To whom thus Michael. Dream not of their fight, As of a duel, or the local wounds
Of head or heel: not therefore joins the Son
Manhood to God-head, with more strength to foil
Thy enemy; nor fo is overcome
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Satan, whose fall from Heav'n, a deadlier bruise,
Disabled not to give thee thy death's wound:
Which he, who comes thy Saviour, fhall recure,
Not by destroying Satan, but his works
In thee, and in thy feed: nor can this be,
But by fulfilling that which thou didst 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.
The law of God exact he shall fulfil
Both by obedience and by love, though love
Alone fulfil the law; thy punishment
He shall indure by coming in the flesh
To a reproachful life and curfed death;
Proclaming 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, though 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 accurs'd, nail'd to the cross
By his own nation, flain for bringing life;
But to the cross 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 fatisfaction; fo he dies,
But foon revives; death over him no power
Shall long ufurp; ere the third dawning light
Return, the stars of morn fhall fee him rise
Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light,
Thy ransome paid, which man from death redeems,
His death for man, as many as offer'd life
Neglect not, and the benefit embrace
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 bruife the head of Satan, crush his ftrength, 430
Defeating fin and death, his two main arms,
And fix far deeper in his head their flings
Than temp'ral death shall bruise the victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems; a death like fleep,
A gentle wafting to immortal life.
Nor, after refurrection shall he stay
Longer on earth, than certain times to appear
To his difciples; men who in his life
Still follow'd him: to them fhall leave in charge To teach all nations what of him they learn'd 44 And his falvation; them who shall believe
Baptizing in the profluent stream, the fign
Of washing them from guilt of fin to life
Pure, and in mind prepar'd, if fo befall,
For death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd. 445
All nations they shall teach; for from that day
Not only to the fons of Abraham's loins
Salvation fhall be preach'd, but to the fons
Of Abraham's faith wherever through the world;
So in his feed all nations fhall be bleft.
Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns he fhall afcend
With victory, triumphing through the air
Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise
The Serpent, prince of air, and drag in chains
Through all his realm, and there confounded leave; Then enter into glory, and refume
His feat at God's right hand, exalted high
Above all names in Heav'n; and thence fhall come,
When this world's dissolution shall be ripe,
With glory' and pow'r to judge both quick and dead; To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward
His faithful, and receive them into blifs,
Whether in Heav'n or Earth; for then the Earth
Shall all be Paradise, far happier place
Than this of Eden, and far happier days.
So fpake th' Arch-Angel Michaël, then paus'd, As at the world's great period; and our fire Replete with joy and wonder thus reply'd.
O Goodness infinite, Goodness immense!
That all this good of evil shall produce,
And evil turn to good; more wonderful
Than that which by creation first brought forth
Light out of darkness! full of doubt I stand,
Whether I fhould repent me now of sin,
By me done and occafion'd, or rejoice
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 say, if our Deliverer up to Heaven
Must reafcend, what will betide the few
His faithful, left among th' unfaithful herd,
The enemies of truth? who then shall guide
His people, who defend? will they not deal
Worse 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,
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 spiritual armour, able to resist
Satan's affaults, and quench his fiery darts;
What man can do against them, not afraid,
Though to the death; against such cruelties
With inward confolations recompens'd,
And oft fupported fo as fhall amaze
Their proudest perfecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd first on his Apostles, whom he sends
To evangelize the nations, then on all
Baptiz'd, fhall 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,
They die; but in their room, as they forewarn,
Wolves fhall fucceed for teachers, grievous wolves,
Who all the facred myfteries of Heaven
To their own vile advantages fhall turn
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, 515
Places, and titles, and with these to join
Secular pow'r, though feigning ftill to act
By Spiritual, 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 Spirit within
Shall on the heart ingrave. What will they then
But force the Spirit of grace itself, and bind
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