When, by the Tempter’s Wiles Betrayed

When

by the tempt­er’s wiles be­trayed

Adam our head and par­ent fell

Unknown be­fore

a plea­sure spread

Through all the ma­zy deeps of hell.

Infernal pow­ers re­joiced to see

The new-made world de­stroyed

undone;

But God pro­claims His great de­cree

Of grace and mer­cy through His Son.

Serpent

ac­cursed

thy sen­tence read

Almighty ven­geance thou shalt feel;

The wo­man’s seed shall crush thy head

Thy mal­ice slight­ly bruise His heel.

Thus God de­clares

and Christ des­cends

In hu­man form to bleed and die;

Whilst by His death

death’s em­pire ends

And all the sons of dark­ness fly.

Rising

the King of glo­ry deals

Destruction to His nu­mer­ous foes;

His power the dar­ing tempt­er feels

And sinks op­pressed be­neath his woes.