;

420 So never more in Hell than when in Heaven.
But thou art serviceable to Heav'ns King.
Wilt thou impute to obedience what thy fear
Extorts, or pleasure to do ill excites ?
What but thy malice mov'd thee to misdeem
Of righteous Job, then cruelly to afflict him
With all inflictions, but his patience won?
The other service was thy chofen task,
To be a liar in four hundred mouths;
For lying is thy fuftenance, thy food.
Yet thou pretend❜ft to truth; all Oracles
43° By thee are giv'n, and what confest more true
Among the Nations? that hath been thy craft,
By mixing somewhat true to vent more lies.
But what have been thy answers, what but dark
Ambiguous and with double fenfe deluding,
Which they who ask'd have feldom understood,
And not well understood as good not known?
Who ever by consulting at thy shrine

Return'd the wifer, or the more inftruct
44° To flie or follow what concern'd him most,
And run not fooner to his fatal fnare?

For God hath justly giv'n the Nations up
To thy Delusions; juftly, fince they fell
Idolatrous, but when his purpose is
Among them to declare his Providence

7

To thee not known, whence haft thou then thy truth,
But from him or his Angels Prefident

In every Province, who themselves difdaining
To approach thy Temples, give thee in command

450 What to the smallest tittle thou shalt fay
To thy Adorers; thou with trembling fear,
Or like a Fawning Parafite obey'ft;

Then to thy self afcrib'ft the truth foretold.

But

But this thy glory fhall be foon retrench'd`;
No more fhall thou by oracling abuse
The Centiles; henceforth Oracles are ceaft,
And thou no more with Pomp and Sacrifice
Shalt be enquir'd at Delphos or elfe-where,
At least in vain, for they shall find thee mute.
460 God hath now fent his loving Oracle

Into the World to teach his final will,

And fends his Spirit of Truth henceforth to dwell
In pious Hearts, and inward Oracle

To all truth requifite for men to know.

So fpake our Saviour; but the subtle Fiend,
Though inly ftung with anger and difdain,
Diffembl❜d, and this Anfwer fmooth return'd.

Sharply thou haft infifted on rebuke,
And urg'd me hard with doings, which not will
But mifery hath wrefted from me; where
470 Easily can't thou find one miferable,
And not inforc'd oft-times to part from truth;
It it may stand him more instead to lye,
Say and unfay, feign, flatter, or abjure?
But thou art plac't above me, thou art Lord;
From thee I can and muft fubmis endure
Check or reproof, and glad to escape fo quit.
Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk,
Smooth on the tongue discourst, pleasing to th’ear,

480 And tuneable as Silvan Pipe or Song;

What wonder then if I delight to hear

Her dictates from thy mouth? most men admire
Vertue, who follow not her lore: permit me
To hear thee when I come (fince no man comes)
And talk at least, though I despair to attain.

E

Thy

Thy Father, who is holy, wife and pure,
Suffers the Hypocrite or Atheous Priest
To tread his Sacred Courts, and minister
About his Altar, handling holy things,
49° Praying of vowing, and vouchfaf'd his voice
To Balaam Reprobate, a Prophet yet
Infpir'd; difdain not fuch access to me.

To whom our Saviour with unalter'd brow:
Thy coming hither, though I know thy scope,
I bid not or forbid; do as thou find'st
Permiffion from above; thou canst not more.

He added not; and Satan bowing low
His gray diffimulation, disappear'd
Into thin Air diffus'd: for now began

500 Night with her fullen wings to double-shade
The Defart, Fowls in their clay nefts were couch't;
And now wild Beafts came forth the woods to roam.

Paradise Regain'd.

M

BOOK. II.

Ean while the new-baptiz'd, who yet remain’d
At Jordan with the Baptift, and had seen
Him whom they heard fo late exprefly call'd

Jefus Meffiah Son of God declar'd,

And on that high Authority had believ'd,
And with him talkt, and with him lodg'd, I mean
Andrew and Simon, famous after known,

With others though in Holy Writ not nam'd,
Now miffing him their Joy fo lately found,
10 So⚫ lately found, and so abruptly gone,
Began to doubt, and doubted many days,
And as the days increas'd, increas'd their doubt:
Sometimes they thought he might be only fhewn,
And for a time caught up to God, as once
Mofes was in the Mount, and miffing long;
And the great Thisbite who on fiery wheels
Rode up to Heaven, yet once again to come.
Therefore as those young Prophets then with care
Sought loft Eliah, fo in each place these

20

Nigh to Bethabara; in Jerico sobive

The City of Palms, Enon, and Salem Old,

Macharus and each Town or City wall'd
On this fide the broad lake Genezaret,"
Or in Perea, but return'd in vain.

Then on the bank of Jordan, by a Creek ::..

Where winds with Reeds, and Ófiers whisp'ring play
Plain Fishermen, no greater men them call,
Close in a Cottage low together got

Their unexpected lofs and plaints out breath'd.
30 Alas, from that high hope to what relapse
Unlook'd for are we fall'n, our eyes beheld
Meffiah certainly now come, fo long
Expected of our Fathers; we have heard
His words, his wisdom full of grace and truth,
Now, now, for fure, deliverance is at hand,
The Kingdom shall to Ifrael be reftor❜d:
Thus we rejoyc'd, but foon our joy is turn'd
Into perplexity and new amaze:

For whither is he gone, what accident

40 Hath rapt him from us? will he now retire
After appearance, and again prolong
Our expectation? God of Ifrael,

Send thy Meffiah forth, the time is come;
Behold the Kings of the Earth how they oppress
Thy chofen, to what highth their pow'r unjust
They have exalted, and behind them caft

All fear of thee, arife and vindicate

Thy Glory, free thy people from their yoke,
But let us wait; thus far he hath perform'd,
Sent his Anointed, and to us reaveal'd him,
By his great Prophet, pointed at and shown,
In publick, and with him we have convers'd;
Let us be glad of this, and all our fears
Lay on his Providence; he will not fail
Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recall,

Mock us with his bleft fight, then snatch him hence,
Soon we shall see our hope, our joy return.

Thus they out of their plaints new hope resume

To