By his own nation, slain for bringing life:
But to the cross he nails thy enemies,
The law that is against thee, and the sins
Of all mankind, with him there crucify'd,
Never to hurt them more who rightly trust
In this his satisfaction: so he dies,
But soon revives; Death over him no power
Shall long usurp; ere the third dawning light
Return, the stars of morn shall see him rise
Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light,
Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems,
His death for man, as many as offer'd life
Neglect not, and the benefit embrace
By faith not void of works. This godlike act
Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have
In sin for ever lost from life; this act [dy'd,
Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his strength,
Defeating sin and death, his two main arms,
And fix far deeper in his head their stings,
Than temporal death shall bruise the victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems, a death, like sleep,
A gentle wafting to immortal life.
Nor after resurrection shall he stay
Longer on earth than certain times to appear
To his disciples, men who in his life
Still follow'd him; to them shall leave in charge
424 Thy ransom] The two first editions have 'Thy,' the later ones The.' Pearce.
484 death, like sleep] Fenton has printed 'death-like;' and Johnson has quoted this passage in his dictionary to illustrate 'death-like;' but Milton's editions do not authorize such a reading.
To teach all nations what of him they learn'd 440
And his salvation; them who shall believe
Baptizing in the profluent stream, the sign
Of washing them from guilt of sin to life
Pure, and in mind prepar'd, if so befall,
For death, like that which the Redeemer died.
All nations they shall teach; for from that day
Not only to the sons of Abraham's loins
Salvation shall be preach'd, but to the sons
Of Abraham's faith wherever through the world:
So in his seed all nations shall be bless'd.
Then to the heaven of heavens he shall ascend
With victory, triumphing through the air
Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise
The serpent, prince of air, and drag in chains.
Through all his realm, and there confounded leave;
Then enter into glory, and resume
His seat at God's right hand, exalted high
Above all names in heaven; and thence shall come,
When this world's dissolution shall be ripe,
With glory and power to judge both quick and dead;
To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward
His faithful, and receive them into bliss,
Whether in heaven or earth; for then the earthTM
Shall all be Paradise, far happier place
Than this of Eden, and far happier days.
So spake th' archangel Michael, then paus'd,
As at the world's great period; and our sire
459 this world's] In the later editions we have 'the worlds,' but the two first have this.' Pearce.
461 judge] Damn. Bentl. MS.
Replete with joy and wonder thus reply'd.
O goodness infinite, goodness immense !
That all this good of evil shall produce,
And evil turn to good; more wonderful
Than that which by creation first brought forth
Light out of darkness! full of doubt I stand,
Whether I should repent me now of sin
By me done and occasion'd, or rejoice [spring.
Much more, that much more good thereof shall
To God more glory, more good will to men
From God, and over wrath grace shall abound.
But say, if our Deliverer up to heaven
Must reascend, what will betide the few
His faithful, left among th' unfaithful herd,
The enemies of truth? who then shall guide
His people, who defend? will they not deal
Worse with his followers than with him they dealt?
Be sure they will, said th' angel; but from heaven He to his own a Comforter will send, The promise of the Father, who shall dwell, His Spirit, within them, and the law of faith Working through love upon their hearts shall write, To guide them in all truth, and also arm With spiritual armour, able to resist Satan's assaults, and quench his fiery darts, What man can do against them, not afraid, Though to the death; against such cruelties With inward consolations recompens'd,
And oft supported so as shall amaze
471 And] Nay, even, yea, i. 387. Bentl. MS.
494 against] Amidst. Bentl. MS.
Their proudest persecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd first on his apostles, whom he sends
To evangelize the nations, then on all
Baptiz'd, shall them with wondrous gifts indue, 500 To speak all tongues, and do all miracles,
As did their Lord before them.
Thus they win Great numbers of each nation to receive
With joy the tidings brought from heaven: at length
Their ministry perform'd, and race well run,
Their doctrine and their story written left,
They die; but in their room, as they forewarn,
Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous wolves,
Who all the sacred mysteries of heaven
To their own vile advantages shall turn
Of lucré and ambition, and the truth
With superstitions and traditions taint,
Left only in those written records pure,
Though not but by the Spirit understood.
Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names,
Places, and titles, and with these to join
Secular power, though feigning still to act
By spiritual, to themselves appropriating
The Spirit of God, promis'd alike and given
To all believers; and from that pretence
Spiritual laws by carnal powers shall force
On every conscience; laws which none shall find
Left them inroll'd, or what the Spirit within
Shall on the heart engrave.
514 Spirit] I do not think that Milton, in all his writings, ever gave a stronger proof of his enthusiastical spirit than in this line.
But force the Spirit of Grace itself, and bind
His consort, Liberty? what, but unbuild.
His living temples, built by faith to stand,
Their own faith, not another's? for on earth
Who against faith and conscience can be heard
Infallible? yet many will presume :
Whence heavy persecution shall arise
On all who in the worship persevere
Of spirit and truth: the rest, far greater part,
Will deem in outward rites and specious forms
Religion satisfied; truth shall retire
Bestuck with slanderous darts, and works of faith
Rarely be found: so shall the world go on,
To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight groaning till the day
Appear of respiration to the just,
And vengeance to the wicked, at return
Of him so lately promis'd to thy aid,
The Woman's Seed, obscurely then foretold,
Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord;
Last in the clouds from heaven to be reveal'd
In glory of the Father, to dissolve
Satan with his perverted world, then raise
From the conflagrant mass, purg'd and refin'd,
New heav'ns, new earth, ages of endless date
534 Will deem] In the second edition it was printed by mistake 'Well deem;' but this reading, absurd as it is, has been followed in all the editions, till Fenton's and Bentley's, except Tickell's.
546 dissolve] An expression borrowed from Scripture, 2 Pet. iii. 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved.' Newton.
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