The Complete Poetry of John Milton (129 page)

   400     
And due to theirs which out of thine will grow:

               
So onely can high Justice rest appaid.
³²

               
The Law of God exact he shall fulfill

               
Both by obedience and by love, though love

               
Alone fulfill the Law; thy punishment

   405     
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

   410     
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, slain for bringing Life;

   415     
But to the Cross he nails thy Enemies,

               
The Law that is against thee, and the sins

               
Of all mankind, with him there crucifi’d,

               
Never to hurt them more who rightly trust

               
In this his satisfaction; so he dies,

   420     
But soon revives, Death over him no power

               
Shall long usurp; ere the third dawning light

               
Return, the Starrs of Morn shall see him rise

               
Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light,

               
Thy ransom paid, which Man from death redeems,

   425     
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

   430     
Shall bruise the head of
Satan
, crush his strength

               
Defeating Sin and Death, his two main armes,
³³

               
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,

   435     
A gentle wafting to immortal Life.

               
Nor after resurrection shall he stay

               
Longer on Earth then certain times to appeer

               
To his Disciples, Men who in his Life

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

   440     
To teach all nations what of him they learn’d

               
And his Salvation, them who shall beleeve

               
Baptizing in the profluent
³⁴
stream, the signe

               
Of washing them from guilt of sin to Life

               
Pure, and in mind prepar’d, if so befall,

   445     
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
Loins

               
Salvation shall be Preacht, but to the Sons

               
Of
Abrahams
Faith wherever through the world;

   450     
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 air

               
Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise

               
The Serpent, Prince of air, and drag in Chains

   455     
Through all his Realm, and 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,

   460     
With glory and power to judge both quick
³⁵
and 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

   465     
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!

   470     
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

   475     
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

   480     
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

               
Wors with his followers then with him they dealt?

   485  
      
       Be sure they will, said th’ Angel; but from Heav’n

               
Hee to his own a Comforter
³⁶
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,

   490     
To guide them in all truth, and also arm

               
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

   495     
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

               
T’ evangelize the Nations, then on all

   500     
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

   505     
Thir Ministry perform’d, and race well run,

               
Thir doctrine and thir story written left,

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

               
Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous Wolves,

               
Who all the sacred mysteries of Heav’n

   510     
To thir own vile advantages shall turn

               
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.

   515     
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 giv’n

   520     
To all Beleevers; and from that pretense,

               
Spiritual Laws by carnal power shall force

               
On every conscience; Laws which none shall find

               
Left them inrould, or what the Spirit within

               
Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then

   525     
But force the Spirit of Grace it self, and bind

               
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

   530     
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

   535     
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

   540     
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,

   545     
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

   550     
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,

   555     
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 contain;