In wealth and multitude, factious they grow;
But first among the priests diffenfion springs,
Men who attend the altar, and should moft
Endevor
peace : their ftrife pollution brings
Upon the temple' itself: at last they seise
The scepter, and regard not David's fons,
Then lose it to a stranger, that the true
Anointed king Meffiah might be born
Barr'd of his right; yet at his birth a star
Unfeen before in Heav'n proclames him come,
And guides the eastern fages, who inquire
His place, to offer incenfe, myrrh, and gold;
His place of birth a folemn Angel tells
To fimple fhepherds, keeping watch by night;
They gladly thither hafte, and by a quire
Of squadron'd Angels hear his carol fung,
A virgin is his mother, but his fire

The pow'r of the moft High; he shall afcend
The throne hereditary, and bound his reign

355.their firife pollution brings Upon the temple itself: &c.] For it was chiefly through the contefts between Jafon and Menelaus, highpriefts of the Jews, that the temple was polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes. See 2 Maccab. V. and Prideaux.

355

360

365

379

WE

At laft they feife the fcepter, Ar bulus eldeft fon of Hyrcanus, prieft of the Jews, was the art wa affumed the title of king after t Babylonish captivity; before Chr 107. And regard not David's none of that family having had a

ith earth's wide bounds, his glory with the Heavens. He ceas'd, difcerning Adam with such joy rcharg'd, as had like grief been dew'd in tears, ithout the vent of words, which these he breath'd. O prophet of glad tidings, finisher

futmoft hope! now clear I understand

375

hat oft my steddiest thoughts have search'd in vain; hy our great expectation should be call'd ne feed of Woman: Virgin Mother, hail, igh in the love of Heav'n, yet from my loins 380 hou shalt proceed, and from thy womb the Son f God most High; fo God with Man unites. eeds must the Serpent now his capital bruise xpect with mortal pain: fay where and when 384 heir fight, what stroke shall bruise the victor's heel. To whom thus Michael. Dream not of their fight, s of a duel, or the local wounds

f head or heel: not therefore joins the Son anhood to God-head, with more strength to foil

Thy enemy; nor fo is overcome

Satan, whofe fall from Heav'n, a deadlier bruise,
Disabled not to give thee thy death's wound:
Which he, who comes thy Saviour, shall recure,
Not by destroying Satan, but his works
In thee and in thy feed: nor can this be,
But by fulfilling that which thou didst want,
Obedience to the law of God, impos'd
On penalty of death, and fuffering death,
The penalty to thy tranfgreffion due,

395

395

And due to theirs which out of thine will grow: 400 So only can high justice rest appaid.

The law of God exact he fhall fulfil

Both by obedience and by love, though love
Alone fulfil the law; thy punishment

He

To fave them, &c.] Dr. Bentley fays that the construction demand Do fave them, and fo he fuppie that Milton gave it. But I can fee with what propriety, when M chael is fpeaking of things to come, and ufing the future tenfe befat and after this fentence, he can he jump at once into the prefent tee do, and represent Chrift's merits a then actually faving them. And ye tho' I diflike the Doctor's alteration, I confess that there is a difficul in the common reading. The onl fenfe that I can make of it is the

405

le fhall indure by coming in the flesh
o a reproachful life and curfed death,
roclaming life to all who fhall believe
1 his redemption, and that his obedience
nputed becomes theirs by faith, his merits
o fave them, not their own, though legal works.
or this he fhall live hated, be blafphem'd,

4II

eis'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd fhameful and accurs'd, nail'd to the cross

y

his own nation, flain for bringing life; ut to the cross he nails thy enemies,

The law that is against thee, and the fins
Of all mankind, with him there crucify'd,
Never to hurt them more who rightly trust
n this his fatisfaction; fo he dies,

415

But

For it is written, Curfed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Gal. III. 13. Deut. XXI. 23.

415. But to the cross he nails thy enemies,] The enemies of Adam were the law that was againft him and the fins of all mankind as fpringing originally from him, and therefore in fome fenfe chargeable upon him. The author in this paffage alludes to Col. II. 14. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. 424. Thy

But foon revives; death over him no power

420

Shall long ufurp; ere the third dawning light
Return, the stars of morn fhall fee him rife
Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light,
Thy ransome paid, which man from death redeems,
His death for man, as many as offer'd life
Neglect not, and the benefit embrace

425

By faith not void of works: this God-like act
Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldft have dy'd,
In fin for ever loft from life; this act

Shall bruife the head of Satan, crush his ftrength, 433
Defeating fin and death, his two main arms,
And fix far deeper in his head their stings
Than temp'ral death fhall bruise the victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like fleep,
A gentle wafting to immortal life.

Nor after refurrection fhall he stay
Longer on earth than certain times to' appear

424. Thy ranfome paid,] The two first editions have Thy (the later ones The): and Milton's word may be defended, if we fuppofe that Adam is here fpoken of not as a fingle perfon, but as one in whofe loins all mankind was contain'd, or as one who was reprefentative of the whole human species. And fo the poet fpeaks again in ver. 427.

435