Shine inward, and the mind through all her pow'rs
Irradiate; there plant eyes; all mist from thence
Purge, and difperfe; that I may fee and tell
Of things invifible to mortal fight.
Now had th' Almighty FATHER from above, (From the pure empyrean where he fits
High thron'd above all height) bent down his eye,
His own works and their works at once to view.
About him all the Sanctities of heav'n
Stood thick as ftars, and from his fight receiv'd
Beatitude paft utt'rance: on his right
The radiant image of his glory fat,
His only SON. On earth he first beheld
Our two first parents, yet the only two
Of mankind, in the happy garden plac'd,
Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love;
Uninterrupted joy, unrival'd love,
In blissful folitude. He then furvey'd
Hell and the gulf between, and SATAN there
Coafting the wall of heav'n on this fide night,
In the dun air fublime; and ready now
To stoop with wearied wings, and willing feet,
On the bare outfide of this world, that feem'd'
Firm land imbofom'd without firmament ;
Uncertain which, in ocean, or in air.
Him GOD beholding from his profpect high,
Wherein past, prefent, future he beholds,
Thus to his only SON forefeeing spake.
ONLY begotten SON! feeft thou what rage Tranfports our adversary, whom no bounds Prefcrib'd, no bars of hell, nor all the chains Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main abyfs Wide-interrupt, can hold? So bent he seems
On defperate revenge, that shall redound
Upon his own rebellious head. And now
Through all restraint broke loose, he wings his way
Not far off heav'n, in the precincts of light,
Directly towards the new-created world,
And man there plac'd; with purpose to affay
If him by force he can deftroy, or worse,
By fome falfe guile pervert and fhall pervert ;
For man will hearken to his glozing lies,
And easily tranfgrefs the fole command,
Sole pledge of his obedience: fo will fall,
He, and his faithlefs progeny. Whofe fault?
Whofe but his own? Ingrate! he had of me
All he could have: I made him juft, and right;
Sufficient to have ftood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' ethereal Pow'rs,
And fpirits, both them who stood, and them who fail'd :
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have giv'n fincere
Of true allegiance, conftant faith, or love,
Where only what they needs muft do, appear'd; 105
Not, what they would? What praise could they receive?
What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid,
When will and reason, reason alfo is choice,
Ufeless and vain, of freedom both defpoil'd,
Made paffive both, and ferv'd neceflity,
Not Me? They therefore, as to right belong'd,
So were created, nor can juftly accufe
Their Maker, or their making, or their fate:
As if predestination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute decree,
Or high fore-knowledge. They themselves decreed
Their own revolt, not I: if I fore-knew,
Fore-knowledge had no influence on their fault,
Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown.
So without leaft impulfe, or fhadow of fate,
Or ought by me immutably foreseen,
They trefpafs; authors to themfelves in all,
Both what they judge, and what they choofe; for fo
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
'Till they inthrall themfelves; I elfe must change
Their nature, and revoke the high decree
Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd
Their freedom; they themselves ordain'd their fall.
The first fort by their own fuggeftion fell,
Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: man falls, deceiv'd 130
By th' other first: Man therefore fhall find grace;
The other none in mercy and juftice both,
Through heav'n and earth, fo fhall my glory excel;
But mercy, first and laft, fhall brightest fhine.
THUS while GOD fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All heav'n, and in the bleffed fpirits elect
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd.
Beyond compare the Son of GOD was feen
Moft glorious; in him all his FATHER fhone
Subftantially exprefs'd; and in his face.
Divine compaffion visibly appear'd,
Love without end, and without measure grace;
Which uttering, thus he to his FATHER fpake.
OFATHER! gracious was that word which clos'd Thy fov'reign fentence, that man fhould find grace; For which both heav'n and earth fhall high extol 146 Thy praifes, with th' innumerable found Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne Encompass'd fhall refound thee ever bleft. For fhould man finally be loft, should man Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest fon, Fall circumvented thus by fraud, tho' join'd F 4
With his own folly? That be from thee far,
That far be from thee, FATHER! who art judge
Of all things made, and judgeft only right.
Or fhall the adverfary thus obtain
His end, and frustrate thine; fhall he fulfil
His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought,
Or proud return, though to his heavier doom,
Yet, with revenge accomplish'd, and to hell
Draw after him the whole race of mankind,
By him corrupted? Or wilt thou thy felf
Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou haft made?
So fhould thy goodnefs, and thy greatnefs both 165
Be queftion'd, and blafphem'd without defence.
To whom the great Creator thus reply'd.
O SON! in whom my foul hath chief delight,
SON of my bofom, SON who art alone
My word, my wifdom, and effectual might !
All haft thou spoken as my thoughts are, all
As my eternal purpofe hath decreed.
Man fhall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will;
Yet not of will in him, but grace in me
Freely vouchfaf'd once more I will renew
His lapfed pow'rs, though forfeit, and inthrall'd
By fin to foul exorbitant defires :
Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand
On even ground against his mortal foe:
By me upheld, that he may know how frail
His fall'n condition is, and to me owe
All his deliv'rance, and to none but me.
Some I have chofen of peculiar grace
Elect above the reft: fo is my
will:
The reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd
Their finful state, and to appease betimes
Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites for I will clear their fenfes dark,
What may fuffice, and foften ftony hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due,
(Though but endeavour'd with fincere intent)
Mine ear fhall not be flow, mine eye not fhut.
And I will place within them as a guide
My umpire CONSCIENCE; whom if they will hear
Light after light well us'd they fhall attain,
And to the end perfifting, fafe arrive.
This my long fufferance, and my day of grace
They who neglect and scorn, shall never taste;
But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more;
That they may ftumble on, and deeper fall:
And none but fuch from mercy I exclude.
But yet all is not done: Man difobeying,
Difloyal breaks his fealty, and fins
Against the high fupremacy of heav'n,
Affecting God-head, and fo lofing all,
To expiate his treafon hath nought left;
But to deftruction facred, and devote,
He with his whole pofterity muft die;
Die he or Justice muft; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.
Say, heav'nly' Pow'rs! where fhall we find fuch love! Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Man's mortal crime and juft, th' unjust to fave? Dwells in all heaven charity fo dear?
He afk'd, but all the heav'nly choir flood mute, And filence was in heav'n: on man's behalf Patron, or interceffor, none appear'd ;
Much less that durft upon his own head draw
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