To noble and ignoble is more fweet
Untrain'd in arms, where rafhness leads not on.
This alfo fhall they gain by their delay
In the wide wildernefs, there they shall found
Their government, and their great fenate choose
Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain'd:
God from the mount of Sinai whofe grey top
Shall tremble, he defcending, will himself,
In thunder, lightning, and loud tempest's sound,
Ordain them laws; part fuch as appertain
To civil justice, part religious rites
Of facrifice, informing them, by types
And fhadows, of that deftin'd feed to bruife
The ferpent, by what means he shall achieve
Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God
To mortal ear is dreadful; they beseech
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 thall foretel,
And all the prophets in their age the times
Of great Meffi'ah fhall fing. Thus laws and rites
Etablish'd, fuch delight hath God in men
Obedient to his will, that he vouchfafes
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 these
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 long to tell how many battles fought,
How many kings destroy'd, and kingdoms won,
Or how the fun fhall in mid heav'n stand still
A day entire, and night's due courfe adjourn,
Man's voice commanding, Sun in Gibeon stand, 265
And thou moon in the vale of A1alon,
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 heav'n,.
Enlightner of my darknefs, gracious things
Thou haft reveal'd, thofe chiefly which concern
Just 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 thofe
Among whom God will deign to dwell on earth
So many and fo various laws are given;
So many laws argue fo many
Among them; how can God with fuch refide?
To whom thus Michael: Doubt not but that fin 285
Will reign among them, as of thee begot ;
And therefore was law giv'n them, to evince
Their natural pravity, by stirring up
Sin against law to fight; that when they fee
Law can difcover fin, but not remove,
Save by those shadowy expiations weak,
The blood of bulls and goats, they may conclude
Some blood more precious must be paid for man,
Juft for unjust, that in fuch righteousness,
To them by faith imputed, they may find
Juftification towards God, and peace
Of confcience, which the law by ceremonies
Cannot appeafe, 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, disciplin'd
From fhadowy types to truth, from flesh to spirit,
From impofition of strict laws to free
Acceptance of large grace, from servile fear
To filial, works of law to works of faith.
And therefore fhall not Mofes, though of God
Highly belov'd, being but the minifter
Of law, his people into Canaan lead;
But Joshua, whom the Gentiles Jefus call,
His name and office bearing, who thall quell
The adversary ferpent, and bring back
Through the world's wilderness long wander'd man
Safe to eternal paradife of rest.
Mean while they, in their earthly Canaan plac'd,
Long time fhall dwell and profper; 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 promife shall receive
Irrevocable, that his regal throne
For ever thall endure; the like fhall fing
All prophefy, that of the royal ftock
Of David (fo I name this king) fhall rife
A fon, the woman's feed to thee foretold,
Foretold to Abraham, as in whom shall truft
All nations, and to kings foretold, of kings
The last, for of his reign (hall be no end.
But first a long fucceffion muft enfue:
And his next fon, for wealth and wifdom fam'd,
The clouded ark of God, till then in tents
Wand'ring, fhall in a glorious temple infhrine.
Such follow him as shall be register'd
Part good, part bad; of bad the longer fcroll,
Whole foul idolatries, and other faults
Heap'd 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 saw'st
Left in confufion, Babylon thence call'd.
There in captivity he lets them dwell
The space of fev❜nty years, then brings them back,
Rememb'ring mercy, and his covenant fworn
To David, ftablish'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 eftate live moderate, till grown
In wealth and multitude, factious they grow:
But first among the priests diffention springs,
Men who attend the altar and should most
Endeavour peace; their frife pollution brings
Upon the temple itfeif: at laft they feize
The fceptre, and regard not David's fons,
Then lofe 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 enquire
His place, to offer incenfe, myrrh, and gold:
His place of birth a folemn angel tells
To fimple thepherds, keeping watch by night;
They gladly thither hafte, and by a choir
Of fquadron'd angels hear his carol fung.
A virgin is his mother, but his fire
The power of the Moft High: he shall afcend
The throne hereditary, and bound his reign
With earth's wide bounds, his glory with the heav'n's. He ceas'd, difcerning 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 steadieft thoughts have search'd in vain ;
Why our great expectation should be call'd
The Seed of Woman: Virgin mother, hail,
High in the love of heav'n, yet from my loins
Thou falt procecd, and from thy womb the Son
Of God molt High; fo God with man unites.
Needs muft the ferpent now his capital bruise
Expect with mortal pain: fay where and when
Their fight, what ftroke fhall bruife 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 joins the Son
Manhood to Godhead, with more strength to foil
Thy enemy; nor fo is overcome
Satan, whofe fall from heav'n, a deadlier bruise,
Difabled not to give thee thy death's wound;
Which he, who comes thy Saviour, fhall recure ;
Not by deftroying Satan, but his works
In thee and in thy feed: 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 fuffering death,
The penalty to thy tranfgreffion due,
And due to theirs, which out of thine will grow: 400 So only can high justice reft appaid.
The law of God exact he fhall fulfil
Both by obedience and by love, though love
Alone fulfil the law; thy punishment
He fhall endure, by coming in the flesh
To a reproachful life and curfed death,
Proclaiming life to all who fhall believe
In his redemption, and that his obedience
Imputed becomes theirs by faith, his merits
To fave them, not their own, though legal works.
For this he shall live hated, be blafphem❜d,
Seiz'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd
A fhameful and accurs'd, nail'd to the cross
By his own nation, flain for bringing life :
But to the cross he nails thy enemies,
The law that is against thee, and the fins
Of all mankind, with him there crucify'd,
Never to hurt them more who rightly truft
In this his fatisfaction; fo he dies,
But foon revives; Death over him no power
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