Page:Paradise lost by Milton, John.djvu/421

Defeating Sin and Death, his two main arms,
And fix far deeper in his head their stings
Than temporal death shall bruise the victor's heel,
Or theirs whom he redeems,—a death like sleep,
A gentle wafting to immortal life.
Nor, after resurrection, shall he stay
Longer on earth than certain times to appear
To his disciples, men who in his life
Still followed him; to them shall leave in charge
To teach all nations what of him they learned440
And his salvation, them who shall believe
Baptizing in the profluent stream; the sign
Of washing them from guilt of sin to life
Pure and in mind prepared, if so befall,
For death, like that which the Redeemer died.
All nations they shall teach; for from that day
Not only to the sons of Abraham's loins
Salvation shall be preached, but to the sons
Of Abraham's faith, wherever through the world;
So in his seed all nations shall be blest.450
Then to the Heaven-of-heavens he shall ascend
With victory, triumphing through the air
Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise
The Serpent, prince of air, and drag in chains
Through all his realm, and there confounded leave:
Then enter into glory, and resume
His seat at God's right hand, exalted high
Above all names in Heaven; and thence shall come,