Not wandering poor, but trusting all his wealth Divided, till his rescued gain their shore:
With God, who call'd him, in a land unknown. Such wonderous power God to his saint will levd,
Canaan he now attains ; I see his tents [plain Though present in his angel; who shall go
Pitch'd abont Sechem, and the neighbouring Before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire ;
Of Moreh; there by promise he receives By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire;
Gift to his progeny of all that land,

To guide them in their journey, and remove From Hamath northward to the desert south; Behind them, while the obdurate king pursues : (Things by their names I call, though yet un- All night he will pursue; but his approach nam'd ;)

Darkness defends between till morning watch; From Hermon east to the great western sea; Then through the fiery pillar, and the cloud, Mount Hermon, yonder sea; each place behold God looking forth will trouble all his host, In prospect, as I point them; on the shore And craze their chariot-wheels: when by comMount Carmel; here, the double-founted stream, Moses once more his potent rod extends (mand Jordan, true limit eastward ; but his sons Over the sea; the sea his rod obeys; Shall dwell to Senir, that long ridge of hills. On their embattled ranks the waves return, This ponder, that all nations of the Earth And overwhelm their war: the race elect Shall in his seed be blessed : by that seed Safe towards Canaan from the shore advance Is meant thy great Deliverer, who shall bruise Through the wild desert, not the readiest way; The serpent's head; whereof to thee anon Lest, entering on the Canaanite alarm'd, Plainlier shall be reveald. This patriarch blest, War terrify them inexpert, and fear Whom faithful Abraham due time shall call, Return them back to Egypt, choosing rather A son, and of his son a grand-child, leaves; Inglorious life with servitudes for life Like him in faith, in wisdom, and renown: To noble and ighoble is more sweet The grand-child, with twelve sons increas'd, Untraind in arms, where rashness leads not on. From Canaan, to a land hereafter callid (departs This also shall they gain by their delay Egypt, divided by the river Nile;

In the wide wilderness; there they shall found See where it flows, disgorging at seven mouths Their government, and their great senate choose Into the sea : to sojourn in that land

Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws orHe comes, invited by a younger son

dain'd: In time of dearth; a son, whose worthy deeds God from the mount of Sinai, whose gray top Raise him to be the second in that realm

Shall tremble, he descending, will himself Of Pharaoh : there he dies, and leaves his race In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets' sound, Growing into a nation; and, now grown, Ordain them laws; part, such as appertain Suspected to a sequent king, who seeks

To civil justice; part, religi rites To stop their overgrowth, as inmate guests Of sacrifice; informing them, by types Too numerous ; whence of guests he makes them and shadows, of that destin'd Seed to bruise slaves

The serpent, by what means he shall achieve Inhospitably, and kills their infant males: Mankind's deliverance. But the voice of God Till by two brethren (these two brethren call To mortal ear is dreadful: they beseech Moses and Aaron) sent from God to claim That Moses might report to them his will, His people from enthralment, they return And terrour cease; he grants what they. beWith glory, and spoil, back to their promis'd Instructed that to God is no access, (sought, But first, the lawless tyrant, who denies [land. Without mediator, wbose high office now To know their God, or message to regard, Moses in figure bears; to introduce Must be compellid by signs and judgments dire; One greater, of whose day he shall foretel, To blood unshed the rivers must be turn'd; And all the prophets in their age the times Frogs, lice, and fies, must all bis palace fill Of great Messiah shall sing. Thus, laws and With loath'd intrusion, and fill all the land; Establish'd, such delight hath God in men (rights His cattle must of rot and murren die ;

Obedient to his will, that he rouchsafes Botches and blains must all his flesh emboss, Among them to set up his tabernacle; And all his people; thunder mix'd with hail, The Holy One with mortal men to dwell : Hail mix'd with fire, must rend the Egyptian by his prescript a sanctuary is fram'd sky,

(rolls; Of cedar, overlaid with gold; therein And wheel on the Earth, devouring where it An ark, and in the ark his testimony, What it devours not, herb, or fruit, or grain, The records of his corenant; over these A darksome cloud of locusts swarming down A mercy-seat of gold, between the wings Must eat, and on the ground leave nothing green; Of two bright cherubím; before him bura Darkness must overshadow all his bounds, Seven lamps as in a zodiac representing Palpable darkness, and blot out three days; The heavenly fires; over the tent a cloud Last, with one midnight-stroke, all the first-born Shall rest by day, a fiery gleam by night; Of Egypt must lie dead. Thus with ten wounds Save when they journey, and at length they The river-dragon tam'd at length submits Conducted by his angel, to the land (come, To let his sojourners depart, and oft

Promis'd to Abraham and his seed :-the rest Humbles his stubborn heart; but still, as ice Were long to tell; how many battles fought;, More harden'd after thaw ; till, in his rage How many kings destroy'd; and kingdoms won; Pursuing whom he late dismiss'd, the sea Or how the Sun shall in mid Heaven stand still Swallows him with his host ; but them lets pass, A day entire, and night's due course adjourn, As on dry land, between two crystal walls; Man's voice commanding,

* Sun, in Gibeoa Aw'd by the rod of Moses so to stand

stand,

And thou, Moon, in the vale of Aialon,
Till İsrael overcome!' so call the third
From Abraham, son of Isaac; and from him
His whole descent, who thus shall Canaan win."
Here Adam interpos'd. "O sent from Heaven,
Enlightener of my darkness, gracious things
Thou hast reveal'd; those chiefly, which con-

cern

Just Abraham and his seed: now first I find Mine eyes true-opening, and my heart much eas'd;

|
[become

Erewhile perplex'd with thoughts, what would
Of me and all mankind: but now I see
His day, in whom all nations shall be blest;
Favour 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?"

To whom thus Michael. "Doubt not but that
Will reign among them, as of thee begot; [sin
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,
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 moral 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; disciplin'd [rit;
From shadowy types to truth; from flesh to spi-
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 belov'd, being but the minister
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
Through the world's wilderness long-wander'd
Safe to eternal Paradise of rest.
[man
Mean while they, in their earthly Canaan plac'd,
Long time shall dwell and prosper, but when sins
National interrupt their public peace,
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
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.
But first, a long succession must ensue ;

And his next son, for wealth and wisdom fam'd,
The clouded ark of God, till then in tents
Wandering, shall in a glorious temple enshrine.
Such follow him, as shall be register'd
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
To that proud city, whose high walls thou saw'st
Left in confusion; Babylon thence call'd.
There in captivity he lets them dwell [back,
The space of seventy years; then brings them
Remembering mercy, and his covenant sworn
To David, stablish'd as the days of Heaven.
Return'd from Babylon by leave of kings [God
Their lords, whom God dispos'd, the house of
They first re-edify; and for a while
In mean estate live moderate; till grown
In wealth and multitude, factious they grow:
But first among the priests dissention springs,
Men who attend the altar, and should most
Endeavour 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
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
Heavens."

He ceas'd, discerning Adam with such joy Surcharg'd, 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 [vain;
What oft my steadiest thoughts have searched in
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
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
Thy enemy; nor so is overcome
[foil
Satan, whose fall from Heaven, a deadlier
bruise,

1

Disabled, not to give thee thy death's wound:
Which he, who comes thy Saviour, shall recure,
Not by destroying Satan, but his works

n thee, and in thy seed: nor can this be

I

Afterwards master of the Rolls, and knight. * Mr. Warton says that sir Henry "had so great an affection for this college, in which he had been educated, that in his eightieth year he desired to be readmitted: and, residing there a whole summer, presented to the new library, just then finished, his own collection of books, amounting to near four thousand volumes. He was son of sir Adam Newton, tutor to prince Henry; and many papers written by that prince, or relating to him, are involved in the collection. Sir Henry took the name of Puckering in remembrance of his uncle sir Thomas Puckering of Warwickshire, a learned and accomplished man, brother in law to sir Adam Newton, son of lord keeper Puckering, a companion of the studies of prince Henry. Many of the books were presents to the prince from authors or editors. In Dr. Duport's Hore subseciva, a poem is addressed to this preserver of Milton's manuscripts, Ad D. Henricum Puckeringum, alias Newtonum, Equitum baronettum. Cantabr. 1676. 8vo. pp. 222, 223. This sir Henry had a son, pupil to Dr. Duport at Trinity College, but who died before his father." TODD.