WHO erewhile the happy garden fung, By one man's disobedience loft, now fing Recover'd Paradife to all mankind, By one man's firm obedience fully try'd Through all temptation, and the tempter foil'd In all his wiles, defeated and repuls'd, And Eden rais'd in the wafte wilderness.
Thou Spirit who ledd'ft this glorious eremite Into the defart, his victorious field,
Against the spiritual foe, and brought'ft him thence 10 By proof th' undoubted Son of God, infpire, As thou art wont, my prompted fong, else mute, And bear through height or depth of Nature's bounds With profp'rous wing full fumm'd, to tell of deeds Above heroick, though in fecret done, And unrecorded left through many an age, Worthy to' have not remain'd fo long unfung. Now had the great proclaimer, with a voice More awful than the found of trumpet, cry'd Repentance, and Heav'n's kingdom nigh at hand To all baptiz'd: to his great baptism flock'd With awe the regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the fon of Jofeph deem'd, To the flood Jordan, came as then obfcure,
Unmark'd, unknown; but him the Baptift foon 25
Defcry'd, divinely warn'd, and witness bore As to his worthier, and would have refign'd To him his heav'nly office: nor was long His witnefs unconfirm'd: on him baptiz'd Heav'n open'd, and in likeness of a dove
The Spirit defcended, while the Father's voice From heav'n pronounc'd him his beloved Son. That heard the adverfary, who roving ftill About the world, at that affembly fam'd Would not be last, and with the voice divine Nigh thunder-ftruck, th' exalted man, to whom Such high atteft was giv'n, a while furvey'd With wonder, then with envy fraught and rage Flies to his place, nor refts, but in mid-air To council fummons all his mighty peers, Within thick clouds and dark tenfold involv'd, A gloomy confiftory; and them amidst With looks aghast and fad he thus befpake:
O ancient pow'rs of air and this wide world, For much more willingly I mention air, This our old conqueft, than remember hell, Our hated habitation; well ye know How many ages, as the years of men, This universe we have poffefs'd, and rul'd In manner at our will th' affairs of earth, Since Adam and his facile confort Eve Loft Paradife deceiv'd by me, though fince With dread attending when that fatal wound Shall be inflicted by the feed of Eve Upon my head: long the decrees of Heav'n Delay, for longeft time to him is fhort;
And now too foon for us the circling hours
This dreaded time have compafs'd, wherein we
Muft bide the stroke of that long threaten'd wound,
At leaft if fo we can, and by the head
Broken be not intended all our power To be infring'd, our freedom and our being, In this fair empire won of earth and air; For this ill news I bring, the woman's feed Deftin'd to this, is late of woman born : His birth to our just fear gave no small cause, But his growth now to youth's full flow'r, displaying All virtue, grace, and wifdom to achieve
Things higheft, greateft, multiplies my fear. Before him a great prophet, to proclaim His coming, is fent harbinger, who all Invites, and in the confecrated stream Pretends to wash off fin, and fit them fo Purified to receive him pure, or rather
To do him honour 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; 1 faw The prophet do him reverence, on him rifing Out of the water, heav'n above the clouds Unfold her chrystal doors, thence on his head A perfect dove defcend, whate'er it meant, And out of heav'n the fov'reign voice I heard, This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd. His mother then is mortal, but his fire He who obtains the monarchy of heav'n;
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: Who this is we must learn; for man he feems In all his lineaments, though in his face. The glimpfes of his Father's glory fhine. Ye fee our danger on the utmoft edge Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But muft with fomething sudden 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 durft, fole 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 beft to hope of like fuccefs.
He ended, and his words impreffion left: Of much amazement to th' infernal crew, Distracted and furpriz'd with deep dismay At these fad 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 fo 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, yea gods Of many a pleasant realm and province wide. So to the coaft of Jordan he directs His eafy fteps, guarded with fnaky wiles, Where he might likelieft find this new declar'd, This man of men, attefted 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 fo long enjoy'd: But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd The purpos'd counfel pre-ordain'd and fix'd Of the Most High, who in full frequence bright Of Angels, thus to Gabriel fmiling fpake:
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