405

He shall indure by coming in the flesh
To a reproachful life and curfed death,
Proclaming life to all who shall believe
In his redemption, and that his obedience
Imputed becomes theirs by faith, his merits
To fave them, not their own, though legal works.
For this he shall live hated, be blafphem'd,

4II

Seis'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd
A fhameful and accurs'd, nail'd to the cross
By his own nation, flain for bringing life;
But 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
In this his fatisfaction; fo he dies,

Which redemption and obedience are his merits to fave them, and not their own works, tho' legal ones and ftrictly conformable to the law.

Pearce. I rather understand the paffage thus. I apprehend that the verb believe governs the rest of the fentence, Proclaming life to all who shall be lieve in his redemption, and shall be lieve that his obedience imputed becomes theirs by faith, and shall believe his merits to fave them, not their own, though legal works.

413. A shameful and accurs'd,]

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 against 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

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

425

Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldft have dy'd,
In fin for ever loft from life; this act

Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his strength, 430
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'

424. Thy ranjome 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 whose loins all mankind was contain'd, or as one who was reprefentative of the whole human fpecies. And fo the poet speaks again in ver. 427.

435

appear

To

this God-like act Annuls thy doom, &c. Pearce. 432. And fix far deeper in his head their flings

Than temp'ral death fhall bruife the

victor's heel,] Before we come to a conclufion, it may be proper to remark here once for all, that Milton makes no diftinction between

then

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 440
And his falvation, them who shall believe
Baptizing in the profluent ftream, the fign

Of washing them from guilt of fin to life
Pure, and in mind prepar'd, if fo befall,

For death, like that which the Redeemer dy'd. 445
All nations they fhall teach; for from that day
Not only to the fons of Abraham's loins

Salvation fhall be preach'd, but to the fons

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 fhall 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;

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 fhall 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 blifs,

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

Shall all be Paradife, 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 heavenly 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 second fyllable of the verse (where it ought to be) whereas the other reading throws it off upon the third. Pearce.

469. O Goodness infinite, Goodness

immenfe! &c.] The poet has very finely reprefented the joy and gladnefs of heart, which rifes in Adam upon his discovery of the Meffiah. As he fees his day at a distance through types and shadows, 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 it through many doubts and fears, forrows and difquietudes, in a ftate 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 first 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 so many other qualifications to recommend it, was deficient in this particular. It is here therefore, that the poet has fhown a moft 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 last view which he gives us of him, under the lowest state of mortification and disappointment. We fee him chewing afhes, groveling in the duft, and loaden with fupernumerary pains and torments. On the contrary our two firft parents are comforted by dreams and vifions, cheared with promifes 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 the highth of mifery. Addifon.

475. or rejoice Much more, that much more good thereof fall fpring,] He feems to have remember'd that rant of one of the Fathers. O felix culpa, quæ talem ac tantum meruit habere redemptorem! O happy fault, which deferved to have fuch and fo great a redeemer! As in what follows, To God more glory, &c. he alludes to the heavenly hymn, Glory to God in the higheft &c.

487. The