And wheel on the earth, devouring where it rolls; What it devours not, herb, or fruit, or grain, A darksome cloud of locusts swarming down Must eat, and on the ground leave nothing green; Darkness must overshadow all his bounds, Palpable darkness, and blot out three days; Last, with one midnight stroke, all the first-born Of Egypt must lie dead. Thus with ten wounds
The river-dragon tamed at length submits To let his sojourners depart, and oft
Humbles his stubborn heart, but still as ice More harden'd after thaw; till, in his rage Pursuing whom he late dismiss'd, the sea Swallows him with his host, but them lets pass, As on dry land between two crystal walls, Awed by the rod of Moses so to stand Divided, till his rescued gain their shore: Such wondrous power God to his Saint will lend, Though present in his Angel, who shall go Before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire, By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire, To guide them in their journey, and remove Behind them, while the obdurate king pursues. All night he will pursue, but his approach Darkness defends between till morning watch; Then through the fiery pillar and the cloud God looking forth will trouble all his host, And craze their chariot wheels: when by command Moses once more his potent rod extends Over the sea; the sea his rod obeys; On their embattled ranks the waves return, And overwhelm their war. The race elect Safe towards Canaan from the shore advance Through the wild Desert, not the readiest way; Lest, entering on the Canaanite alarm'd, War terrify them inexpert, and fear Return them back to Egypt, choosing rather Inglorious life with servitude; for life To noble and ignoble is more sweet
Untrain'd in arms, where rashness leads not on.
This also shall they gain by their delay In the wide wilderness: there they shall found Their government, and their great Senate choose Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain'd.
God from the mount of Sinai, whose grey top Shall tremble, he descending, will himself In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpet's sound, Ordain them laws; part, such as appertain To civil justice; part, religious rites Of sacrifice, informing them by types And shadows, of that destined Seed to bruise The Serpent, by what means he shall achieve Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God To mortal ear is dreadful; they beseech That Moses might report to them his will, And terror cease; he grants what they besought, Instructed that to God is no access Without Mediator, whose high office now Moses in figure bears, to introduce One greater, of whose day he shall foretell, And all the Prophets in their age the times Of great Messiah shall sing. Thus laws and rites Establish'd, such delight hath God in men Obedient to his will, that he vouchsafes Among them to set up his tabernacle, The Holy One with mortal men to dwell. By his prescript a sanctuary is framed Of cedar, overlaid with gold; therein An ark, and in the ark his testimony The records of his covenant; over these A mercy-seat of gold, between the wings Of two bright Cherubim; before him burn Seven lamps, as in a zodiac representing The heavenly fires. Over the tent a cloud Shall rest by day, a fiery gleam by night, Save when they journey; and at length they come, Conducted by his Angel, to the land
Promised to Abraham and his seed. The rest Were long to tell: how many battles fought; How many kings destroy'd, and kingdoms won;
Or how the sun shall in mid heaven stand still A day entire, and night's due course adjourn, Man's voice commanding, 'Sun, in Gibeon stand, And thou, Moon, in the vale of Aialon, Till Israel overcome!' so call the third From Abraham, son of Isaac, and from him His whole descent, who thus shall Canaan win."
Here Adam interposed: "O sent from Heaven, Enlightener of my darkness, gracious things Thou hast reveal'd, those chiefly which concern Just Abraham and his seed. Now first I find Mine eyes true opening, and my heart much eased, Erewhile perplex'd with thoughts what would become Of me and all mankind; but now I see His day, in whom all nations shall be blest, Favour unmerited by me, who sought Forbidden knowledge by forbidden means. This yet I apprehend not, why to those Among whom God will deign to dwell on Earth So many and so various laws are given: So many laws argue so many sins
Among them; how can God with such reside?"
To whom thus Michael: "Doubt not but that sin Will reign among them, as of thee begot; And therefore was law given them, to evince Their natural pravity, by stirring up Sin against law to fight; that, when they see Law can discover sin, but not remove, Save by those shadowy expiations weak,
The blood of bulls and goats, they may conclude Some blood more precious must be paid for Man, Just for unjust, that in such righteousness, To them by faith imputed, they may find Justification towards God, and peace Of conscience, which the law by ceremonies Cannot appease, nor man the moral part Perform, and not performing cannot live. So law appears imperfect, and but given With purpose to resign them, in full time, Up to a better covenant, disciplined
From shadowy types to truth, from flesh to spirit, From imposition of strict laws to free
Acceptance of large grace, from servile fear To filial, works of law to works of faith. And therefore shall not Moses, though of God
Highly beloved, being but the minister
Of law, his people into Canaan lead;
But Joshua, whom the Gentiles Jesus call,
His name and office bearing, who shall quell
The adversary Serpent, and bring back Through the world's wilderness long-wander'd Man Safe to eternal Paradise of rest.
Meanwhile they, in their earthly Canaan placed, Long time shall dwell and prosper, but when sins National interrupt their public peace, Provoking God to raise them enemies, From whom as oft he saves them penitent, By Judges first, then under Kings; of whom The second, both for piety renown'd And puissant deeds, a promise shall receive Irrevocable, that his regal throne For ever shall endure. The like shall sing All Prophecy: That of the royal stock Of David (so I name this king) shall rise A Son, the Woman's Seed to thee foretold, Foretold to Abraham, as in whom shall trust All nations, and to kings foretold, of kings The last, for of his reign shall be no end. But first a long succession must ensue; And his next son, for wealth and wisdom famed, The clouded ark of God, till then in tents Wandering, shall in a glorious temple enshrine. Such follow him as shall be register'd
Part good, part bad; of bad the longer scroll; Whose foul idolatries and other faults, Heap'd to the popular sum, will so incense God, as to leave them, and expose their land, Their city, his temple, and his holy ark, With all his sacred things, a scorn and prey To that proud city, whose high walls thou saw'st
With foes, for daring single to be just, And utter odious truth, that God would come To judge them with his Saints: him the Most High,
Rapt in a balmy cloud with winged steeds,
Did, as thou saw'st, receive, to walk with God
High in salvation and the climes of bliss, Exempt from death: to shew thee what reward Awaits the good, the rest what punishment;
Which now direct thine eyes and soon behold."
He looked, and saw the face of things quite changed; The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar; All now was turned to jollity and game, To luxury and riot, feast and dance, Marrying or prostituting, as befell, Rape or adultery, where passing fair Allured them; thence from cups to civil broils. At length a reverend sire among them came, And of their doings great dislike declared, And testified against their ways: he oft Frequented their assemblies, whereso met, Triumphs or festivals, and to them preach'd Conversion and repentance, as to souls In prison, under judgments imminent; But all in vain. Which when he saw, he ceased Contending, and removed his tents far off; Then, from the mountain hewing timber tall, Began to build a vessel of huge bulk, Measured by cubit, length, and breadth, and highth, Smear'd round with pitch, and in the side a door Contrived, and of provisions laid in large For man and beast: when lo! a wonder strange! Of every beast, and bird, and insect small, Came sevens and pairs, and enter'd in, as taught Their order; last, the sire and his three sons, With their four wives; and God made fast the door. Meanwhile the south-wind rose, and, with black wings Wide hovering, all the clouds together drove From under heaven; the hills, to their supply, Vapour, and exhalation dusk and moist, Sent up amain; and now the thicken'd sky
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