Repentance, and Heav'n's kingdom nigh at hand 20 25 30 From common lection; and a lefs change will effect In Mr. Fenton's and moft other editions it is the cure. Read therefore pointed thus, And all baptiz'd: The prophet preached repentance and the approach of Chrift's kingdom, and baptized all, that is, multitudes of people, who were difpofed by his preaching to prepare their hearts for that great event. Calton. There is fomething plaufible and ingenious in this emendation: but I conceive the conftruction to be not that he cry'd to all baptiz'd repentance &c, but Heav'n's kingdom nigh at band to all baptiz'd. Heaven's kingdom was nigh at hand to all fuch as were baptized with John's baptifm; they were thereby difpofed and prepared for the reception of the Gospel. 24. To the flood Jordan, came as then obfcure,] From Heav'n pronounc'd him his beloved Son. with water, the fame faid unto me, Upon whom thou shalt fee the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the fame is be which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. John I. 33. But it appears from St. Matthew, that the Baptist knew him and acknowledged him, before he was baptized and before the Holy Ghoft defcended upon him. Mat. III. 14. I have need to be baptized of thee, and comeft thou to me? To account for which we must admit with Milton, that another divine revelation was made to him at this very time, fignifying that this was the perfon, of whom he had had fuch notice before. 26. divinely warn'd] To comprehend' the propriety of this word divinely the reader muft have his eye upon the Latin divinitus, from. Heaven, fince the word divinely in our language scarce ever comes up to this meaning. She heard me thus, and though divinely brought. 41. Within thick clouds &c] Milton in making Satan's refidence to be in mid air, within thick clouds and dark, feems to have St. Austin in his eye, who fpeaking of the region of clouds, ftorms, thunder &c fays --- ad ifta caliginosa, id eft, ad hune aerem, tanquam ad carcerem, damnatus eft diabolus &c. Enarr. in Pf. 148. S. 9. Tom. 5. p. 1677. Edit. Bened. Thyer 42. A gloomy confiftory;} This in imitation of Virgil Æn. III. 677. Cernimus O ancient Pow'rs of air and this wide world, How many ages, as the This universe we have poffefs'd, and rul'd Cernimus aftantes nequicquam lumine torvo By the word confiftory I fuppofe Milton intends Protinus acciri diros ad regia fratres 45 50 55 Muft 44. O ancient Pow'rs of air, and this wide world,] So the Devil is call'd in Scripture, the prince of the power of the air, Eph. Muft bide the stroke of that long threaten'd wound, At least if so we can, and by the head 60 Broken be not intended all our power To be infring'd, our freedom and our being, 65 For this ill news I bring, the woman's feed Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear. 70 II. 2. and evil Spirits the rulers of the darkness of this world, Eph. VI. 12. Satan here fummons a council, and opens it as he did in the Paradife Loft: but here is not that copiousness and variety which is in the other; here are not different fpeeches and fentiments adapted to the different characters; it is a council without a debate; Satan is the only speaker. And the author, as if conscious of this defect, has artfully endevored to obviate the objection by faying, that their danger ! Purified to receive him pure, or rather 74. Purified to receive him pure,.] Alluding to the Scripture expreffion 1 John III. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth bimfelf even as he is pure. 83. A perfect dove defcend, ] He had ex preffed it before ver. 30. in likeness of a dove, agreeably to St. Matthew, the Spirit of God defcending like a dove, III. 16. and to St. Mark, the Spirit like a dove defcending upon him, I. 10. But as Luke fays, that the Holy Ghoft defcended in a bodily shape, IIL 22, the poet fuppofes 75 80 85 His. |