Since Adam and his facil Confort Eve
Loft Paradife deceiv'd by me, though fince
With dread attending when that fatal wound
Shall be inflicted by the Seed of Eve
Upon my head; long the decrees of Heav'n
Delay, for longest time to him is short;
And now too foon for us the circling hours
This dreaded time have compaft, wherein we
Must bide the stroke of that long threatn'd wound,
At least if so we can, and by the Head
Broken be not intended all our power
To be infring'd, our freedom and our being,
In this fair Empire won of Earth and Air;
For this ill news I bring, the Woman's Seed
Destin'd to this, is late of Woman born.
His Birth to our just fear gave no small cause,
But his growth now to youth's full flower displaying
All virtue, grace, and wisdom to atchieve
Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear.
Before him a great Prophet, to proclaim
His coming, is fent Harbinger, who all
Invites, and in the confecrated stream
Pretends to wash off fin, and fit them fo
Purifi'd to receive him pure, or rather
To do him honour as their King: all come,
And he himself among them was baptiz'd,
Not thence to be more pure, but to receive
The Testimony of Heav'n, that who he is
Thenceforth the Nations may not doubt; I faw
The Prophet do him reverence, on him rifing
Out of the Water, Heav'n above the Clouds
Unfold her Crystal Doors, thence on his head
A perfect Dove descend, whate'er it meant,
And out of Heav'n the Sov'reign voice I heard,
This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd.
His Mother then is mortal, but his Sire
He who obtains the Monarchy of Heav'n;
And what will he not do t'advance his Son?
His first-begot we know, and fore have felt,
When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep;
Who this is we must learn, for Man he feems
In all his lineaments, though in his face
The glimpses of his Father's glory shine.
Ye fee our danger on the utmost edge
Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But mult with fomething fudden be oppos'd,
Not force, but well couch'd fraud, well woven snares,
Ere in the head of Nations he appear
Their King, their Leader, and Supreme on Earth.
I, when no other durft, fole undertook
The dismal expedition, to find out
And ruin Adam, and th' exploit perform'd
Successfully; a calmer Voyage now
Will waft me; and the way found profp'rous once,
Induces best to hope of like fuccess.
He ended, and his words impression left
Of much amazement to th' infernal Crew,
Distracted and furpriz'd with deep dismay
At these sad tidings; but no time was then
For long indulgence to their fears or grief:
Unanimous they all commit the care
And management of this main Enterprize
To him their great Dictator, whose attempt
At first against mankind so well had thriv'd
In Adam's overthrow, and led their march
From Hell's deep-vaulted Den to dwell in light,
Regents and Potentates, and Kings, yea Gods
Of many a pleasant Realm and Province wide.
So to the Coaft of Jordan he directs
His easy steps, girded with snaky wiles,
Where he might likeliest find this new declar'd,
This Man of men, attested Son of God,
Temptation and all guile on him to try;
So to fubvert whom he suspected rais'd
To end his Reign on Earth so long enjoy'd:
But contrary, unweeting he fulfill'd
The purpos'd Counsel pre-ordain'd and fixt
Of the most High, who in full frequence bright
Of Angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake.
Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold,
Thou and all Angels converfant on Earth
With man or mens affairs, how I begin
To verify that folemn Message late,
On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure
In Galilee, that she should bear a Son
Great in Renown and call'd the Son of God;
Then toldst her, doubting how these things could be
To her a Virgin, that on her should come
The Holy Ghoft, and the Power of the Highest
O'er-shadow her: this Man born and now up grown,
To shew him worthy of his Birth Divine
And high Prediction, henceforth I expose
To Satan; let him tempt and now affay
His utmost subtilty, because he boafts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng
Of his Apoftafy; he might have learnt
Less overweening, fince he fail'd in Job,
Whose constant perfeverance overcame
Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.
He now shall know I can produce a Man
Of female Seed, far abler to refift
All his follicitations, and at length
All his vast force, and drive him back to Hell,
Winning by conquest what the first man loft,
By fallacy furpriz'd. But first I mean
To exercise him in the Wilderness,
There he shall first lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I fend him forth
To conquer Sin and Death the two grand foes,
By Humiliation and ftrong Sufferance:
His weaknefs shall o'ercome Satanick ftrength
And all the world, and mass of finful flesh;
That all the Angels and Ethereal Powers,
They now, and men hercafter may difcern,
From what confummate virtue I have chose
This perfect Man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn Salvation for the Sons of men.
So fpake th' Eternal Father, and all Heav'n
Admiring ftood a space, then into Hymns
Burit forth, and in Celestial measures mov'd
Circling the Throne and finging, while the hand
Sung with the voice, and this the argument.
Victory and Triumph to the Son of God
Now entering his great duel, not of Arms,
But to vanquish by wisdom hellish wiles.
The Father knows the Son; therefore fecure
Ventures his filial Virtue, though untry'd,
Against whate'er may tempt, whate'er feduce,
Allure, or terrify, or undermine.
Be fruftrate all ye ftratagems of Hell,
And devilish machinations come to nought.
So they in Heav'n their Odes and Vigils tun'd : Mean while the Son of God, who yet some days Lodg'd in Bethabara where John baptiz'd, Musing and much revolving in his breaft,
How best the mighty work he might begin
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first
Publish his God-like Office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading,
And his deep thoughts, the better to converse
With folitude, till far from track of Men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He entered now the bordering desart wild,
And with dark shades and rocks environ'd round,
His holy meditation thus pursu'd.
O what a multitude of thoughts at once
Awaken'd in me swarm, while I confider
What from within I feel my felf, and hear
What from without comes often to my ears,
Ill forting with my present state compar'd.
When I was yet a Child no childish play
To me was pleasing, all my mind was set
Serious to learn and know, and thence to do
What might be publick good; my felf I thought
Born to that end, born to promote all truth,
All righteous things: therefore above my years,
The Law of God I read and found it sweet,
Made it my whole delight, and in it grew
To fuch perfection, that ere yet my age
Had measur'd twice fix Years, at our great Feast
I went into the Temple, there to hear
The Teachers of our Law, and to propose
What might improve my knowledge or their own;
And was admir'd by all; yet this not all
To which my Spirit afpir'd, victorious deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To rescue Ifrael from the Roman Yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud Tyrannick pow'r,
|