Side 226 af 239

In thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets' sound, Ordain them laws; part, such as appertain 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 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 foretell, And all the prophets in their age, the times Of great Messiah shall sing. Thus, laws and rites Established, 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,1 to the land Promised to Abraham and his seed. The rest Were long to tell; how many battles fought; How many kings destroyed, and kingdoms won; Or how the sun shall in mid heaven stand still

BOOK XII.-264-297]

PARADISE LOST.

303

A day entire, and night's due course adjourn, Man's voice commanding, Sun, in Gibeon stand, And thou, moon, in the vale of Ajalon, 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 revealed, those chiefly which concern Just Abraham and his seed. Now first I find Mine eyes true opening, and my heart much eased, Erewhile perplexed with thoughts, what would become 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 sin 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, 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

¹ Conducted by his Angel .- "For my angel shall go before thee, and bring thee," &c.

Stirring up sin against law. - "The law entered that the offence might abound." (Rom. v. 20.) "By the law is the knowledge of sin." (Rom. iii. 20.)