Poetry Tuesday: Paradise Regained, Book I : Christ overcomes Temptation: (Milton in Guided Flow)
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Invocation / Opening Frame
I who erewhile the happy Garden sung,
By one man's disobedience lost, now sing
Recovered Paradise to all mankind,
By one Man's firm obedience fully tried
Through all temptation, and the Tempter foiled
In all his wiles, defeated and repulsed,
And Eden raised in the waste Wilderness.
Christ Led into the Wilderness
Him after forty days fasting had remained,
The Spirit of God, descending like a dove,
Into the wilderness led, where He was tried.
The Condition of the Son
There He for forty days fasting remained,
And with him no companion, nor relief
Of food or comfort came; but He endured.
Satan Observes
Meanwhile the Tempter, roaming to and fro,
Sought where the Son of God might be assailed,
And viewed Him in the wilderness alone.
First Temptation: Hunger
Behold, he said, this is the Son of God,
Yet here in want and weakness He is laid;
If so indeed, why doth He thus abide
In hunger, and not show His sovereign power?
Command that these stones be made to bread,
And prove thyself the Son of God indeed,
And ease thyself of this extremity.
Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word
That proceedeth from the mouth of God above.
So was the Tempter foiled at first assault.
Satan Reconsiders
So Satan, baffled in his first attempt,
With closer eye beholds the Son of God,
And inwardly debates what next to try.
Second Temptation: Empire
If thou be truly He whom thou dost claim,
The Son of God, why dost thou thus remain
In barren wilderness, with famine pressed?
For I can show thee kingdoms many and great,
And all the glory of the earth beneath,
If thou wilt bow and take the easier path.
Why choose this path of hardship and delay,
When empire lies before thee to command,
And all the world may serve beneath thy hand?
But Jesus answered not with pride nor haste,
But kept His heart within obedience firm.
Third Temptation: Knowledge and Glory
Behold, he said, the learned and the wise,
The great philosophers of ancient fame,
Who by their thoughts have ruled the minds of men.
If thou wilt join thyself to such renown,
Thy name shall live above all earthly kings,
And truth itself shall bow to thy command.
But Jesus still in quiet firmness stood,
Not swayed by praise of human excellence.
Satan Withdraws
Then Satan, seeing all his schemes were void,
And none could move the Son of God from truth,
Retired a space, and in his thought conferred.
Closing Movement
Thus ended this first conflict in the waste,
Where neither hunger, glory, nor renown
Could turn aside the path ordained above.
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Thank You, Lord Jesus, for overcoming Temptation and Satan and for showing us how to use the Word of God to overcome both. I ask in Your name, Amen.
If you agree with this prayer and want to pray with me, let me know in the Comments section bbelow. I look forward to praying with you. - Ken
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1 Yield not to temptation,
for yielding is sin.
Each vict'ry will help you
some other to win.
Fight valiantly onward;
dark passions subdue.
Look ever to Jesus;
He'll carry you through.
Refrain:
Ask the Savior to help you,
comfort, strengthen, and keep you.
He is willing to aid you;
He will carry you through.
2 Shun evil companions;
bad language disdain.
God’s name hold in rev'rence,
nor take it in vain.
Be thoughtful and earnest,
kind-hearted and true.
Look ever to Jesus;
He'll carry you through. [Refrain]
3 To him that o’ercometh
God giveth a crown.
Through faith we will conquer,
though often cast down.
He who is our Savior
our strength will renew.
Look ever to Jesus;
e'He will carry you through. [Refrain]
Comments