Now had the great Proclaimer with a voice More awful than the found of Trumpet, cry'd Repentance, and Heaven's Kingdom nigh at hand 20 To all Baptiz'd: to his great Baptism flock'd With awe the Regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the Son of Jofeph deem'd
To the flood Jordan came, as then obfcure, Unmarkt, unknown; but him the Baptift foon 25 Defcry'd, divinely warn'd, and witness bore As to his worthier, and would have refign'd To him his Heavenly Office, nor was long His witness unconfirm'd: on him baptiz'd Heav'n open'd, and in likeness of a Dove The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice From Heav'n pronounc'd him his beloved Son. That heard the Adverfary, who roving still About the World, at that Affembly fam'd Would not be laft, and with the voice divine Nigh Thunder-ftruck, th' exalted man, to whom Such high atteft was giv'n, a while furvey'd With wonder, then with envy fraught, and rage, Flies to his place, nor refts, but in mid air To Council fummons all his mighty Peers, Within thick Clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd, A gloomy Confiftory; and them amidst With looks agaft and fad he thus befpake.
O ancient Pow'rs of Air and this wide world, For much more willingly I mention Air, This our old Conqueft, than remember Hell Our hated habitation; well ye know
How many Ages, as the years of men, This Universe we have poffeft, and rul'd In manner at our will th' affairs of Earth, 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 fhort; And now too foon for us the circling hours This dreaded time have compaft, wherein we Must bide the ftroak 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 feed Deftin'd to this, is late of Woman born,
His Birth to our juft fear gave no small cause, But his growth now to youth's full flow'r, displaying All virtue, grace, and wisdom to achieve Things higheft, greateft, 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 Teftimony 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 Chrystal Doors; thence on his head A perfect Dove descend, what e'er it meant, And out of Heav'n the Soveraign voice I hear 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 to advance his Son? His firft-begot we know, and fore have felt,
When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep; 90 Who this is we must learn, for Man he seems In all his lineaments, though in his face The glimpses of his Father's glory fhine; Ye fee our danger on the utmost edge Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But must with something sudden be oppos'd,
Not force, but well couch'd fraud, well woven fnares, Ere in the head of Nations he appear
Their King, their Leader, and Supream on Earth. I, when no other durft, fole undertook
The difmal 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 beft to hope of like fuccefs.
He ended, and his words impreffion left Of much amazement to th' infernal Crew.
Diftracted and furpriz'd with deep difinay
At these fad tidings; but no time was then For long indulgence to their fears or grief: tro Unanimous they all commit the care And management of this main Enterprize To him their great Dictator, whofe attempt At first against mankind fo 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 pleafant Realm and Province wide. So to the Coaft of Jordan he directs
His eafie fteps; girded with fnaky wiles, Where he might likelieft 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: 125 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 fmiling 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 verifie that folemn Meffage late, On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure In Galilee, that the thould bear a Son
Great in Renown, and call'd the Son of God; Then toldft 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-fhadow her: this Man born and now up-grown, To fhew him worthy of his Birth Divine And high Prediction, henceforth I expose To Satan; let him tempt and now assay His utmost fubtilty, because he boasts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng 145 Of his Apoftafie; he might have learnt Lefs overweening, fince he fail'd in Job, Whose conftaut perfeverance overcame What e'er his cruel malice could invent, He now fhall know I can produce a Man Of female Seed, far abler to refift
All his follicitations, and at length
All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell, Winning by Conqueft what the first man loft By fallacy furpriz'd. But first I mean
To exercise him in the Wilderness,
There he shall firt 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 strong Sufferance:
His weakness fhall o'ercome Satanick ftrength And all the world, and mass of finful flesh; That all the Angels and Etherial Powers," They now, and men hereafter may difcern, From what confummate vittue I have chofe This perfect Man, by merit call'd my Son, To earn Salvation for the Sons of men,
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