By me done and occasion'd, or rejoice

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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 say, if our Deliverer up to Heaven
Must reascend, what will betide the few
His faithful, left among th' unfaithful herd,

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His people, who defend? Will they not deal

The enemies of truth? Who the shall guide

Worse with his followers than with him they dealt? Be sure they will, said th' Angel; but from Heaven He to his own a Comforter will send,

The promise of the Father, who shall dwell

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His Spirit within them, and the law of faith

Working through love, upon their hearts shall write, To guide them in all truth, and also arm

With spiritual armour, able to resist

Satan's assaults, and quench his fiery darts,
What man can do against them, not afraid,
Though to the death, against such cruelties
With inward consolations recompens'd,
And oft supported so as shall amaze

Their proudest persecutors: for the Spirit
Pour'd first on his Apostles, whom he sends
To evangelize the nations, then on all

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Baptiz'd, shall them with wondrous gifts endue

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To speak all tongues, and do all miracles,

As did their Lord before them. Thus they win

Great numbers of each nation to receive

With joy the tidings brought from Heav'n: at length

Their ministry perform'd, and race well run,
Their doctrine and their story written left,

They die; but in their room, as they forewarn,
Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous wolves,
Who all the sacred mysteries of Heaven
To their own 'vile advantages shall turn
Of lucre and ambition, and the truth
With superstitions and traditions taint,
Left only in those written records pure,
Though not but by the Spirit understood.

Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names,
Places, and titles, and with these to join

Secular pow'r, though feigning still to act
By spiritual, to themselves appropriating
The Spi'rit of God, promis'd alike and given
To all believers; and from that pretence,
Spiritual laws by carnal pow'r shall force

On every conscience; laws which none shall find
Left them infoll'd, or what the Spi'rit within
Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then
But force the Spi'rit of grace itself, and bind
His consort liberty? What, but unbuild
His living temples, built by faith to stand,
Their own faith, not another's? For on earth
Who against faith and conscience can be heard
Infallible? yet many will presume:

Whence heavy persecution shall arise
On all who in the worship persevere

Of Spi'rit and truth; the rest far greater part,
Will deem in outward rites and specious forms

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Religion satisfy'd; truth shall retire

Bestuck with sland'rous darts, and works of faith

Rarely be found: so shall the world go on,

To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight groaning, till the day
Appear of respiration to the just,

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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
Founded in righteousness and peace and love,
To bring forth fruits, joy, and eternal bliss.
He ended; and thus Adam last reply'd:

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How soon hath thy prediction, Seer blest,

Measur'd this transient world, the race of time,

Till time stand fix'd? Beyond is all abyss,

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Eternity, 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 ;
Beyond which was my folly to aspire.

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Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best,
And love with fear the only God, to walk
As in his presence, ever to observe

His providence, and on him sole depend,

Merciful over all his works, with good

Still overcoming evil, and by small

Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd weak

Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise
By simply meek; that suffering for truth's sake
Is fortitude to highest victory,

And to the faithful death the gate of life;
Taught this by his example whom I now
Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest.

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To whom thus also th' Angel last reply'd:
This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum
Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars
Thou knew'st by name, and all th' ethereal pow'rs,
All secrets of the deep, all Nature's works,

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Or works of God in Heav'n, air, earth, or sea,
And all the riches of this world enjoy'dst,
And all the rule, one empire; only add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add faith,

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Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,

By name to come call'd charity, the soul

Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath

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To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess

A Paradise within thee, happier far.

Let us descend now therefore from this top
Of speculation; for the hour precise

Exacts our parting hence; and see the guards,
By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect
Their motion, at whose front a flaming sword,
In signal of remove, waves fiercely round;
We may no longer stay: go waken Eve:

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Her also I with gentle dreams have calm'd
Portending good, and all her spi'rits compos'd
To meck submission: thou at season fit

Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard,
Chiefly what may concern her faith to know,
The great deliverance by her seed to come
(For by the Woman's seed) on all mankind:

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I hat ye may live, which will be many days,
Both in one faith unanimous though sad,
With cause for evils past, yet much more cheer'd
With meditation on the happy end.

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.He ended, and they both descend the hill; Descended, Adam to the bow'r where Eve Lay sleeping ran before, but found her wak'd; And thus with words not sad she him receiv'd: WHENCE thou return'st, and whither went'st, I know;

For God is also' in sleep, and dreams advise,
Which he hath sent propitious, some great good

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Fresaging, since with sorrow' and heart's distress
Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on;

In me is no delay; with thee to go,

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Is to stay here; without thee here to stay,
Is to go hence unwilling; thou to me

Art all things under Heav'n, all places thou,
Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence.
This further consolation yet secure

I carry hence; though all by me is lost,
Such favour I unworthy am vouchsaf'd,
By me the promis'd Seed shall all restore.

So spake our mother Eve, and Adam heard

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