Shall long ufurp; ere the third dawning light
Return, the ftars of morn fhall fee him rife
Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light,
Thy 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
Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have dy'd,
In fin for ever loft from life; this act
Shall bruife the head of Satan, crush his ftrength, 430
Defeating fin and death, his two main arms,
And fix far deeper in his head their flings
Than temp'ral death fhall bruise the victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like fleep
A gentle wafting to immortal life.
Nor after refurrection fhall he ftay
Longer on earth than certain times to appear
To his difciples, men who in his life
Still follow'd him; to them shall leave in charge
To teach all nations what of him they learn'd
And his falvation, them who shall believe
Baptizing in the profluent ftream, the fign
Of washing them from guilt of fin to life
Pure, and in mind prepar'd, if so befal,
For death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd.
All nations they shall teach; for from that day
Not only to the fons of Abraham's loins
Salvation fhall be preached, but to the fons
Of Abraham's faith wherever through the world;
So in his Seed all nations thall be bleft.
Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns he fhall afcend
With victory, triumphing through the air
Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise
The ferpent, prince of air, and drag in chains
Through all his realm, and there confounded leave; Then enter into glory, and refume
His feat at God's right hand, exalted high
Above all names in Heav'n; and thence fhall come, When this world's diffolution fhall be ripey
With glory and power to judge both quick and dead
To judge the unfaithful dead, but to reward
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.
So fpake th' arch-angel Michael, then paus'd,
As at the world's great period; and our fire,
Replete with joy and wonder, thus reply'd:
O Goodness infinite, Goodness immense !
That all this good of evil shall produce,
And evil turn to good; more wonderful
Than that which by creation firft brought forth
Light out of darknefs! full of doubt I stand,
Whether I should repent me now of fin
By me done, and occafion'd, or rejoice
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 re-afcend, 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 Heav'n 485 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 through 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 fo as fhall amaze
Their proudest perfecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd first on his apofties, whom he fends
To evangelize the nations, then on all
Baptiz'd, fhall then with wondrous gifts indue
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 miniftry perform'd, and race well run,
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 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 thofe written records pure,
Though not but by the fpirit understood.
Then thall they seek to avail themielves of names, 515
Places, and titles, and with these to join
Secular power; though feigning ftill to act
By fpiritual, to themielves appropriating
The fpirit of God, promis'd alike and given
To all believers; and from that pretence,
Spiritual laws by carnal power shali force
On every confcience; laws which none fhall find
Left them enroll'd, or what the spirit within
Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then
But force the spirit 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 againit faith and confcience can be heard
Infallible yet many will prefume:
Whence heavy perfecution thall arise
On all who in the worship perievere
Of spirit and truth; the reft, far greater part,
Will deem in outward rights 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,
To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight, groaning, till the day
Appear of respiration to the juft,
And vengeance to the wicked, at return
Of him fo lately promis'd to thy aid,
The woman's Seed, obfcurely then foretold,
Now ampler 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 mafs, purg'd and refin'd,
New heav'n's, new earth, ages of endless date
Founded in righteoufnefs and peace, and love,
To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal bliss.
He ended; and thus Adam laft reply'd:
How foon hath thy prediction, Seer bleft,
Meafur'd this tranfient world, the race of time,
Till time stand fix'd? beyond is all abyss,
Eternity, whofe end no eye can reach.
Greatly inftructed, I fhall hence depart,
Greatly in peace of thought, and have fill
Of knowledge, what this veffel 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 strong, and worldly wife
By fimply meek: that fuffering for truth's fake
Is fortitude to higheft 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 alfo th' angel laft reply'd : This having learn'd, thou haft attain'd the fum Of wisdom; hope no higher though all the ftars Thou knew'ft by name, and all th' ethereal powers, All fecrets of the deep, all Nature's works, Or works of God in Heav'n, air, earth, or sea, And all the riches of this world enjoyd'st,
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 loth
To leave this Paradife, but fhalt 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,
By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect
Their motion, at whose front a flaming fword,
In fignal of remove, waves fiercely round:
We may no longer ftay: go, waken Eve;
Her alio I with gentle dreams have calm'd
Portending good, and all her fpirits compos'd
To meek fubmiffion: thou at season fit
Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard,
Chiefly what may concern her faith to know,
The great deliverance by her Seed 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 sad,
With caule 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 bower where Eve
Lay fleeping ran before, but found her wak'd;
And thus with words not fad fhe him receiv'd:
Whence thou return'ft and whither went'st I know;
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
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