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 saw
The prophet do him reverence, on him rising 80
Out of the water, Heav'n above the clouds
Unfold her crystal doors, thence on his head
A perfect dove descend, what-e'er it meant,
And out of Heav'n the sovran voice I heard,
This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd. 85
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 snares,
Ere in the head of nations he appear
Their king, their leader, and fupreme on earth. I, when no other durst, sole undertook
The dismal 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 best to hope of like fuccess.
He ended, and his words impreffion left
Of much amazement to th' infernal crew,
Distracted and furpris'd with deep dismay
At these sad 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 coaft of Jordan he directs
His easy steps, girded with fsnaky wiles,
Where he might likeliest 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:
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 smiling spake.
Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, 130
Thou
Thou and all Angels converfant on earth
With man or men's affairs, how I begin
To verify that folemn message late,
On which I sent thee to the Virgin pure
In Galilee, that she should bear a fon
Great in renown, and call'd the Son of God;
Then toldst her doubting how these things could be
To her a virgin, that on her should come
The Holy Ghost, and the pow'r of the Highest
O'er-shadow her: this man born and now up-grown,
To shew him worthy of his birth divine
And high prediction, henceforth I expose
To Satan; let him tempt and now affay
His utmost subtlety, because he boafts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng 145
All his vast force, and drive him back to Hell,
Winning by conquest what the first man loft
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 strong fufferance :
His weakness shall o'ercome Satanic strength,
And all the world, and mass of finful flesh;
That all the Angels and ethereal Powers,
They now, and men hereafter may difcern,
From what confummate virtue I have chose 165
This perfect man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.
So spake th' eternal Father, and all Heaven Admiring stood a space, then into hymns Burst forth, and in celestial measures mov'd, 170 Circling the throne and singing, 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 vanquish by wisdom hellish wiles.
The Father knows the Son; therefore secure
Ventures his filial virtue, though untry'd,
Against whate'er may tempt, whate'er seduce,
Allure, or terrify, or undermine.
Be fruftrate all ye stratagems 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 some days
Lodg'd in Bethabara where John baptiz'd,
Musing and much revolving in his breaft,
How best the mighty work he might begin
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first
Publish his God-like office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading,
And his deep thoughts, the better to converse 190
With folitude, till far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He enter'd now the bord'ring defert wild,
And with dark shades and rocks environ'd round,
His holy meditations thus purfu'd.
O what a multitude of thoughts at once Awaken'd in me swarm, while I confider What from within I feel myself, and hear What from without comes often to my ears, Ill forting with my present state compar'd! When I was yet a child, no childish play To me was pleasing; all my mind was set Serious to learn and know, and thence to do What might be public good; myself I thought Born to that end, born to promote all truth, 205 All righteous things: therefore above my years, The law of God I read, and found it sweet, Made it my whole delight, and in it grew To fuch perfection, that ere yet my age Had measur'd twice fix years, at our great feaft 210 I went into the temple, there to hear The teachers of our law, and to propose What might improve my knowledge or their own;
And was admir'd by all: yet this not all
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