Paradise Lost - Milton John - Страница 64

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Shall long usurp; ere the third dawning light

Returne, the Starres 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 offerd Life

Neglect not, and the benefit imbrace

By Faith not void of works: this God-like act

Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have dy'd,

In sin for ever lost from life; this act

Shall bruise the head of SATAN, crush his strength

Defeating Sin and Death, his two maine armes,

And fix farr deeper in his head thir stings

Then temporal death shall bruise the Victors 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 then certaine times to appeer

To his Disciples, Men who in his Life

Still follow'd him; to them shall leave in charge

To teach all nations what of him they learn'd

And his Salvation, them who shall beleeve

Baptizing in the profluent streame, the signe

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 dy'd.

All Nations they shall teach; for from that day

Not onely to the Sons of ABRAHAMS Loines

Salvation shall be Preacht, but to the Sons

Of ABRAHAMS Faith wherever through the world;

So in his seed all Nations shall be blest.

Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns he shall ascend

With victory, triumphing through the aire

Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise

The Serpent, Prince of aire, and drag in Chaines

Through all his realme, & there confounded leave;

Then enter into glory, and resume

His Seat at Gods right hand, exalted high

Above all names in Heav'n; and thence shall come,

When this worlds dissolution shall be ripe,

With glory and power to judge both quick & dead,

To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward

His faithful, and receave them into bliss,

Whether in Heav'n or Earth, for then the Earth

Shall all be Paradise, far happier place

Then this of EDEN, and far happier daies.

So spake th' Archangel MICHAEL, then paus'd,

As at the Worlds great period; and our Sire

Replete with joy and wonder thus repli'd.

O goodness infinite, goodness immense!

That all this good of evil shall produce,

And evil turn to good; more wonderful

Then 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 mee done and occasiond, or rejoyce

Much more, that much more good thereof shall spring,

To God more glory, more good will to Men

From God, and over wrauth grace shall abound.

But say, if our deliverer up to Heav'n

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 deale

Wors with his followers then with him they dealt?

Be sure they will, said th' Angel; but from Heav'n

Hee 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 thir hearts shall write,

To guide them in all truth, and also arme

With spiritual Armour, able to resist

SATANS assaults, and quench his fierie darts

What Man can do against them, not affraid,

Though to the death, against such cruelties

With inward consolations recompenc't,

And oft supported so as shall amaze

Thir proudest persecuters: for the Spirit

Powrd first on his Apostles, whom he sends

To evangelize the Nations, then on all

Baptiz'd, shall them with wondrous gifts endue

To speak all Tongues, and do all Miracles,

As did thir Lord before them. Thus they win

Great numbers of each Nation to receave

With joy the tidings brought from Heav'n: at length

Thir Ministry perform'd, and race well run,

Thir doctrine and thir story written left,

They die; but in thir room, as they forewarne,

Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous Wolves,

Who all the sacred mysteries of Heav'n

To thir own vile advantages shall turne

Of lucre and ambition, and the truth

With superstitions and traditions taint,

Left onely 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 joine

Secular power, though feigning still to act

By spiritual, to themselves appropriating

The Spirit of God, promisd alike and giv'n

To all Beleevers; and from that pretense,

Spiritual Lawes by carnal power shall force

On every conscience; Laws which none shall finde

Left them inrould, or what the Spirit within

Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then

But force the Spirit of Grace it self, and binde

His consort Libertie; what, but unbuild

His living Temples, built by Faith to stand,

Thir own Faith not anothers: for on Earth

Who against Faith and Conscience can be heard

Infallible? yet many will presume:

Whence heavie persecution shall arise

On all who in the worship persevere

Of Spirit and Truth; the rest, farr greater part,

Will deem in outward Rites and specious formes

Religion satisfi'd; Truth shall retire

Bestuck with slandrous darts, and works of Faith

Rarely be found: so shall the World goe on,

To good malignant, to bad men benigne,

Under her own waight groaning, till the day

Appeer of respiration to the just,

And vengeance to the wicked, at return

Of him so lately promis'd to thy aid,

The Womans seed, obscurely then foretold,

Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord,

Last in the Clouds from Heav'n to be reveald

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

Founded in righteousness and peace and love,

To bring forth fruits Joy and eternal Bliss.

He ended; and thus ADAM last reply'd.

How soon hath thy prediction, Seer blest,

Measur'd this transient World, the Race of time,

Till time stand fixt: beyond is all abyss,

Eternitie, whose end no eye can reach.

Greatly instructed I shall hence depart,

Greatly in peace of thought, and have my fill

Of knowledge, what this vessel can containe;

Beyond which was my folly to aspire.

Henceforth I learne, that to obey is best,

And love with feare the onely God, to walk

As in his presence, ever to observe

His providence, and on him sole depend,

Merciful over all his works, with good

Still overcoming evil, and by small

Accomplishing great things, by things deemd weak

Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise

By simply meek; that suffering for Truths sake

Is fortitude to highest victorie,

And to the faithful Death the Gate of Life;

Taught this by his example whom I now

Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest.

To whom thus also th' Angel last repli'd:

This having learnt, thou hast attaind the summe

Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the Starrs

Thou knewst by name, and all th' ethereal Powers,

All secrets of the deep, all Natures works,

Or works of God in Heav'n, Air, Earth, or Sea,

And all the riches of this World enjoydst,

And all the rule, one Empire; onely add

Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,

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