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Our hated habitation; well ye know

How many ages, as the

years of men,

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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

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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

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To

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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.

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Ye fee our danger on the utmost edge

Of hazard, which admits no long debate,

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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To exercise him in the wilderness,

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There he shall first lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I fend him forth

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To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes, By humiliation and ftrong sufferance:

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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.

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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.

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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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