The enemies of truth? who then shall guide
His people, who defend? will they not deal
Worfe with his followers than with him they dealt?
Be sure they will, said th' Angel; but from Heaven
He to his own a Comforter will fend,

486

The promise of the Father, who shall dwell

His Spirit within them, and the law of faith Working through love, upon their hearts shall write, To guide them in all truth, and also arm

With fpiritual armour, able to refist

Satan's affaults, and quench his fiery darts,

490

What man can do against them, not afraid,

Though to the death, against such cruelties
With inward confolations recompens'd,

And oft fupported so as shall amaze

Their proudest perfecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd first on his Apostles, whom he sends

495

To

To evangelize the nations, then on all
Baptiz'd, shall them with wondrous gifts indue 500
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 ministry perform'd, and race well run,

Their doctrin and their story written left,

595

They die; but in their room, as they forewarn, Wolves shall fucceed for teachers, grievous wolves, Who all the facred myfteries of Heaven

To their own vile advantages shall turn

510

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 shall they seek to' avail themselves of names,

Places,

For I know this that after my departure fhall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. See too his Confiderations touching the likelieft means to remove hirelings out of the Chriftian church. Vol. I. P. 563. Edit. 1738. Not long after as the Apoftle foretold, hirelings like wolves came in by herds &c.

514. Though not but by the Spirit understood.] I don't think

Places, and titles, and with these to join

516

Secular pow'r, though feigning still to act
By fpiritual, to themselves appropriating

The Spirit of God, promis'd alike and given
To all believers; and from that pretence,
Spiritual laws by carnal pow'r fhall force
On every confcience; laws which none fhall find
Left them inroll'd, or what the Spi'rit within
Shall on the heart ingrave. What will they then
But force the Spi'rit of grace itself, and bind
His confort liberty? what, but unbuild
His living temples, built by faith to stand,
Their own faith not another's? for on earth

Who against faith and conscience can be heard
Infallible? yet many will prefume:
Whence heavy perfecution shall arise

520

525

530

On

agreeable to reveal'd or natural religion, neither to be found in holy Scripture, or written on their hearts by the Spirit of God, according to that divine promise, Jer. XXXI. 33I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.

526. His confort liberty?] For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. III. 17.

527. His living temples.] Chriftians are call'd the temples of God, 1 Cor. III. 16, 17. and VI. 19. 532. On

On all who in the worship perfevere

Of spi'rit and truth; the reft, far greater part,
Will deem in outward rites and fpecious forms
Religion fatisfy'd; truth shall retire

Beftuck with fland'rous 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
Appear of refpiration to the juft,

And vengeance to the wicked, at return
Of him fo lately promis'd to thy aid

The Woman's Seed, obfcurely then foretold,
Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord,
Laft in the clouds from Heav'n to be reveal'd
In glory of the Father, to diffolve

Satan with his perverted world, then raise

532. On all who in the worship per

fevere

Of Spirit and truth;] He alludes to John IV. 23. The true worshippers fball worship the Father in fpirit and in truth.

534. Will deem] This is the genuin reading of the first edition; in the second it was printed by mistake Well deem, but abfurd as this reading is, it has been follow'd in all the editions which I have seen, till Mr. Fenton's and Dr. Bentley's.

VOL. II.

-

535

549

545

From

540.-the day of respiration] This is what the Scripture calls the times of refreshing, Acts ÌI. 19. 5.46. to diffolve Satan with bis perverted world,] An expreffion of the fame import, as when the light is faid to dissolve the darkness,

Extulit os facrum cœlo, tenebrafque

refolvit. Virg. Æn. VIII. 591. Our author probably borrow'd the phrafe from Scripture, 2 Pet. III. Ee

113

From the conflagrant mafs, purg'd and refin'd,
New Heav'ns, new Earth, ages of endless date
Founded in righteousness and peace and love, 559
To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal blifs.
He ended; and thus Adam last reply'd.
How foon hath thy prediction, Seer bleft,
Measur'd this tranfient world, the race of time,
Till time stand fix'd? beyond is all abyss,
Eternity, whofe end no eye can reach.

Greatly instructed I fhall hence depart,

Greatly in

peace of thought, and have my fill Of knowledge, what this veffel can contain ;

Beyond, which was my folly to aspire.

Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best,

And love with fear the only God, to walk
As in his presence, ever to obferve

11, 12. Seeing then that all these things fhall be diffolved &c. the Heavens being on fire fhall be diffolved. And he had mention'd before, ver. 459. this world's diffolution.

549. New Heav'ns, new Earth,] The very words of St. Peter, 2 Pet. III. 13. Nevertheless awe, according to his promife, look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs. This notion, of the Heavens and Earth being renew'd

555

560

His

after the conflagration, and made the habitation of Angels and juft men made perfect, was very pleafing to our author, as it was to Dr. Burnet, and must be to every one of a fine and exalted imagination; and Milton has inlarged upon it in feveral parts of his works, and particularly in this poem, III. 333, &c. X. 638. XI. 65, 900. XII. 462.

1 Cor. I. 27. God hath chofen the 568.Subverting worldly firong, &c.} foolifi