Our hated habitation; well ye know
This universe we have poffefs'd, 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 feed 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 compafs'd, wherein we Must bide the stroke of that long threaten'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, difplaying All virtue, grace, and wifdom to achieve Things higheft, greateft, multiplies my fear. Before him a great prophet, to proclame His coming, his fent harbinger, who all Invites, and in the confecrated ftream Pretends to wash off fin, and fit them fo Purified to receive him pure, or rather
To do him honor 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 80 Out of the water, Heav'n above the clouds Unfold her crystal doors, thence on his head A perfect dove defcend, what-e'er it meant, And out of Heav'n the fovran voice I heard, This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd. His mother then is mortal, but his fire He who obtains the monarchy of Heaven, And what will he not do to' advance his Son? His first-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 shine.
Ye fee our danger on the utmost edge
Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But must with something fudden 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 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 a calmer voyage now
Will waft me; and the way found profp'rous once Induces beft to hope of like fuccess.
He ended, and his words impreffion left Of much amazement to th' infernal crew, Diftracted and furpris'd with deep dismay At these fad 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, ye Gods. Of many a pleasant realm and province wide. So to the coast of Jordan he directs His easy steps, girded with fnaky wiles, Where he might likelieft find this new-declar'd, This man of men, attefted 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 fix'd Of the most High, who in full frequence bright Of Angels, thus to Gabriel fmiling fpake.
Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, 130
Thou and all Angels converfant on earth
With man or men's affairs, how I begin To verify that solemn message late,
On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure
In Galilee, that she should bear a fon
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 pow'r 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 afsay
His utmost subtlety, because he boasts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng 145 Of his apoftafy; he might have learnt Lefs 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 feed, far abler to refift
All his folicitations, and at length
All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell, Winning by conqueft what the first man lost By fallacy furpris'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 weakness shall o'ercome Satanic ftrength, And all the world, and mafs of finful flesh; That all the Angels and ethereal Powers, They now, and men hereafter may difcern, From what confummate virtue I have chofe 165 This perfect man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.
So fpake th' eternal Father, and all Heaven, Admiring ftood a space, then into hymns Burft forth, and in celeftial measures mov'd, 170 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 entring his great duel, not of arms, But to vanquifh by wisdom hellifh 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 frustrate 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 fome days Lodg'd in Bethabara where John baptiz'd,
Mufing and much revolving in his breast, How beft the mighty work he might begin
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