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The Angel Michel continues from the flood to relate what shall succeed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain, who that Seed of the Woman shall be, which was promised Adam and Eve in the fall; his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension; the state of the church till second coming. Adam greatly satisfied and recomforted by these relations and promises, descends the hill with Michael; wakens Eve, who all this while had slept, but with gentle dreams composed to quietuess of unind and submission. Michael in either hand leads them out of Paradise, the fiery sword waying behind them, and the Cherubim taking their stations to guard the place.

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sumes.

If Adam ought perhaps might interpose;
Then with transition sweet new speech re-
[end;||
Thus thou hast seen one world begin and
Aud man as from a second stock proceed.
Much thou hast yet to see, but I perceive
Thy mortal sight to fail; objects divine
Must needs impair and weary human sense:
Henceforth what is to come I will relate,
Thou therefore give due audience, and attend.
This second source of meu, while yet but few,
And while the dread of judgment past remains
Fresh in their minds, fearing the Deity,
With some regard to what is just and right
Shall lead their lives, and multiply apace,
Lab'ring the soil, and reaping plenteous crop,
Corn, wine, and oil; and from the herd or
flock,

Oft sacrificing bullock, lamb, or kid,
With large wine-offerings pour'd, and sacred
feast,
[dwell
Shall spend their days in joy unblam'd, and
Long time in peace by families and tribes
Under paternal rule: till one shall rise
Of proud ambitious heart, who not content
With fair equality, fraternal state,

Will arrogate dominion undeserv'd
Over his brethren, and quite dispossess
Concord and law of nature from the earth,
Hunting (and men not beasts shall be his
game)

With war and hostile snare such as refuse
Subjection to his empire tyrannous:

A mighty hunter thence he shall be styl'd
Before the Lord, as in despite of Heaven,
Or from Heav'n claiming second sov'reignty;
And from rebellion shall derive his name,
Though of rebellion others be accuse.
He with a crew, whom like ambition joins
With him or under him to tyrannize,
Marching from Eden towards the west, shall

find,

The plain, wherein a black bituminous gurge
Boils out from under ground, the mouth of

Hell:

Of brick, and of that stuff they cast to build
A city and tow'r, whose top may reach to
Heaven;

And get themselves a name, lest far dispers'à
In foreign lands their memory be lost,
Regardless whether good or evil fame.
But God who oft descends to visit men
Unseen, and through their habitations walks
To mark their doings, them beholding soon,
Comes down to see their city, ere the tower
Obstruct Heav'n-tow'rs, and in derision sets
Upon their tongues a various sp'rit to rase

Quite out their native language, and instead
To sow a jangling noise of words nuknown:
Forthwith a hideous gabble rises lond
Among the builders; each to other calls
Not understood, till hoarse, and all in rage,
As mock'd they storm; great laughter was in

Heaven

And looking down, to see the hubbub strange And hear the din; thus was the building left Ridiculous, and the work Confusion nam'd.

Whereto thus Adam fatherly displeas'd. O execrable son so to aspire Above his brethren, to himself assuming Authority usurp'd, from God not giv'n : He gave us only over beast, fish, and fowl, Dominion absolute; that right we hold By his donation; but man over men He made uot lord; such title to himself Reserving, human left from human free. But this usurper his encroachment proud Stays not on man; to God his tow'r intends Siege and defiance: wretched man! what food Will he convey up thither to sustain Himself and his rash army, where thin air Above the clouds will pine his entrails gross, And famish him of breath, if not of bread?

To whom thus Michael. Justly thou ab-
horr'st

That son, who on the quiet state of man
Such trouble brought, affecting to subdue
Rational liberty; yet know withal,
Since thy original lapse, true liberty

Is lost, which always with right reason dwells
Twiun'd, and from her hath no dividual being:
Reason in man obscur'd, or not obey'd,
Immediately inordinate desires
And upstart passions catch te government
From reason, and to servitude reduce
Man till then free. Therefore since he permits
Within himself unworthy powers to reign
Over free reason, God in judgment just
Subjects him from without to violent lords;
Who oft as undeservedly inthral

His outward freedom; tyranny must be,
Though to the tyrant thereby no excuse.
Yet sometimes nations will decline so low
From virtue which is reason, that no wrong,
But justice, and some fatal curse annex'd
Deprives them of their outward liberty,
Their inward lost: witness thirreverent son
Of him who built the ark, who for the shame
Done to his father, heard this heavy curse,
Servant of servants, on his vicious race.
Thus will this latter, as the former world,
Still tend from bad to worse, till God at last
Wearied with their iniquities, withdraw
His presence from among them, and avert
His holy eyes; resolving from thenceforth
To leave them to their own polluted ways;

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A mighty nation, and upon him shower
His benediction so, that in his seed
All nations shall be blest; he strait obeys
Not knowing to what land, yet firm believes:
I see him, but thou canst not, with what faith
He leaves his gods, his friends, and native soil
Ur of Chaldea, passing now the ford
To Harau, after him a cumbrous train
Of herds and flocks, and numerous servitude;
Not wand'ring poor, but trusting all his
wealth

With God, who call'd him, in a land unknown.
Canaan he now attains; I see his tents
Pitch'd about Sechem, and the neighb'ring
Of Moreh; there by promise he receives
Gift to his progeny of all that land,
From Hamath northward to the desert south,
(Though by their names I call, though yet
unnam'd)

From Hermon east to the great western sea;
Mount Hermon, yonder sea, each place behold
In prospect, as I point them; on the shore
Mount Carmel; here the double founted
stream

Jordan, true limit eastward; but his sons
Shall dwell to Senir, that long ridge of hills.
This ponder, that all nations of the earth

Shall in his seed be blessed; by that seed
Is meant thy great deliv'rer, who shall bruise
The serpent's head; whereof to thee anon
Plainlier shall be reveal'd. This patriarch

blest,

Whom faithful Abraham due time shall call,
A son, and of his son a grand-child leaves,
Like him in faith, in wisdom, and renown;
The grand-child with twelve sous increas'd
departs

From Canaan, to a land hereafter call'd
Egypt, divided by the river Nile;
See where it flows, disgorging at seven mouths
Into the sea to sojourn in that land
He comes invited by a younger son
In time of dearth, a son whose worthy deeds

Raise him to be second in that realm
Of Pharaoh: there he dies, and leaves his race
Growing into a nation, and now grown
Suspected to a sequent king, who seeks
To stop their overgrowth, as inmate guests
Too-numerous; whence of guests he makes
them slaves

Inhospitably, and kills their infant males:
Till by two brethren (those two brethren call
Moses and Aarou) sent from God to claim
His people from iuthralment, they return
With glory and spoil back to their promis'd

land.

But first the lawless tyrant, who denics

To know their God, or message to regard,
Must be compell'd by signs and judgments

dire;

To blood unshed the rivers must be turn'd;
Frogs, lice, and flies, must all his palace fill
With loath'd intrusion, and fill the land;
His cattle must of rot and murren die ;
Botches and blains must all his flesh imboss,
And all his people; thunder mix'd with hail,
Hail mix'd with fire, must rend th' Egyptian
sky,

Over the sea; the sea his rod obeys;
On their imbattled ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war: the race elect
Safe towards Canaan from the shore advance
Through the wild desert, not the readiest way,
Lest ent'ring on the Canaanite alarm'd
War terify them inexpert, and fear
Return them back to Egypt, choosing rather
Inglorious life with servitude; for life
To noble and ignoble is more sweet
Untrain'd in arms, where rashness leads not on.
This also shall they gain by their delay
In the wide wilderness, there they shall found
Their government, and their great senate
choose

Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws or
dain'd:

God from the mount of Sinai, whose gray top
Shall tremble, he descending, will himself
In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets
sound,

Ordain them laws; part such as appertain
To civil justice, part religious rites
Of sacrifice, informing them, by types
And shadows, of that destin'd Seed to bruise

And wheel on th' earth, devouring where it The Serpent, by what means he shall achieve

rolls;

What it devours not, herb, or fruit, or grain,
A darksome clond of locusts swarming down
Must eat, and on the ground leave nothing
green;

Darkness must overshadow all his bounds,
Palpable darkness, and blot out three days;
Last with oue midnight stroke all the first-
born

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Of Egypt must lie dead. Thus with ten wounds
The river-dragon tam'd at length submits
To let his sojourners depart, and oft
Humbles his stubborn heart, but still as ice
More harden'd after thaw, till in his rage
Pursuing whom he late dismiss'd, the sea
Swallows him with his host, but lets pass
As on dry land between two crystal walls,
Aw'd by the rod of Moses so to stand
Divided, till his rescued gain their shore:
Such wondrous power God to his saiut will
lend,

Though present in his angel, who shall go
Before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire,
By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire,
To guide them in their journey, and remove
Behind them, while th' obdurate king pursues:
All right he will pursue, but his approach
Darkness defends between till morning watch;
Then from the fiery pillar and the cloud
God looking forth will trouble all his host,
And craze their chariot wheels: when by com-
mand

Moses once more his potent rod extends
No. VH-N S.

Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God
To mortal ear is dreadful; they beseech
That Moses might report to them his will,
And terror cease; he grants what they be
sought

Instructed that to God is no access
Without mediator, whose high office now
Moses in figure bears, to introduce

One greater, of whose day he shall fortel,
And all the prophets in their age the times
Of great Messiah shall sing. Thus laws and

rites

Establish'd, such delight hath God in men
Obedient to his will, that he,yonchsafes
Among them to set up his tabernacle,
The holy One with mortal men to dwell:
By his prescript a sanctuary is fram'd
Of cedar, overlaid with gold, therein
An ark, and in the ark his testimony,
The records of his covenant, over these
A mercy-seat of gold between the wings
Of two bright Cherubim; before him burn
Seven lamps as in a zodiac representing
The heavenly fires; over the tent a cloud
Shall rest by day, a fiery gleam by night,
Save when they journey, and at length they

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A day eutire, and night's due course adjourn, Man's voice commanding, Sun in Gibeon stand,

And thou Moon in the vale of Aijalon,
Till Israel overcome; so call the third
From Abraham, son of Isaac, and from him
His whole descent, who thus shall Canaan
win.

Here Adam interpos'd. O sent from Heav'n, Enlightner of my darkness, gracious things Thou hast reveal'd, those chiefly which con

cern

Just Abraham and his seed: now first I find Mine eyes true opening, and my heart much eas'd,

Erewhile perplex'd with thoughts what would become

Of me and all mankind; but now I see
His day in whom all nations shall be blest,
Favour unmerited by me, who sought
Forbidden knowledge by forbidden means.
This yet I apprehend not, why to those
Among whom God will deigu to dwell on earth.
So many and so various laws are given;
So many laws argue so many sins
Among them; how can God with such reside?
To whom thus Michael. Doubt not but
that Sin

Will reign among them, as of thee begot;
And therefore was law given them to evince
Their natural pravity, by stirring up
Sin against law to fight: that when they see
Law can discover sin, but not remove,
Save by those shadowy expiations weak,
The blood of bulls and goats, they may con-
clude

Some blood more precious must be paid for man,

Just for unjust, that in such righteousness
To them by faith imputed, they may find
Justification towards God, and peace
Of conscience, which the law by ceremonies
Cannot appease, nor man the moral part
Perform, and not performing cannot live.
So law appears imperfect, and but given
With purpose to resign them in full time
Up to a better covenant, disciplin'd

From shadowy types to truth, from flesh to spirit,

From imposition of strict laws to free
Acceptance of large grace, from servile fear
To filial, works of law to works of faith.

Through the world's wilderness long wander'd

man

Safe to eternal paradise of rest.

Mean while they in their earthly Canaap

plac'd

Long time shall dwell and prosper, but when

sins

National interrupt their public peace,
Provoking God to raise them enemies;
From whom as oft he saves them penitent
By judges first, then under kings; of whom
The second, both for piety renown'd
And puissant deeds, a promise shall receive
Irrevocable, that his regal throne
For ever shall endure; the like shall sing
All prophecy, that of the royal stock
Of David (so I name this king) shall rise
A son, the woman's seed to thee foretold,
Foretold to Abraham, as in whom shall trust
All nations, and to kings foretold, of kings
The last, for of his reign shall be no end.
But first a long succession must ensue,
And his next son, for wealth and wisdom
fam'd,

The clouded ark of God, till then in tents
Wand'ring, shall in a glorious temple inshrine
Such follow him as shall be register'd

Part good, part bad, of bad the longer scroll,
Whose foul idolatries, and other faults
Heap'd to the popular sum, will so incense
God, as to leave them, and expose their land,
Their city, his temple, and his holy ark
With all its sacred things, a scorn and a prey
To that proud city, whose high walls thou
saw'st

Left in confusion, Babylon thence call'd.
There in captivity he lets them dwell
The space of seventy years, then brings them

back,

Remembring mercy, and his covenant sworn
To David, stablish'd as the days of Heaven.
Return'd from Babylon by leave of kings
Their lords, whom God dispos'd, the house of
God

They first re-edify, and for a while
In mean estate live moderate, till grown
In wealth and multitude, factious they grow;
But first among the priests dissention springs,
Men who attend the altar, and should most
Endeavour peace; their strife pollution brings
Upon the temple itself: at last they seise
The scepter, and regard not David's sons,

And therefore shall not Moses, though of Then lost it to a stranger, that the true

God

Highly belor'd, being but the minister

Of law, his people into Capaan lead;

But Joshua, whom the Gentiles Jesus call, His name and office bearing, who shall quell The adversary serpent, and bring back

Anointed king Messiah might be born Barr'd of his right; yet at his birth a star Unseen before in Heaven proclaims him come And guides the eastern Sages, who inquire His place, to offer incense, myrrh, and gold; His place of birth a solemn angel tells

demn'd

To simple shepherds, keeping watch by night; || Seiz'd on by force, judg'd, and to death con
They gladly thither haste, and by a quire
Of squadron'd angels hear his carol sung,
A virgin is his mother, but his sire

The power of the most High; he shall ascend The throne hereditary, and bound his reign With earth's wide bounds, his glory with the Heav'ns.

He ceas'd, discerning Adam with such joy Surcharg'd, as had like grief been dew'd in tears,

A shameful and accurs'd, nail'd to the cross`
By his own nation, slain for bringing life;'
But to the cross he nails thy enemies,
The law that is against thee, and the sins'
Of all mankind, with him there crucify'd,
Never to hurt them more who rightly trust
In this his satifaction; so he dies

But soon revives; Death over him no power'
Shall long usurp; ere the third dawning light

Without the vent of words, which these he Return, the stars of morn shall see him rise

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Of God most High; so God with Man unites. Needs must the serpent now his capital bruise Expect with mortal pain: say where and when Their fight, what stroke shall bruise the victor's heel.

Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light
Thy ransom paid, which man from death re-

deems,

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 sin for ever lost from life; this act
Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his
strength,

Defeating sin and death, his two main arms,
And fix far deeper in his head their stings
Than temp'ral death shall bruise the victor's
heel,

To whom thus Michael Dream pot of their Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like sleep,

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Thy enemy; nor so is overcome

A gentle wafting to immortal life.
Nor after resurrection shall be stay
Longer on earth than certain times to appear
To his disciples, men whe in this life

Still follow'd him; to them shall leave in charge

Satan, whose fall from Heaven, a deadlier To teach all nations what of him they learn'd

bruise

Disabled not to give thee thy death's wound: Which he, who comes thy Saviour, shall re

cure,

Not by destroying 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 transgression due,
And due to theirs which out of thine will
grow:

Se only can high justice rest appaid.
The law of God exact he shall fulfil
Both by obedience and by love, though love
Alone fulfil the law; thy punishment
He shall endure by coming in the flesh
To a reproachful life and cursed death,
Proclaiming life to all who shall believe
In his redemption, and that his obedience
Imputed becomes theirs by faith, his merits
To save them, not their own, though legal

works.

For this he shall live hated, be blasphem'd,

And his salvation, them who shall believe
Baptizing in the purfluent stream, the sign
Of washing them from guilt of sin to life
Pure, and in mind prepar'd, if so befal,
For death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd.
All nations they shall teach: for from that
day

Not only to the sons of Abraham's loins
Salvation shall be preach'd, but to the song
Of Abraham's faith wherever through the
world;

So in his seed all natious shall be blest.
Then to the Heaven of Heavens he shall as
scend

With victory, triumphing through the air Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise The Serpent, prince of air, and drag in chains Through all his realm, and there confounded

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