To do him honor 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; I saw The prophet do him reverence, on him rifing 80 Out of the water, Heav'n above the clouds Unfold her crystal doors, thence on his head A perfect dove descend, what-e'er it meant, And out of Heav'n the sovran 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 Heaven, And what will he not do to' advance his Son? His firft-begot we know, and fore have felt, When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep; 90 Who this is we must learn, for man he feems In all his lineaments, though in his face The glimpses of his Father's glory shine.
Ye fee our danger on the utmost edge
Of hazard, which admits no long debate,
But must with something sudden be oppos'd,
Not force, but well couch'd fraud, well woven fnares, 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 best to hope of like fuccefs.
He ended, and his words impreffion left Of much amazement to th' infernal crew, Distracted and furpris'd with deep dismay At these sad 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, ye Gods Of many a pleasant realm and province wide. So to the coast of Jordan he directs His easy steps, girded with snaky 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 so long enjoy'd: But contrary unweeting he fulfill'd
The purpos'd counsel pre-ordain'd and fix'd Of the most High, who in full frequence bright Of Angels, thus to Gabriel fmiling spake.
Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, 130
Thou and all Angels converfant on earth With man or men's affairs, how I begin To verify that folemn message late,
On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure
In Galilee, that she should bear a son
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 The Holy Ghoft, and the pow'r of the Highest O'er-fhadow her: this man born and now up-grown, To fhew him worthy of his birth divine And high prediction, henceforth I expose To Satan; let him tempt and now affay His utmost subtlety, because he boasts
And vaunts 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 Of female feed, far abler to resist
All his folicitations, and at length
All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell,
Winning by conqueft what the first man loft
By fallacy furpris'd. But firft I mean To exercise him in the wilderness, There he shall first 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 shall o'ercome Satanic strength, And all the world, and mafs of finful flesh; That all the Angels and ethereal Powers, They now, and men hereafter may discern, 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 stood a space, then into hymns Burst forth, and in celestial measures mov'd, 170 Circling the throne and singing, 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, And devilish machinations come to 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
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first Publish his God-like office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading, And his deep thoughts, the better to converse 190 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 fhades and rocks environ'd round, His holy meditations thus pursu’d.
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 present state compar'd! When I was yet a child, no childish play To me was pleasing; all my mind was set Serious to learn and know, and thence to do What might be public good; myself I thought Born to that end, born to promote all truth, 205 All righteous things: therefore above my years, The law of God I read, and found it fweet, 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 210
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
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