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And guides the eastern sages, who inquire
His place, to offer incense, myrrh, and gold:
His place of birth a solemn angel tells
To simple shepherds, keeping watch by night;
They gladly thither haste, and by a quire
Of squadron'd angels hear his carol sung.
A virgin is his mother, but his sire

The power of the Most High: he shall ascend
The throne hereditary, and bound his reign
With earth's wide bounds, his glory with the hea-
He ceased; discerning Adam with such joy [vens."
Surcharged, as had like grief been dew'd in tears,
Without the vent of words; which these he breath'd:
"O prophet of glad tidings, finisher

Of utmost hope; now clear I understand
What oft my steadiest thoughts have search'd in
Why our great Expectation should be call'd [vain;
The seed of woman: virgin mother, hail,

High in the love of Heaven; yet from my loins
Thou shalt proceed, and from thy womb the Son
Of God Most High; so God with man unites.
Needs must the serpent now his capital bruise
Expect with mortal pain: say where and when
Their fight, what stroke shall bruise the victor's
heel?"

To whom thus Michael: "Dream not of their As of a duel, or the local wounds

[fight,

Of head or heel: not therefore joins the Son Manhood to Godhead, with more strength to foil Thy enemy; nor so is overcome

Satan, whose fall from heaven, a deadlier bruise,

grow:

Disabled not to give thee thy death's-wound:
Which he, who comes thy Saviour, shall re-cure.
Not by destroying Satan, but his works
In thee, and in thy seed: nor can this be,
But by fulfilling that which thou didst want,
Obedience to the law of God, imposed
On penalty of death; and suffering death,
The penalty to thy transgression due,
And due to theirs which out of thine will
So only can high justice rest appaid.
The law of God exact he shall fulfil
Both by obedience and by love, though love
Alone fulfil the law; thy punishment
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 this obedience,
Imputed, becomes theirs by faith; his merits
To save them, not their own, though legal, works.
For this he shall live hated, be blasphemed,
Seiz'd on by force, judged, and to death condemn'd
A shameful and accursed, nail'd to the cross
By his own nation; slain for bringing life:
But to the cross he nails thy enemies,
The law that is against thee, and the sins
Of all mankind, with him there crucified,
Never to hurt them more who rightly trust
In this his satisfaction: so he dies,

But soon revives; death over him no power
Shall long usurp; ere the third dawning light
Return, the stars of morn shall see him rise

UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA

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