Of dangers, and adversities, and pains,
Ere thou of Ifrael's Scepter get faft hold;
Whereof this ominous night that clos'd thee round, So many terrors, voices, prodigies
May warn thee, as a fure fore-going fign.
So talk'd he, while the Son of God went on And ftaid not, but in brief him answer'd thus.
Me worse than wet thou find'ft not; other harm Those terrors which thou speak'st of, did me none; I never fear'd they could, though noifing loud And threatning nigh, what they can do as signs Betok'ning, or ill boding, I contemn
As falfe portents, not fent from God, but thee; Who knowing I fhall reign past thy preventing, Obtrud'ft thy offer'd aid, that I accepting At least might seem to hold all pow'r of thee, Ambitious fpirit, and woud'ft be thought my God, And ftorm'ft refus'd, thinking to terrifie Me to thy will; defift, thou art discern'd
And toil'ft in vain, nor me in vain moleft,
To whom the Fiend now fwoln with rage reply'd: Then hear, O Son of David, Virgin-born;
For Son of God to me is yet in doubt,
Of the Meffiah I have heard foretold By all the Prophets; of thy birth at length Announc'd by Gabriel with the firft I knew, And of th' Angelic Song in Bethlehem field, On thy birth-night, that fung thee Saviour born, From that time seldom have I ceas'd to eye Thy Infancy, thy Childhood, and thy youth, Thy manhood laft, though yet in private bred; Till at the Ford of Jordan whither all Flock'd to the Baptift, I among the reft, Though not to be Baptiz'd, by voice from Heav'n Heard thee pronounc'd the Son of God belov'd. Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view And narrower Scrutiny, that I might learn In what degree or meaning thou art call'd
The Son of God which bears no fingle fenie;
The Son of God I alfo am, or was,
And if I was, I am; relation ftands ;
All men are Sons of God; yet thee I thought
In fome refpe& far higher fo declar'd.
Therefore I watch'd thee from foot steps that hour,
And follow'd thee ftill on to this waste wild ;
Whereby all beft conjectures I collec
Thou art to be my fatal enemy.
Good reason then, if I before-hand feek
To understand my Adversary, who
And what he is; his wifdom, pow'r, intent,
By parl, or composition, truce, or league To win him, or win from him what I can.
And opportunity I here have had.
To try thee, fift thee, and confess have found thee Proof against all temptation as a rock
Of Adamant, and as a Center, firm
To th' utmost of meer man both wife and good,
Not more; for Honours, Riches, Kingdoms, Glory
Have been before condemn'd, and may again: Therefore to know what more thou art than man,
Worth naming Son of God by voice from Heav'n,
Another method I must now begin,
So faying he caught him up, and without wing
Of Hippogrif bore through the Air fublime
Over the Wilderness and o'er the Plain; Till underneath them fair Jerufalem, The holy City lifted high her Tow'rs, And higher yet the glorious Temple rear'd Her pile, far off appearing like a Mount Of Alabafter, top'd with Golden Spires : There on the highest Pinnacle he fet
The Son of God; and added thus in fcorn:
There ftand, if thou wilt ftand; to ftand upright
Will ask thee skill; Ito thy Father's house
Have brought thee, and highest plac'd, highest is best, Now fhew thy Progeny; if not to stand,
Caft thy self down; fafely if Son of God: For it is written, He will give command Concerning thee to his Angels, in their hands They fhall uplift thee, left at any time Thou chance to dash'thy foot against a stone.
To whom thus Jefus : Also it is written,
Tempt not the Lord thy God; he said and ftood,
But Satan fmitten with amazement fell
As when Earth's Son Antaus (to compare Small things with greateft) in Irassa, ftrové With Jove's Alcides, and oft foil'd still rose, Receiving from his mother Earth new strength, Fresh from his fall, and fiercer grapple join'd, Throttled at length in th' Air, expir'd and fell; So after many a foil the Tempter proud, Renewing fresh affaults, amidst his pride Fell whence he ftood to fee his Victor fall. And as that Theban Monster that propos'd
Her riddle, and him, who folv'd it not, devour'd;
That once found out and folv'd, for grief and spight Caft her felf headlong from th' Ifmenian steep,
So ftrook with dread and anguish fell the Fiend, And to his crew, that fat confulting, brought Joyless Triumphals of his hop'd fuccefs, Ruin, and desperation, and dismay,
Who durft fo proudly tempt the Son of God. So Satan fell; and ftrait a fiery Globe Of Angels on full fail of wing flew nigh, Who on their plumy Vans receiv'd him soft From his uneafie ftation, and upbore
As on a floating couch through the blithe Air,
Then in a flow'ry valley fet him down
On a green bank, and set before him spred A table of Celestial Food, Divine,
Ambrofial fruits, fetch't from the Tree of Life, And from the fount of Life Ambrofial drink, That foon refresh'd him weary'd, and repair'd
What hunger, if aught hunger had impair'd, Bb
Or thirft, and as he fed, Angelic Quires Sung Heav'nly Anthems of his victory Over temptation, and the Temper proud.
True Image of the Father whether thron'd In the bosom of bliss, and light of light Conceiving, or remote from Heav'n, enfhrin'd In fleshly Tabernacle, and human form, Wand'ring the Wilderness, whatever place, Habit, or state, or motion, ftill expreffing The Son of God, with God-like force indu'd Against th' Attempter of thy Father's Throne, And Thief of Paradife; him long of old Thou did't debel, and down from Heav'n caft With all his Army, now thou haft aveng'd Supplanted Adam, and by vanquishing Temptation, hath regain'd loft Paradife; And fruftrated the conqueft fraudulent : He never more henceforth will dare fet foot In Paradife to tempt; his fnares are broke: For though that feat of earthly bliss be fail'd, A fairer Paradife is founded now
For Adam and his chofen Sons, whom thou
A Saviour art come down to re-instal
Where they fhall dwell fecure, when time shall be Of Tempter and Temptation without fear.
But thou, Infernal Serpent, shalt not long
Rule in the Clouds; like an Autumnal Star
Or Lightning thou shalt fall from Heav'n trod down Under his feet: for proof, ere this thou feel'st Thy wound, yet not thy laft and deadliest wound By this repulfe receiv'd, and hold'ft in Hell
No triumph; in all her Gates Abadon rues
Thy bold attempt; hereafter learn with aw To dread the Son of God: he all unarm'd Shall chafe thee with the terror of his voice From thy Demoniac holds, poffeffion foul, Thee and thy Legions, yelling they shall fly, And beg to hide them in a herd of Swine,
Left he command them down into the deep
Bound, and to torment fent before their time. Hail Son of the moft High, heir of both Worlds, Queller of Satan, on thy glorious work Now enter, and begin to fave mankind.
Thus they the Son of God our Saviour meek Sung Victor, and from Heav'nly Feast refresht Brought on his way with joy; he unobserv'd Home to his Mother's house private return'd,
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