He ceas'd, discerning Adam with fuch joy Surcharg'd, as had like grief been dew'd in tears Without the vent of Words, which these he breath'd.

O Prophet of glad tidings, finisher

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

375

The Seed of Woman: Virgin Mother, hail,
High in the love of Heav'n, yet from my Loins
Thou shalt proceed, and from thy Womb the Son
Of God moft High; fo God with Man unites.
Needs muft the Serpent now his capital bruife
Expect with mortal pain; fay where and when

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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 joyns the Son
Manhood to God-head, with more ftrength to foil
Thy Enemy, nor fo is overcome

399

Satan, whofe fall from Heav'n, a deadlier bruife,
Disabl❜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,

395

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 heirs which out of thine will grow
So only can high Justice reft appaid.

400

The Law of God exact he fhall 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 curfed Death,
Proclaiming Life to all who fhall believe

405

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 shall live hated, be blafphem❜d,
Seis'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd
A fhameful and accurft, 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 Sins
Of all Mankind, with him there crucify'd,
Never to hurt them more, who rightly trust
In this his Satisfaction; fo 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,

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

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420

425

Annuls thy doom, the death thou should'ft have dy'd,
In Sin for ever loft from Life; this act

Shall bruife 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 temporal death fhall bruise the Victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like sleep,

A gentle wafting to immortal Life.

Nor after Refurrection fhall he stay

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435

Longer on Earth than certain times to appear
To his Difciples, Men who in his Life

Still follow'd him; to them fhall leave in charge
To teach all Nations what of him they learn'd
And his Salvation, them who shall believe

440

Baptizing in the profluent stream, the figu
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.

445

All

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 through the World;
So in his Seed all Nations shall be bleft.
Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns fhall he afcend
With Victory, triumphing through the Air
Over his Foes and thine; there shall surprise
The Serpent, Prince of Air, and drag in Chains
Thro' all his Realm, and there confounded leave;
Then enter into Glory, and refume

His Seat at God's right hand, exalted high

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456

Above all Names in Heav'n; and thence hall come,
When the World's diffolution shall be ripe,

With Glory and pow'r to judge both quick and dead,!
To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward

461

His faithful, and receive them into Bliss,

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.

465

So fpake th' Arch-angel Michael, then paus'd, As at the World's great Period; and our Sire Replete with joy and wonder thus reply'd.

O Goodness infinite, Goodness immense! That all this good of evil fhall produce,

470

And evil turn to good; more wonderful

Than that which by creation first brought forth

Light out of darknefs! full of doubt I ftand,

Whether I fhould repent me now of fin

By me done and occafion'd, or rejoyce

475

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

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 fure they will, faid the Angel; but from Heav'n He to his own a Comforter will fend,

486

The promise of the Father, who fhall dwell

His Spirit within them, and the Law of Faith

Working thro' love, upon their hearts fhall write,
To guide them in all truth, and also arm
With spiritual Armour, able to refift
Satan's affaults, and quench his fiery darts,
What Man can do against them, not afraid,
Though to the death, against fuch cruelties
With inward confolations recompens'd,
And oft fupported fo as shall amaze
Their proudest perfecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd firft on his Apoftles, whom he fends

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495

To evangelize the Nations, then on all

Baptiz'd, fhall them with wond'rous Gifts endue

500

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 Story written left,

They died 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 fhall 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,

S10

Then fhall they seek to avail themselves of names,
Places and titles, and with these to join

516

Secular power, though feigning ftill to act

By fpiritual, to themselves appropriating

X

The

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 shall 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 self, and bind
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 shall arise
On all who in the worship perfevere

520

525

530

Of Spirit and Truth; the reft, far greater part,
Will deem in outward Rites and fpecious Forms
Religion fatisfy'd; Truth fhall retire

535

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
Appear of respiration to the just,

540

From the conflagrant mafs, purg'd and refin'd,
New Heav'ns, new Earth, Ages of endless date
Founded in righteoufnefs and peace and love,
To bring forth fruits, Joy and eternal Bliss.

He ended; and thuş Adam laft reply'd.

How foon hath thy prediction, Seer bleft,

Measur'd this tranfient World, the Race of time,
Till time ftand fixt: beyond is all Abyís,

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555

Eternity,