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The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice
From heaven pronounc'd him his beloved Son..
That heard the adversary, who roving still
About the world, at that assembly fam'd..
Would not be last, and with the voice divine
Nigh thunder-struck, the exalted man, to whom
Such high attest was given, a while survey'd
With wonder, then, with envy fraught and rage
Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air
To council summons all his mighty peers,
Within thick clouds, and dark, tenfold involv'd,
A gloomy consistory; and themiamidst,...
With looks aghast and sad, he thus bespake

bespake:

"O ancient powers of air, and this wide world,

(For much more willingly I mention air, This our old conquest, than remember hell.. Our hated habitation,) well ye know 8.1

How many ages, as the years of menja

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This universe we have possessid, and rul'd,
In manner at our will, the affairs of earth, A
Since Adam and his facile consort Eve

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Lost Paradise, deceiv'd by me, though since
With dread attending when that fatal wound côn
Shall be inflicted by the seed of Eversail aird
Upon my head. Long the decrees of heaven.T
Delay, for longest time to him is shortit to tra
And now, too soon for us, the circling hours...
This dreaded time have compass'd, wherein we '1
Must bide the stroke of that long-threaten'd wound,
(At least if so we can, and by the head
Broken be not intended all our power guid tiss
To be infring'd, our freedom and our being
In this fair empire won of earth and airs)
For this ill news I bring, the woman's seeds in A
Destin'd to this, is late of woman boravimee
His birth to our just fear gave no small cause:
But his growth now to youth's full flower, die

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Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear.
Before him a great prophet, to proclaim
His coming, is sent harbinger, who all
Invites, and in the consecrated stream
Pretends to wash off sin, and fit them, so
Purified, to receive him pure, or rather
To do hịm honour as their King: all come,
And he himself among them was baptiz'd;
Not thence to be more pure, but to receive
The testimony of Heaven, that who he is
Thenceforth the nations may not doubt. I saw
The prophet do him reverence; on him, rising
Out of the water, heaven above the clouds
Unfold her crystal doors; thence on his head
A perfect dove descend, (whate'er it meant,). 1)
And out of heaven the sovran voice I heard,
*This is my Son belov'd, in him am pleas'd.
His mother then is mortal, but his Sirewol
He who obtains the monarchy of heaven :
And what will he not do to advance his Son
His first-begot, we know, and sore have felt
When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep I
Who this is we must learn, for man he seems i fl
In all his lineaments, though in his face it ifeld
The glimpses of his Father's glory shine.qu
Ye see our danger on the utmost odgela
Of hazard, which admits no long debate,,
But must with something sudden be oppos'd,
(Not force, but well-couch'd fraud, well-woven
Ere in the head of nations he appear,[snares,)
Their king, their leader, and supreme on earth.
I, when no other durst, sole undertookad uT
The dismal expedition to find out
And ruin Adam; and the exploit perform'd
Successfully a calmer voyage now...
Will waft me; and the way, found prosperous once,
Induces best to hope of like success."

He ended, and his words impression left
Of much amazement to the infernalcrew

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Distracted and surpris'd with deep dismay
At these sad tidings; but no time was then
For long indulgence to their fears or grief t
Unanimous they all commit the care
And management of this main enterprise
To him, their great dictator, whose attempt
At first against mankind so 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 coast of Jordan he directs
His easy steps, girded with snaky wiles,
Where he might likeliest find this new-declar'd,
This man of men, attested Son of God,
Temptation and all guile on him to try;
So to subvert 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 smiling spake:

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"Gabriel, this day by proof thou shalt behold, Thou and all angels conversant on earth With man or men's affairs, how I begin To verify that solemn message, lateft riw On which I sent thee to the virgin pu In Galilee, that she should bear a son Great in renown, and call'd the Son of God: Then told'st her, doubting how these things could To her a virgin, that on her should come [ve The Holy Ghost, and the power of the Highest O'ershadow her. This man, born and now, upTo show him worthy of his birth divine [grown And high prediction, henceforth I exposer:A To Satan; let him tempt, and now assay of His utmost subtlety, because he boasts And vaunts of his great cunning to the thro Of his apostasy; he might have learnt 14

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Less overweening, since he fail'd in Job,
Whose constant perseverance overcame
Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.*"
He now shal know I can produce a man
Of female seed, far abler to resist
All his solicitations, and at length
All his vast force, and drive him back to hell
Winning, by conquest, what the first man lost,
By fallacy surpris'd. But first I rabatillad
To exercise him in the wilderness; but
There he shall first lay down the rudiments
Of his great warfare, ere I send him forth
To conquer sin and death, the two grand foes, fo
By humiliation and strong sufferancer; 9
His weakness shall o'ercome Satanic strength,
And all the world, and mass of sinful thesh:
That all the angels and ethereal powers
'They now, and men hereafter, may discern
From what consummate virtue I have chose
This perfect man, by merit call'd my Son,"
To earn salvation for the sons of mem

So spake the Eternal Father, and all heaven Admiring stood a space, then into hymns" Burst forth, and in celestial measures mov'd, 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 entering his great duel, not of arms But to vanquish by wisdom hellish wiles! The Father knows the Son; therefore secure Ventures his filial virtue, though untried, Against whate'er may tempt, whate'er seduce," Allure, or terrify, or undermine. Be frustrate, all ye stratagems of hell, And. devilish machinations, come to naught"

So they in heaven their odes and vigils tun'd Meanwhile the Son of God, who yet some daya Lodg'd in Bethabara, where John baptisidy br. Musing, and much revolving in his breasti.

How best the mighty work he might begin,
Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first
Publish his godlike office now mature,
One day forth walk'd alone, the Spirit leading,
And his deep thoughts, the better to converse
With solitude, till, far from track of men,
Thought following thought, and step by step led on,
He enter'd now the bordering desert wild,
And, with dark shades and rocks environ'd round,
His holy meditations thus pursued

"O, what a multitude of thoughts at once
Awaken'd in me swarm, while I consider
What from within I feel myself, and hear
What from without comes often to my ears,
Ill sorting 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,
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 such perfection, that, ere yet my age
Had measur'd twice six years, at our great feast
went into the temple, there to hear
The teachers of our law, and to propose
What might improve my knowledge or their owa
And was admir'd by all: yet this not all
To which my spirit aspir'd: victorious deeds
Flam'd in my heart, heroic acts; one while
To rescue Israel from the Roman yoke;
Then to subdue and que!l, o'er all the earth,
Brute violence and proud tyrannic power,
Till truth were freed, and equity restor'd :
Yet held it more humane, more heavenly, first
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make persuasion do the work of fear;
At least to try, and teach the erting sou

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