Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/282

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��PARADISE LOST

��In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpet's

sound,

Ordain them laws part, such as ap- pertain 230 To civil justice; part, religious rites Of sacrifice, informing them, by types And shadows, of that destined Seed to

bruise The Serpent, by what means he shall

achieve Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of

God

To mortal ear is dreadful: they beseech That Moses might report to them his will, And terror cease; he grants what they be- sought,

Instructed that to God is no access 239

Without Mediator, whose high office now Moses in figure bears, to introduce One greater, of whose day he shall fore- tell, And all the Prophets, in their age, the

times Of great Messiah shall sing. Thus laws

and rites

Established, such delight hath God in men Obedient to his will that he voutsafes Among them to set up his Tabernacle The Holy One with mortal men to dwell. By his prescript a sanctuary is framed Of cedar, overlaid with gold; therein 250 An ark, and in the Ark his testimony, The records of his covenant; over these A mercy-seat of gold, between the wings Of two bright Cherubim; before him burn Seven lamps, as in a zodiac representing The heavenly fires. Over the tent a cloud Shall rest by day, a fiery gleam by night, Save when they journey; and at length

they come,

Conducted by his Angel, to the land Promised to Abraham and his seed. The rest 260

Were long to tell how many battles

fought ; How many kings destroyed, and kingdoms

won; Or how the sun shall in mid-heaven stand

still

A day entire, and night's due course ad- journ, Man's 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 interposed: " O sent from

Heaven, 270

Enlightener of my darkness, gracious

things Thou hast revealed, those chiefly which

concern

Just Abraham and his seed. Now first I find Mine eyes true opening, and my heart

much eased, Erewhile perplexed with thoughts what

would become

Of me and all mankind; but now I see His day, in whom all nations shall be

blest

Favour unmerited by me, who sought Forbidden knowledge by forbidden means. This yet I apprehend not why to those Among whom God will deign to dwell on

Earth 281

So many and so various laws are given. So many laws argue so many sins Among them; how can God with such re- side ? " 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

Their natural pravity, by stirring up Sin against Law to fight, that, when they

see

Law can discover sin, but not remove, 290 Save by those shadowy expiations weak, The blood of bulls and goats, they may

conclude Some blood more precious must be paid for

Man,

Just for unjust, that in such righteousness, To them by faith imputed, they may find 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 imperfect, and but given With purpose to resign them, in full time, Up to a better covenant, disciplined 302 From shadowy types to truth, from flesh to

spirit,

From imposition of strict laws to free Acceptance of large grace, from servile

fear To filial, works of law to works of faith.

�� �