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The river dragon tam'd at length fubmits.
To let his fojourners depart, and oft
Humbles his stubborn heart, but ftill as ice
More harden'd after thaw, till in his rage
Pursuing whom he late difmis'd, the sea
Swallows him with his hoft, but them let pass
As on dry land between two cryftal walls,
Aw'd by the rod of Mofes fo to stand
Divided, till his rescued gain their shore:
Such wondrous power God to his Saint will lend,
Though present in his Angel, who fhall 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 the obdurate king pursues :
All night he will purfue, but his approach
Darkness defends between till morning watch;
Then through the fiery pillar and the cloud
God looking forth will trouble all his hoft,
And craze their chariot wheels: when by command
Mofes once more his potent rod extends
Over the fea; the fea his rod obeys;
On their imbattled ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war: the race elect
Safe towards Canaan from the fhore advance.
Through the wild defart, not the readieft way,
Left entring on the Canaanite alarm'd
War terrify them inexpert, and fear
Return them back to Egypt, choofing rather
Inglorious life with fervitude; for life.
To noble and ignoble is more sweet

Untrain'd in arms, where rashness leads not on.
Thus alfo fhall they gain by their delay

In the wide wilderness, there they shall found
Their government, and their great fenate choofe

Through

Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain'd :-
God from the mount of Sinai, whofe gray top
Shall tremble, he descending will himself
In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets found,.
Ordain them laws; part fuch as appertain
To civil juftice, part religious rites.

Of facrifice, informing them, by types
And fhadows, of that deftin'd Seed to bruise
The Serpent, by what means he fhall achieve
Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God.
To mortal ear is dreadful; they befeech
That Mofes might report to them his will,
And terror ceafe; he grants what they befought,
Inftructed that to God is no access
Without mediator, whofe high office now
Mofes in figure bears, to introduce

One greater, of whofe day he fhall foretell,
And all the prophets in their age the times
Of great
Meffiah fhall fing. Thus laws and rites
Establish'd, fuch delight hath God in men
Obedient to his will, that he vouchsafes
Among them to fet up his tabernacle,
The holy one with mortal men to dwell:
By his prefcript a fanctuary is fram'd-
Of cedar, overlaid with gold, therein
An ark, and in the ark his teftimony,
The records of his covenant, over thefe
A mercy-feat of gold between the wings.
Of two bright Cherubim; before him burn.
Sev'n lamps as in a zodiac representing
The heav'nly fires; over the tent a cloud
Shall reft by day, a fiery gleam by night,
Save when they journey, and at length they come,
Conducted by his Angel to the land

Promis'd to Abraham and his feed: the rest

Were

Were long to tell, how many battels fought,
How many kings deftroy'd, and kingdoms won,
Or how the fun fhall in mid heaven stand still
A day entire, and night's due courfe adjourn,
Man's voice commanding, Sun in Gibeon ftand,
And thou moon in the vale of Ajalon,
Till Ifrael overcome; fo call the third
From Abraham, fon of Ifaac, and from him
His whole defcent, who thus fhall Canaan win.
Here Adam interpos'd.

O fent from heaven,

Inlightner of my darkness, gracious things
Thou haft reveal'd, thofe chiefly which concern
Juft Abraham and his feed: 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 fee

His day, in whom all nations fhall be bleft,
Favour unmerited by me, who fought
Forbidden knowledge by forbidden means.
This yet I apprehend not, why to those
Among whom God will deign to dwell on earth
So many and fo various laws are giv'n;
So many laws argue fo many fins

Among them; how can God with fuch refide?

To whom thus Michael. Doubt not but that fin
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 difcover fin, but not remove,
Save by these shadowy expiations weak,

The blood of bulls and goats, they may conclude-
Some blood more precious must be paid for man.
Just for unjust, that in fuch righteousness
To them by faith imputed, they may find

Juftification

Juftification towards God, and peace

Of confcience, 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 refign them in full time
Up to a better covenant, difciplin'd

From shadowy types to truth, from flesh to spirit,
From impofition of strict laws to free
Acceptance of large grace, from fervile fear

To filial, works of law to works of faith.

And therefore fhall not Mofes, though of God
Highly belov'd, being but the minister

Of law, his people into Canaan lead ;

But Joshua whom the Gentiles Jefus call,

His name and office bearing, who fhall quell
The adversary Serpent, and bring back

Through the world's wilderness long wander'd man
Safe to eternal Paradise of rest.

Mean while they in their earthly Canaan plac'd
Long time fhall dwell and prosper, but when fins
National interrupt their public peace,

Provoking God to raise them enemies ;
From whom as oft he faves them penitent
By judges first, then under kings; of whom
The fecond, both for piety renown'd
And puiffant deeds, a promise shall receive
Irrevocable, that his regal throne

For ever fhall endure; the like fhall fing
All prophecy, that of the royal stock
Of David (fo I name this king) fhall rife
A fon, the Woman's feed to thee foretold,
Foretold to Abraham, as in whom fhall truft
All nations, and to kings foretold, of kings
The laft, for of his reign, fhall be no end.

But

But firft a long fucceffion muft ensue,

And his next fon, 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 fhall be register'd

Part good, part bad, of bad the longer fcroll,
Whofe foul idolatries, and other faults
Heaped to the popular fum, will fo incenfe
God, as to leave them, and expose their land,
Their city, his temple, and his holy ark
With all his facred things, a fcorn and prey
To that proud city, whofe high walls thou faw'ft
Left in confufion, Babylon thence call'd.
There in captivity he lets them dwell

The space of fev'nty years, then brings them back,
Remembering mercy, and his covenant fworn
To David, stablish'd as the days of heav'n.
Return'd from Babylon by leave of kings

Their lords, whom God difpos'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 diffenfion fprings,
Men who attend the altar, and should most
Endeavour peace: their ftrife pollution brings
Upon the temple itfelf: at laft they seize
The fceptre, and regard not David's fons,
Then lose it to a stranger, that the true
Anointed king Meffiah might be born
Barr'd of his right; yet at his birth a star
Unfeen before in heav'n proclaims him come,
And guides the eastern fages, who inquire
His place, to offer incenfe, myrrh, and gold;
His place of birth a folemn Angel tells
To fimple fhepherds, keeping watch by night-;

They

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