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, 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 A day entire, and night’s due course adjourn, Man’s voice commanding, ‘Sun, in Gibeon stand, And thou, Moon, in the vale of Aialon, 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 light; 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