove, waves fiercely round;
We may no longer ftay: go, waken Eve;
Her also I with gentle dreams have calm'd
Portending good, and all her spirits compos'd
To meek fubmiffion: thou at season fit
Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard;
Chiefly what may concern her faith to know,
The great deliverance by her feed to come
(For by the Woman's feed) on all mankind:
That ye may live, which will be many days,
Both in one faith,unanimous,though sad,
With caufe for evils past, yet much more chear'd
With meditation on the happy end.
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He ended, and they both descend the hill;
Defcended, Adam to the bow'r where Eve
Lay fleeping ran before, but found her wak'd;
And thus with words not fad fhe him receiv'd.
Whence thou return'ft, and whither went 'ft, I know;
For God is alfo in fleep, and dreams advise, 611
Which he hath fent propitious, fome great good
Presaging, fince with forrow and heart's distress
Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on;
In me is no delay; with thee to go,
Is to stay here; without thee here to stay,
Is to go hence unwilling; thou to me
Art all things under Heav'n, all places thou,
Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence.
This further confolation yet fecure
I carry hence; though all by me is loft,
Such favor I,unworthy, am vouchfaf'd,
By me the promis'd Seed fhall all restore.
So fpake our mother Eve, and Adam heard
Well pleas'd, but answer'd not; for now too nigh 625
Th'Arch-Angel stood, and from the other hill
To their fix'd ftation, all in bright array,
The Cherubim defcended; on the ground
Gliding meteorous, as evening mist
Ris'n from a river o'er the marish glides,
And gathers ground fast at the lab'rer's heel,
Homeward returning. High in front advanc'd
The brandifh'd fword of God before them blaz'd
Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat,
And vapor as the Lybian air aduft,
Began to parch that temp'rate clime; whereat
In either hand the haft'ning Angel caught
Our ling'ring parents, and to th' eastern gate
Led them direct, and down the cliff as faft
To the fubjected plain; then disappear'd.
They looking back, all th'eastern side beheld
Of Paradise, so late their happy seat,
Wav'd over by that flaming brand, the gate
With dreadful faces throng'd and fiery arms:
Some natural tears they dropt, but wip'd them foon;
The world was all before them, where to choose 646
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide:
They, hand in hand, with wand'ring steps and flow,
Through Eden took their folitary way.
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