To God more glory, more good will to men
From God, and over wrath grace fhall abound.
But fay, if our Deliverer up to Heaven
Muft reafcend, what will betide the few
His faithful, left among th' unfaithful herd,
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 sure they will, faid th' Angel; but from Heaven
He to his own a Comforter will fend,
The promife of the Father, who shall 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 fpiritual 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 so as shall amaze
Their proudest perfecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd firft on his Apoftles, whom he fends
To evangelize the nations, then on all
Baptiz'd, shall them with wondrous 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
Their miniftry perform'd, and race well run,
With joy the tidings brought from Heav'n : at length
Their doctrine and their story written left,
They die; but in their room, as they forewarn,
Wolves fhall fucceed for teachers, grievous wolves,
Who all the facred mysteries of Heaven
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.
Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names,
Places, and titles, and with these to join
Secular pow'r, though feigning still to act
By spiritual, to themselves appropriating
The Spirit of God, promis'd alike and given
To all believers; and from that pretence,
Spiritual laws by carnal pow'r shall force
On every confcience; laws which none fhall find
Left them inroll'd, or what the Spirit within
Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then
But force the Spi'rit of grace itself, 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 persecution shall arise
On all who in the worship perfevere
Of fpi'rit and truth; the reft, far greater part,
Will deem in outward rites and fpecious forms
Religion fatisfy'd; truth fhall retire
Beftuck with fland'rous darts, and works of faith,
Rarely be found: fo fhall the world go on,
The Woman's Seed, obfcurely then foretold,
Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord,
Laft 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 blifs.
He ended; and thus Adam last reply'd;
How foon hath thy prediction, Seer bleft,
Meafur'd this tranfient world, the race of time,
Till time ftand fix'd? beyond is all abyfs,
Eternity, whofe end no eye can reach,
Greatly inftructed I fhall 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 prefence, ever to obferve
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 ftrong, and worldly wife
By fimply meek; that fuffering for truth's fake
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 haft attain'd the fum 575
Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars
Thou knew'ft by name, and all th' ethereal pow'rs,
All fecrets 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'dst,
And all the rule, one empire; only add
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 Paradife within thee, happier far.
Let us defcend now therefore from this top
Of fpeculation; for the hour precife
Exacts our parting hence; and fee the guards, 590 By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect
Their motion, at whofe front a flaming sword,
In fignal of remove, waves fiercely round;
We may no longer stay: go, waken Eve;
Her also I with gentle dreams have calm'd
Portending good, and all her spi'rits compos'd
To meek fubmiffion: thou at season fit
Let her with thee partake what thou haft 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 fad,
With caufe for evils past, yet much more cheer'd
With meditation on the happy end.
He ended, and they both defcend 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 the him receiv'd: Whence thou return'st, and whither went'st, I
For God is alfo' in fleep, and dreams advise,
Which he hath fent propitious, fome great good
Prefaging, fince with forrow' and heart's diftrefs
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 favour I unworthy am vouchfaf'd,
By me the promis'd Seed shall all restore.
So fpake our mother Eve, and Adam heard
Well pleas'd, but answer'd not; for now too nigh
Th' Arch-Angel ftood, and from the other hill
To their fix'd station, 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 brandish'd fword of God before them blaz'd
Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat,
And vapour as the Libyan air aduft,
Began to parch that temp'rate clime; whereat
In either hand the hast'ning Angel caught
Our ling'ring parents, and to th' eastern gate
Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast
To the fubjected plain; then disappear'd.
They looking back, all th' eastern fide beheld
Of Paradise, fo 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 Their place of reft, and Providence their guide : They hand in hand, with wand'ring steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.
|