Paradise Lost - Milton John - Страница 63

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The Heav'nly fires; over the Tent a Cloud

Shall rest by Day, a fierie gleame by Night,

Save when they journie, and at length they come,

Conducted by his Angel to the Land

Promisd to ABRAHAM and his Seed: the rest

Were long to tell, how many Battels fought,

How many Kings destroyd, and Kingdoms won,

Or how the Sun shall in mid Heav'n stand still

A day entire, and Nights due course adjourne,

Mans 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 interpos'd. O sent from Heav'n,

Enlightner of my darkness, gracious things

Thou hast reveald, those chiefly which concerne

Just ABRAHAM and his Seed: now first I finde

Mine eyes true op'ning, and my heart much eas'd,

Erwhile perplext with thoughts what would becom

Of mee and all Mankind; but now I see

His day, in whom all Nations shall be blest,

Favour unmerited by me, who sought

Forbidd'n knowledge by forbidd'n means.

This yet I apprehend not, why to those

Among whom God will deigne to dwell on Earth

So many and so various Laws are giv'n;

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

Thir natural pravitie, by stirring up

Sin against Law to fight; that when they see

Law can discover sin, but not remove,

Save by those shadowie expiations weak,

The bloud of Bulls and Goats, they may conclude

Some bloud more precious must be paid for Man,

Just for unjust, that in such righteousness

To them by Faith imputed, they may finde

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 imperfet, and but giv'n

With purpose to resign them in full time

Up to a better Cov'nant, disciplin'd

From shadowie Types to Truth, from Flesh to Spirit,

From imposition of strict Laws, to free

Acceptance of large Grace, from servil fear

To filial, works of Law to works of Faith.

And therefore shall not MOSES, though of God

Highly belov'd, 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 adversarie Serpent, and bring back

Through the worlds wilderness long wanderd man

Safe to eternal Paradise of rest.

Meanwhile they in thir earthly CANAAN plac't

Long time shall dwell and prosper, but when sins

National interrupt thir 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 pietie renownd

And puissant deeds, a promise shall receive

Irrevocable, that his Regal Throne

For ever shall endure; the like shall sing

All Prophecie, That of the Royal Stock

Of DAVID (so I name this King) shall rise

A Son, the Womans 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 fam'd,

The clouded Ark of God till then in Tents

Wandring, shall in a glorious Temple enshrine.

Such follow him, as shall be registerd

Part good, part bad, of bad the longer scrowle,

Whose foul Idolatries, and other faults

Heapt to the popular summe, will so incense

God, as to leave them, and expose thir Land,

Thir Citie, his Temple, and his holy Ark

With all his sacred things, a scorn and prey

To that proud Citie, whose high Walls thou saw'st

Left in confusion, BABYLON thence call'd.

There in captivitie he lets them dwell

The space of seventie years, then brings them back,

Remembring mercie, and his Cov'nant sworn

To DAVID, stablisht as the dayes of Heav'n.

Returnd from BABYLON by leave of Kings

Thir Lords, whom God dispos'd, the house of God

They first re-edifie, and for a while

In mean estate live moderate, till grown

In wealth and multitude, factious they grow;

But first among the Priests dissension springs,

Men who attend the Altar, and should most

Endeavour Peace: thir strife pollution brings

Upon the Temple it self: at last they seise

The Scepter, and regard not DAVIDS Sons,

Then loose it to a stranger, that the true

Anointed King MESSIAH might be born

Barr'd of his right; yet at his Birth a Starr

Unseen before in Heav'n proclaims him com,

And guides the Eastern Sages, who enquire

His place, to offer Incense, Myrrh, and Gold;

His place of birth a solemn Angel tells

To simple Shepherds, keeping watch by night;

They gladly thither haste, and by a Quire

Of squadrond Angels hear his Carol sung.

A Virgin is his Mother, but his Sire

The Power of the most High; he shall ascend

The Throne hereditarie, and bound his Reign

With earths wide bounds, his glory with the Heav'ns.

He ceas'd, discerning ADAM with such joy

Surcharg'd, as had like grief bin dew'd in tears,

Without the vent of words, which these he breathd.

O Prophet of glad tidings, finisher

Of utmost hope! now clear I understand

What oft my steddiest thoughts have searcht in vain,

Why our great expectation should be call'd

The seed of Woman: Virgin Mother, Haile,

High in the love of Heav'n, yet from my Loynes

Thou shalt proceed, and from thy Womb the Son

Of God most High; So God with man unites.

Needs must the Serpent now his capital bruise

Expect with mortal paine: say where and when

Thir fight, what stroke shall bruise the Victors heel.

To whom thus MICHAEL. Dream not of thir fight,

As of a Duel, or the local wounds

Of head or heel: not therefore joynes the Son

Manhood to God-head, with more strength to foil

Thy enemie; nor so is overcome

SATAN, whose fall from Heav'n, a deadlier bruise,

Disabl'd not to give thee thy deaths wound:

Which hee, who comes thy Saviour, shall recure,

Not by destroying SATAN, but his works

In thee and in thy Seed: nor can this be,

But by fulfilling that which thou didst want,

Obedience to the Law of God, impos'd

On penaltie of death, and suffering death,

The penaltie to thy transgression due,

And due to theirs which out of thine will grow:

So onely can high Justice rest appaid.

The Law of God exact he shall fulfill

Both by obedience and by love, though love

Alone fulfill the Law; thy punishment

He shall endure by coming in the Flesh

To a reproachful life and cursed death,

Proclaiming Life to all who shall believe

In his redemption, and that his obedience

Imputed becomes theirs by Faith, his merits

To save them, not thir own, though legal works.

For this he shall live hated, be blasphem'd,

Seis'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemnd

A shameful and accurst, naild to the Cross

By his own Nation, slaine for bringing Life;

But to the Cross he nailes thy Enemies,

The Law that is against thee, and the sins

Of all mankinde, with him there crucifi'd,

Never to hurt them more who rightly trust

In this his satisfaction; so he dies,

But soon revives, Death over him no power

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