Boox I. PARADISE REGAIN'D On which I fent thee to the Virgin pure In Galilee, that fhe fhould bear a fon 135 Great in renown, and call'd the S ,n of God; Then toldft her doubting how thefe things could be To her a virgin, that on her fh,uld come The Holy Ghoft, and the pow'r of the Highett O'er-fhadow her : this man born and now upgrown, To Chow him worthy of his birth divine And high prediction, henceforth I expofe To Satan ; let him tempt and now afray His utmoft fubtlety, becaufe he boafts And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng 145 Of his apoftafy ; he might have learnt Lets overweening, fince he fail'd in Job, Whole confiant perfeverance overcame Whate'er his cruel malice could invent. He now 11101 know I can produce a man 156 Of female feed, far abler to refift All his folicitations, and at length All his vaft force, and drive him back to Hell, Winning by conqueft what the firft man loft By fallacy turpris'd. But firft I mean 155 To exercife him in the wildernefs, There he (hall frit lay down the rudiments Of his great warfare, ere I fend him forth To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes, By humiliation and firong fufferance : 160 His weaknefs (hall o'ercome Satanic ftrength, And all the world, and mats of fitful flefh That all the Angels and ethereal Powers, They now, and men hereafter may difcern, From what contummate virtue I have chofe 16s This paled man, by merit call'd my Son, To earn falvation for the Ions of men. Eeee 481 Se
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