The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (137 page)

358

Then lose it to a stranger,
⁶³⁶⁶
that the true

359

Anointed King Messiah might be born

360

Barred
⁶³⁶⁷
of his right. Yet at his birth a star,

361

Unseen before in Heav’n, proclaims him come,

362

And guides the eastern sages, who inquire

363

His place, to offer incense, myrrh, and gold.

364

His place of birth a solemn
⁶³⁶⁸
Angel tells

365

To simple shepherds, keeping watch by night.

366

They gladly thither
⁶³⁶⁹
haste, and by a choir

367

Of squadroned
⁶³⁷⁰
Angels hear his carol sung.

368

A virgin is his mother, but his sire

369

The power of the Most High. He shall ascend

370

The throne hereditary, and bound his reign

371

With earth’s wide bounds, his glory with the Heav’ns.”

372

   
He ceased, discerning Adam with such joy

373

Surcharged
⁶³⁷¹
as had, like grief, been dewed in tears,

374

Without the vent
⁶³⁷²
of words, which these he breathed:

375

   
“O prophet of glad tidings, finisher
⁶³⁷³

376

Of utmost hope! Now clear I understand

377

What oft my steadiest thoughts have searched in vain,

378

Why our great expectation should be called

379

The seed of woman. Virgin Mother, hail,

380

High in the love of Heav’n! Yet from my loins

381

Thou shalt proceed, and from thy womb the son

382

Of God Most High: so God with man unites!

383

Needs must the serpent now his capital bruise
⁶³⁷⁴

384

Expect with mortal
⁶³⁷⁵
pain. Say where and when

385

Their fight, what stroke shall bruise the victor’s heel.”

386

To whom thus Michael:

“Dream not of their fight

387

As of a duel,
⁶³⁷⁶
or the local
⁶³⁷⁷
wounds

388

Of head or heel. Not therefore joins the Son

389

Manhood to Godhead, with more strength to foil
⁶³⁷⁸

390

Thy enemy, nor so is overcome

391

Satan, whose fall from Heav’n, a deadlier bruise,

392

Disabled not to give thee thy death’s wound,

393

Which he,
⁶³⁷⁹
who comes thy Savior, shall recure,
⁶³⁸⁰

394

Not by destroying Satan but his
⁶³⁸¹
works

395

In thee, and in thy seed. Nor can this be

396

But by fulfilling that which thou did’st want,
⁶³⁸²

397

Obedience to the law of God, imposed

398

On penalty of death, and suffering death,

399

The penalty to thy transgression due,

400

And due to theirs which out of thine will grow.

401

So only can high Justice rest appaid.
⁶³⁸³

402

The law of God exact he
⁶³⁸⁴
shall fulfill

403

Both by obedience and by love, though love

404

Alone fulfill the law. Thy punishment

405

He shall endure, by coming in the flesh

406

To a reproachful
⁶³⁸⁵
life and cursèd death,

407

Proclaiming life to all who shall believe

408

In his redemption, and that his obedience,

409

Imputed,
⁶³⁸⁶
becomes theirs by faith, his merits

410

To save them, not their own, though
⁶³⁸⁷
legal
⁶³⁸⁸
works.
⁶³⁸⁹

411

For this he shall live hated, be blasphemed,
⁶³⁹⁰

412

Seized on by force, judged and to death condemned,

413

A shameful and accursed, nailed to the cross

414

By his own nation, slain for bringing life.

415

But to the cross he nails thy enemies,

416

The law that is against thee, and the sins

417

Of all mankind, with him there crucified,

418

Never to hurt them more who rightly trust

419

In this his satisfaction.
⁶³⁹¹
So he dies,

420

But soon revives: Death over him no power

421

Shall long usurp.
⁶³⁹²
Ere the third dawning light

422

Return, the stars of morn shall see him rise

423

Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light,

424

Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems,

425

His death for man, as many as offered
⁶³⁹³
life

426

Neglect not, and the benefit
⁶³⁹⁴
embrace
⁶³⁹⁵

427

By faith not void of works. This God-like act

428

Annuls thy doom, the death thou should’st have died,

429

In sin forever lost from life. This act

430

Shall bruise
⁶³⁹⁶
the head of Satan, crush his strength,

431

Defeating Sin and Death, his two main arms,

432

And fix far deeper in his head their stings

433

Than temporal
⁶³⁹⁷
death shall bruise the victor’s heel,

434

Or theirs
⁶³⁹⁸
whom he redeems—a death like sleep,

435

A gentle wafting
⁶³⁹⁹
to immortal life.

436

Nor after resurrection shall he stay

437

Longer on earth than certain
⁶⁴⁰⁰
times to appear

438

To his disciples, men who in his life

439

Still
⁶⁴⁰¹
followed him. To them shall leave in charge

440

To teach all nations what of him they learned

441

And his salvation,
⁶⁴⁰²
them who shall believe

442

Baptizing in the profluent
⁶⁴⁰³
stream, the sign

443

Of washing them from guilt of sin to life

444

Pure, and in mind prepared, if so befall,

445

For death, like that which the Redeemer died.

446

All nations they shall teach. For from that day,