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 counfel pre-ordain'd and fix'd
Of the moft High, who in full frequence bright
Of Angels, thus to Gabriel fmiling spake.

Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold,
Thou and all Angels converfant on earth
With man or men's affairs, how I begin
To verify that folemn meffage late,
On which I fent 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

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The Holy Ghost, and the pow'r of the Highest
O'er-fhadow her: this man born and now up-grown,
To fhow him worthy of his birth divine
And high prediction, henceforth I expose
To Satan; let him tempt and now afsay
His utmoft fubtlety, because he boasts

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And yaunts of his great cunning to the throng 145.
Of his apoftafy; he might have learnt
Lefs overweening, fince he fail'd in Job,
Whose constant perfeverance overcame
Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.

He now shall know I can produce a man

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Of female feed, far abler to refiftˆ

All his folicitations, and at length

All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell,
Winning by conqueft what the first man lost

By fallacy furpris'd. But first I mean

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To exercise him in the wilderness,

There fhall he firft 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 sufferance:
His weakness fhall o'ercome Satanic ftrength,
And all the world, and mafs of finful flesh;
That all the Angels and ethereal Powers,
They now, and men hereafter may difcern,
From what confummate virtue I have chofe
This perfect man, by merit call'd my Son,
To earn falvation for the fons of men.

So fpake th' eternal Father, and all Heaven
Admiring flood a space, then into hymns
Burft forth, and in celeftial measures mov'd,
Circling the throne and finging, 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 fecure
Ventures his filial virtue, though untry'd,
Against whate'er may tempt, whate'er feduce.
Allure, or terrify, or undermine.

Be fruftrate all ye ftratagems of Hell,

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And devilish machinations come tɔ nought.

So they in Heav'n their odes and vigils tun'd: Mean while the Son of God, who yet fome days Lodg'd in Bethabara where John baptiz'd,

Mufing and much revolving in his breast,
How beft the mighty work he might begin

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Of Saviour to mankind, and which way firft
Publifh his God-like office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading,
And his deep thoughts, the better to converse
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. -

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O what a multitude of thoughts at once
Awaken'd in me fwarm, while I confider
What from within I feel myself, and hear
What from without comes often to my ears,
Ill forting with my prefent ftate compar'd!
When I was yet a child, no childish play
To me was pleafing; all my mind was set
Serious to learn and know, and thence to do
What might be public good; myfelf I thought
Born to that end, born to promote all truth,
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 feast
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
To which my fpi'rit afpir'd; victorious deeds.
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts, one while
To rescue Ifrael from the Roman yoke,
Then to fubdue and quell o'er all the earth
Brute violence and proud tyrannic power,

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Till truth were freed, and equity restor❜d:
Yet held it more humane, more heav'nly first
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfuafion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erring foul
Not wilfully mif-doing, but unware
Mifled; the ftubborn only to fubdue.

Thefe growing thoughts my mother foon perceiving
By words at times caft forth inly rejoic'd,
And faid to me apart, High are thy thoughts

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O Son, but nourish them and let them foar

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To what highth facred virtue and true worth
Can raife them, though above example high;
By matchlefs deeds exprefs thy matchless Sire.
For know, thou art no fon of mortal man ;
Though men efteem thee low of parentage,
Thy father is th' eternal King who rules

All Heav'n and Earth, Angels and Sons of men;

A meffenger from God foretold thy birth

Conceiv'd in me a virgin, he foretold

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Thou should'st be great and fit on David's throne, 240

And of thy kingdom there fhould be no end.

At thy nativity a glorious quire

Of Angels in the fields of Bethlehem fung

To fhepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Meffiah now was born

Where they might see him, and to thee they came,
Directed to the manger where thou lay'st,
For in the inn was left no better room:
A ftar, not feen before, in Heav'n appearing
Guided the wife men thither from the east,
To honor thee with incenfe, myrrh, and gold,

By whose bright courfe led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy ftar new grav'n in Heaven,

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By which they knew the king of Ifrael born.
Juft Simeon and prophetic Anna, warn'd

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By vifion, found thee in the temple', and spake
Before the altar and the vested priest,

Like things of thee to all that present stood.
This having heard, strait I again revolv'd

The law and prophets, fearching what was writ
Concerning the Meffiah, to our scribes

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Known partly, and foon found of whom they fpake
I am; this chiefly, that my way must lie
Through many a hard affay ev'n to the death,
Ere I the promis'd kingdom can attain,

Or work redemption for mankind, whofe fins
Full weight must be transferr'd upon my head.
Yet neither thus difhearten'd or difmay'd,
The time prefix'd I waited, when behold
The Baptift (of whofe birth I oft had heard,
Not knew by fight) now come, who was to come
Before Meffiah and his way prepare.

I as all others to his baptism came,

Which I believ'd was from above; but he

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Strait knew me, and with loudeft voice proclam'd 275

Me him (for it was shown him fo from Heaven)
Me him whofe harbinger he was; and first
Refus'd on me his baptifm to confer,

As much his greater, and was hardly won:
But as I rofe out of the laving stream,
Heav'n open'd her eternal doors, from whence
The Spi'rit defcended on me like a dove,
And laft the fum of all, my Father's voice,
Audibly heard from Heav'n, pronounc'd me his,
Me his beloved Son, in whom alone

He was well pleas'd; by which I knew the time
Now full, that I no more should live obscure,

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