He had attracted.
See what virtue, see
What power, the paschal image has; ye thus
90 Will able be to see what power there is
In the true Passover.
Lest well-earned love
Should tempt the faithful sire and seer, to whom
His pledge and heir was dear, whom God by chance
Had given him, to offer him to God
95 (A mighty execution!), there is shown
To him a lamb entangled by the head
In thorns; a holy victim—holy blood
For blood—to God. From whose piacular death,
That to the wasted race it might be sign
100 And pledge of safety, signed are with blood
Their posts and thresholds many:—aid immense!
The flesh (a witness credible) is given
For food. The Jordan crossed, the land possessed,
Joshua by law kept Passover with joy,
105 And immolates a lamb; and the great kings
And holy prophets that were after him,
Not ignorant of the good promises
Of sure salvation; full of godly fear
The great Law to transgress, (that mass of types
110 In image of the Supreme Virtue once
To come,) did celebrate in order due
The mirrorly-inspected passover.
In short, if thou recur with rapid mind
To times primordial, thou wilt find results
115 Too fatal following impious words. That man
Easily credulous, alas! and stripped
Of life’s own covering, might covered be
With skins, a lamb is hung: the wound slays sins,
Or death by blood effaces or enshrouds
120 Or cherishes the naked with its fleece.
Is sheep’s blood of more worth than human blood,
That, offered up for sins, it should quench wrath?
Or is a lamb (as if he were more dear!)
Of more worth than much people’s? aid immense!
125 As safeguard of so great salvation, could
A lamb, if offered, have been price enough
For the redeemed? Nay: but Almighty God,
The heaven’s and earth’s Creator, infinite,
Living, and perfect, and perennially
130 Dwelling in light, is not appeased by these,