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Though present in his Angel; who shall go
Before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire;
By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire;
To guide them in their journey, and remove
Behind them, while the obdurate king pursues:
All night he will pursue; but his approach
Darkness defends between till morning watch;
Then through the fiery pillar, and the cloud,
God looking forth will trouble all his host,

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And craze their chariot-wheels: when by command
Moses once more his potent rod extends
Over the sea; the sea his rod obeys;
On their embattled ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war: the race elect
Safe towards Canaan from the shore advance
Through the wild Desert, not the readiest way;
Lest, entering on the Canaanite alarm'd,

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War terrify them inexpert, and fear

Return them back to Egypt, choosing rather

Inglorious life with servitude; for life

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To noble and ignoble is more sweet

Untrain'd in arms, where rashness leads not on.
This also shall they gain by their delay

In the wide wilderness; there they shall found
Their government, and their great senate choose 225
Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain'd;
God from the mount of Sinai, whose gray top
Shall tremble, he descending, will himself

In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets' sound,
Ordain them laws; part, such as appertain

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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

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That Moses might report to them his will,
And terror cease; he grants what they besought,
Instructed that to God is no access

Without Mediator, whose high office now

Moses in figure bears; to introduce

One greater, of whose day he shall foretel,

And all the Prophets in their age the times

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Of great Messiah shall sing. Thus, laws and rites
Establish'd, such delight hath God in men
Obedient to his will, that he vouchsafes
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
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

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Promised to Abraham and his seed:-the rest
Were long to tell; how many battles fought;
How many kings destroy'd; and kingdoms won;
Or how the sun shall in mid Heaven stand still
A day entire, and night's due course adjourn,
Man's voice commanding, Sun, in Gibeon stand, 265
And thou, moon, in the vale of Aijalon

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,
Enlightener of my darkness, gracious things
Thou hast reveal'd; those chiefly which concern

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Just Abraham and his seed; now first I find

Mine eyes true-opening, and my heart much eased;
Erewhile perplex'd with thoughts, what would become
Of me and all mankind; but now I see

His day, in whom all nations shall be bless'd;
Favor 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
So many and so various laws are given;
So many laws argue so many sins

Among them; how can God with such reside?

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To whom thus Michael: Doubt not but that sin 285 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,

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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 mortal 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

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.
And therefore shall not Moses, though of God
Highly beloved, being but the minister

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Of law, his people into Canaan lead;

But Joshua, whom the Gentiles Jesus call,
His name and office bearing, who shall quell
The Adversary Serpent, and bring back

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Through the world's wilderness long-wander'd Man
Safe to eternal Paradise of rest.

Meanwhile they, in their earthly Canaan placed,
Long time shall dwell and prosper; but when sins
National interrupt their public peace,

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Provoking God to raise them enemies;
From whom as oft he saves them penitent,
By judges first, then under kings; of whom
The second, both for piety renown'd
And puissant deeds, a promise shall receive
Irrevocable, that his regal throne

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For ever shall endure; the like shall sing
All Prophecy, that of the royal stock
Of David (so I name this king) shall rise
A Son, the Woman's seed to thee foretold,
Foretold to Abraham, as in whom shall trust
All nations; and to kings foretold, of kings
The last; for of his reign shall be no end.

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But first, a long succession must ensue;

And his next son, for wealth and wisdom famed,
The clouded ark of God, till then in tents
Wandering, shall in a glorious temple enshrine.
Such follow him, as shall be register'd

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Part good, part bad; of bad the longer scroll;
Whose foul idolatries, and other faults
Heap'd to the popular sum, will so incense
God, as to leave them, and expose their land,
Their city, his temple, and his holy ark,
With all his sacred things, a scorn and prey

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To that proud city, whose high walls thou saw'st

Left in confusion; Babylon thence call'd.

There in captivity he lets them dwell

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The space of seventy years; then brings them back,
Remembering mercy, and his covenant sworn
To David, stablish'd as the days of Heaven.
Return'd from Babylon by leave of kings

Their lords, whom God disposed, the house of God
They first reedify; and for awhile

In mean estate live moderate; till, grown
In wealth and multitude, factious they grow.
But first among the priests dissension springs,
Men who attend the altar, and should most
Endeavor peace: their strife pollution brings
Upon the temple itself: at last they seize
The sceptre, and regard not David's sons;
Then lose it to a stranger, that the true
Anointed King Messiah might be born
Barr'd of his right; yet at his birth a star,
Unseen before in Heaven, proclaims him come;
And guides the eastern sages, who inquire
His place, to offer incense, myrrh, and gold:
His place of birth a solemn Angel tells

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To simple shepherds, keeping watch by night;
They gladly thither haste, and by a choir

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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

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With earth's wide bounds, his glory with the Heavens. He ceased, discerning Adam with such joy

Surcharged, as had like grief been dew'd in tears, Without the vent of words; which these he breathed. O prophet of glad tidings, finisher

Of utmost hope! now clear I understand

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What oft my steadiest thoughts have search'd in vain, Why our great Expectation should be call'd

The seed of Woman: Virgin Mother, hail,

High in the love of Heaven; yet from my loins 380

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