Thy Enemy, nor fo is overcome

390

395

Satan, whofe fall from Heav'n, a deadlier bruise,
Difabl'd not to give thee thy deaths wound:
Which he, who comes thy Saviour, fhall recure,
Not by destroying Satan, but his works
In thee and in thy Seed: nor can this be,
But by fulfilling that which thou didft want,
Obedience to the Law of God, impos'd
On penalty of death, and suffering death,
The penalty to thy tranfgreffion due,
And due to theirs which out of thine will grow: 400
So only can high Justice rest appaid.

405

The Law of God exact he shall fulfil Both by obedience and by love, though love Alone fulfil the Law; thy punishment He shall endure by coming in the Flesh To a reproachful Life and cursed Death, Proclaiming Life to all who shall believe In his Redemption, and that his Obedience Imputed, becomes theirs by Faith, his Merits To fave them, not their own, tho' legal Works. 410 For this he shall live hated, be blasphem'd, Seis'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd A fhameful and accurft, nail'd to the Crofs By his own Nation, flain for bringing Life ;But to the Crofs he nails thy Enemies, The Law that is against thee, and the fins Of all Mankind, with him there crucify'd, Never to hurt them more, who rightly trust In this his Satisfaction; fo he dies,

415

420

But foon revives, Death over him no power
Shall long ufurp; e'er the third dawning light
Return, the Stars of Morn fhall fee him rife
Out of his Grave, fresh as the dawning light,
The Ransom paid, which Man from death redeems,
His death for Man, as many as offer'd Life
Neglect not, and the benefit embrace

425

By Faith not void of Works: this God-like act
Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have dy'd,
In fin for ever loft from Life; this act

Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his ftrength 430
Defeating Sin and Death, his two main arms,
And fix far deeper in his head their stings
Than temporal death fhall bruise the Victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like sleep,
A gentle wafting to immortal Life.
Nor after Refurrection fhall he ftay
Longer on Earth than certain times to appear
To his Difciples, Men who in his Life

43.5

Still follow'd him; to them fhall leave in charge
To teach all Nations what of him they learn'd 440
And his Salvation, them who fhall believe
Baptizing in the profluent ftream, the fign
Of washing them from guilt of fin to Life
Pure, and in mind prepar'd, if so befal,

For death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd. 445
All Nations they shall teach; for from that day
Not only to the Sons of Abraham's Loins
Salvation fhall be preach'd, but to the Sons

Of Abraham's Faith, where-ever thro' the World;

So in his Seed all Nations fhall be bleft.

450

Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns fhall he afcend
With victory, triumphing through the Aire
Over his Foes and thine; there shall surprise
The Serpent, Prince of Aire, and drag in Chains
Thro' all his Realm, and there confounded leave;
Then enter into Glory, and refume

456

His Seat at God's right hand, exalted high
Above all Names in Heav'n; and thence fhall come,
When the World's Diffolution fhall be ripe,
With Glory and Pow'r to judge both quick and dead,
To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward

461

His faithful, and receive them into Blifs,
Whether in Heav'n or Earth, for then the Earth
Shall all be Paradife, far happier place
Than this of Eden, and far happier days.

So fpake th’Arch-angel Michael, then paus'd,
As at the World's great Period; and our Sire
Repleat with joy and wonder thus reply'd.

455

470

O Goodness infinite, Goodnefs immenfe! That all this good of evil fhall produce, And evil turn to good; more wonderful Than that which by creation first brought forth Light out of darkness! full of doubt I ftand, Whether I fhould repent me now of fin By me done and occafion'd, or rejoyce Much more,that much more good thereof shall spring. To God more glory, more good will to Men From God, and over wrath grace shall abound. But fay, if our deliverer up to Heav'n

475

Muft reafcend, what will betide the few

480

His faithful, left among th' unfaithful herd,

The enemies of truth; who then hall guide
His people, who defend? will they not deal
Worfe with his followers than with him they dealt?
Be fure they will, faid th’Angel; but from Heav'n
He to his own a Comforter will fend,

486

495

The promise of the Father, who shall dwell
His Spirit within them, and the Law of Faith
Working thro' love, upon their hearts fhall write,
To guide them in all truth, and also arm
With spiritual Armour, able to resist
Satan's affaults, and quench his fiery darts,
What men can do against them, not afraid,
Though to the death, against such cruelties
With inward confolations recompenc'd,
And oft fupported fo as shall amaze
Their proudest perfecuters: for the Spirit
Pour'd firft on his Apoftles, whom he fends
To evangelize the Nations, then on all

495

Raptiz'd, fhall them with wondrous Gifts endue sco
To speak all Tongues, and do all Miracles,
As did their Lord before them. Thus they win
Great numbers of each Nation to receive

With joy the tidings brought from Heav'n: at length
Their Miniftry perform'd, and race well run,
Their doctrine and their ftory written left,

505

They die; but in their room, as they forewarn, Wolves fhall fucceed for teachers, grievous Wolves, Who all the facred myfteries of Heav'n

516

Of lucre and ambition, and the truth
With fuperftitions and traditions taint,
Left only in those written Records pure,
Though not but by the Spirit understood.
Then fhall they feek to avail themselves of names,
Places and titles, and with these to join
Secular power, though feigning still to act
By fpiritual, to themselves appropriating
The Spirit of God, promis'd alike and giv'n
To all Believers; and from that pretence,
Spiritual Laws by carnal power shall force
On every confcience; Laws which none shall find
Left them inroll'd, or what the Spirit within
Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then
But force the Spirit of Grace it felf, and bind 525
His confort Liberty; what, but unbuild

His living Temples, built by Faith to stand,
Their own Faith not anothers; for on Earth
Who against Faith and Confcience can be heard
Infallible yet many will prefume:

Whence heavy perfecution shall arise
On all who in the worship perfevere

Of Spirit and Truth; the reft, far greater part,
Well deem in outward Rites and fpecious forms
Religion fatisfy'd; Truth fhall retire

520

130

535

Beftuck with flandrous darts, and works of Faith
Rarely be found: fo fhall the World go on,
To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight groaning till the day