BOOK I.

THE ARGUMENT.

Truth-its attributes—and theme. Invocation.

Christ the Truth. Era. Messiah. Palestine.

The

Wilderness-and

Eden.

Satan. The

Temptation-Agencies of Nature-Job-Christ's

sufferance of Satanic power-Illusion of the

World-of the Temple-Defeat.

THE BETRAYAL.

BOOK I.

Great is Truth:

Of heavenly ministries, high and manifold, The all pervading: guardian of the grace

That joins in holiness of Highest God

The throne and mercy seat-making the form of goodness awful: gifted infinite :

Eye of Eternity, and voice of Time:

Nearest omniscience made, angelical:
Whether, of old, in free and timeless being,
While yet upon creation's formless field,
To mark its goings forth, no shadow fell,
As fled the light of life-its record be:
Keeping the calm of silent innocence,
Amid the Sabbath of its first estate;

Breathing, to make immortal, piety,
As waited it with hush'd yet open wing
Upon the word of Deity's behest;
The numbers of melodious praise to fill,
As rose in song all heaven's harmonies;
Or of the first voice of a God in wrath,
Against the first transgressor in his fall,
The thunder to repeat. Whether, of these,
To revelation the loos'd seal disclose

The fair, the full, th' attun'd, the awful page;
Or, within Time, and of things temporal—

A scene of being in the life that now is,

An interval of immortality,

Since from Eternity the era sprang

Of this creation, when th' omnific Word

Call'd to His will th' obedient universe,

And from the throng of elements spake forth,

Of every kind, the instinct principle,

And into one, for a new star in glory,

Bound their sweet influence; while to its course

The then indictive voice its cycle set,'

Leaving in angel hands this loan of life (a) Till, in eternal issue, Time shall be no more: -Albeit thus the way of Truth within

A lowlier scene be laid- —a narrower sphere :Albeit this the ministering Spirit

The sanctuary of its presence make; for this
The vision rise, and wake the finite theme-
Still is it great!

O great, to tell, of heavenly argument,
What alone inspiration could engage,

Or revelation to this darken'd soul

Make possible of thought-the mind reveal'd Of Him, Father of spirits, else unknown; And still, as th' Urim on the breast sublime Of heaven, all else intelligence above!

World of the fallen-whose idolatry,

Of godliness this mystery hath made,

Hear, and believe-what angels seek to know,