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To his difciples, men who in his life

till follow'd him; to them shall leave in charge To teach all nations what of him they learn'd 440 and his falvation, them who shall believe aptizing in the profluent stream, the fign Of washing them from guilt of fin to life "ure, and in mind prepar'd, if fo befall,

"or death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd. 445 ■ll nations they shall teach; for from that day Not only to the fons of Abraham's loins

alvation shall be preach'd, but to the sons

Of Abraham's faith wherever through the world;
So in his feed all nations fhall be bleft.

450

Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns he shall afcend
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;

hen and than, but fpells both alike ben, which must neceffarily occafion Tome obscurity and confufion. Their coo he commonly writes thir, but chis greatly offends the eye, we are To much habituated to the other;

and at the fame time he frequently

ufes theirs, and there feems to be no reason why the one fhould be writ

Then

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Then enter into glory, and resume

456

His feat at God's right hand, exalted high
Above all names in Heav'n; and thence fhall come,
When this world's diffolution shall be ripe,
With glory' and pow'r to judge both quick and dead,
To judge th' unfaithful dead, but to reward

461

His faithful, and receive them into bliss,

Whether in Heav'n or Earth, for then the Earth Shall all be Paradise, far happier place

Than this of Eden, and far happier days.

465

So fpake th' Arch-Angel Michaël, then paus'd, As at the world's great period; and our fire Replete with joy and wonder thus reply'd.

457.

exalted high

Above all names in Heav'n;] Philip. II. 9. Wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. Or as it is exprefs'd Eph. I. 20, 21. Hath fet him at his own right hand in the beavenly places, above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. 459. When this world's diffolution

fhall be ripe,] In the later editions we have the world's: but I prefer this, which is found in the two firft; because this reading admits the ictus on the fecond fyllable of the verfe (where it ought to be) whereas the other reading throws it off upon the third. Pearce.

0

469. O Goodness infinite, Goody's

immenfe! &c.] The poet has very finely reprefented the and gladness of heart, which res in Adam upon his discovery of the Meffiah. As he fees his day at a distance through types and fhadows, he rejoices in it; but when he finds the redemption of man completed, and Paradife again renew'd, he breaks forth in rapture and transport I have hinted before, that an heroic poem, according to the opinion of the beft critics, ought to end hap pily, and leave the mind of the reader, after having conducted i through many doubts and fears, for rows and difquietudes, in a state of tranquillity and fatisfaction. Milton's

fable,

O Goodness infinite, Goodness immense!
"That all this good of evil fhall produce,
And evil turn to good; more wonderful
Than that which by creation firft brought forth
Light out of darknefs! full of doubt I stand,
Whether I should repent me now of fin

By me done and occafion'd, or rejoice

470

475

Much more, that much more good thereof shall spring,

To God more glory, more good will to men
From God, and over wrath grace shall abound.
But fay, if our Deliverer up to Heaven
Muft reafcend, what will betide the few
His faithful, left among th' unfaithful herd,

fable, which had fo many other qualifications to recommend it, was deficient in this particular. It is here therefore, that the poet has shown a most exquifite judgment, as well as the finest invention, by finding out a method to fupply this natural defect in his fubject. Accordingly he leaves the Adversary of mankind, in the laft view which he gives us of him, under the lowest state of mortification and difappointment. We fee him chewing ashes, groveling in the duft, and loaden with fupernumerary pains and torments. On the contrary our two first parents are comforted by dreams and vifions, cheared with promises of falvation, and in a manner, raised to a greater

480

The

happiness, than that which they had forfeited: In fhort, Satan is reprefented miferable in the highth of his triumphs, and Adam triumphant in Addifon. the highth of mifery.

475.
or rejoice
Much more, that much more good

thereof fall fpring,] He feems to
have remember'd that rant of one of
talem
the Fathers. O felix culpa, quæ
ac tantum meruit habere redempto-
rem! O happy fault, which deserved
to have fuch and fo great a re-
deemer! As in what follows, To God
more glory, &c. he alludes to the
heavenly hymn, Glory to God in the
bigbeft &c.

487. The

The enemies of truth? who then shall guide
His people, who defend? will they not deal
Worfe with his followers than with him they dealt?

486

Be fure they will, faid th' Angel; but from Heaven
He to his own a Comforter will fend,
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 fpiritual armour, able to resist

Satan's affaults, and quench his fiery darts,
What man can do against them, not afraid,
Though to the death, against such cruelties
With inward confolations recompens'd,
And oft fupported so as shall amaze

Their proudest perfecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd first on his Apostles, whom he fends

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490

495

Το

11, &c. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to ftand against the wiles of the Devil· wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

493. What man can do againt them, not afraid, Though to the death,] So this pa fage is pointed in Milton's own edi tions, and I fuppofe the conftruction to be, Not afraid of what man can

To evangelize the nations, then on all

laptiz'd, shall them with wondrous gifts indue To speak all tongues, and do all miracles,

As did their Lord before them.

Thus they win

Great numbers of each nation to receive

500

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

Their miniftry perform'd, and race well run,

Their doctrin and their story written left,

505

They die; but in their room, as they forewarn, Volves fhall fucceed for teachers, grievous wolves, Who all the facred myfteries of Heaven

To their own vile advantages fhall turn

510

Of lucre and ambition, and the truth
With fuperftitions and traditions taint,
Left only in those written records pure,
Though not but by the Spirit understood.
Then fhall they feek to' avail themselves of names,

against them though to the death, hough it be perfecution to death felf; and it is an allufion to Pfal. VI. 11. I will not be afraid what an can do unto me.

507. but in their room, as they

forewarn,

Wolves ball fucceed &c.] So St. Paul had forewarn'd the elders of he church at Miletus, to which the Luthor here alludes, A&ts XX. 29.

Places,

For I know this that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. See too his Confiderations touching the likelieft means to remove hirelings out of the Chriftian church. Vol. I. P. 563. Edit. 1738. Not long after as the Apostle foretold, hirelings like wolves came in by herds &c.

514. Though not but by the Spirit underfood.] I don't think

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