In dust, our final rest and native home, What better can we do, than, to the place Repairing where he judg'd us, prostrate fall Before him reverent; and there confess Humbly our faults, and pardon beg; with tears Watering the ground, and with our sighs the air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign Of sorrow unfeign'd, and humilation meek? Undoubtedly he will relent, and turn From his displeasure; in whose look serene, When angry most he seem'd and most severe, What else but favour, grace, and mercy, shone? » So spake our father penitent; nor Eve Felt less remorse : they, forthwith to the place Repairing where he judg'd them, prostrate fell Before him reverent; and both confess'd Humbly their faults, and pardon begg'd; with tears Watering the ground, and with their sighs the air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign Of sorrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek.
The Son of God presents to his Father the prayers of our first parents now repenting, and intercedes for them: God accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide in paradise; sends Michael with a band of cherubim to dispossess them; but first to reveal to Adam future things. Michael's coming down. Adam shows to Eve certain ominous signs; he discerns Michael's approach; goes out to meet him; the angel denounces their departure. Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but submits. The angel leads him up to a high hill, and sets before him in vision what shall happen till the flood.
Thus they, in lowliest plight, repentant stood Praying; for from the mercy-seat above Prevenient grace descending had remov'd The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh Regenerate grow instead, that sighs now breath'd Unutterable; which the Spirit of prayer
Inspir'd, and wing'd for heaven with speedier flight Than loudest oratory: yet their port
Not of mean suitors; nor important less
Seem'd their petition, than when the ancient pair In fables old, (less ancient yet than these, ) Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore The race of mankind drown'd, before the shrine Of Themis stood devout. To heaven their prayers Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond or frustrate; in they pass'd Dimensionless through heavenly doors; then clad With incense, where the golden altar fum'd, By their great Intercessor, came in sight Before the Father's throne; them the glad Son Presenting, thus to intercede began:
See, Father, what first-fruits on earth are sprung From thy implanted grace in man: these sighs And prayers, which in this golden censer, mix'd With incense, I thy priest before thee bring; Fruits of more pleasing savour, from thy seed Sown with contrition in his heart, than those Which, his own hand manuring, all the trees Of paradise could have produc'd, ere fall'n From innocence. Now therefore, bend thine ear To supplication; hear his sighs, though mute; Unskilful with what words to pray, let me Interpret for him; me, his advocate And propitiation; all his works on me, Good, or not good, ingraft; my merit those Shall perfect, and for these my death shall pay. Accept me; and in me, from these receive
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The smell of peace toward mankind: let him live Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days Number'd, though sad; till death, his doom, (which I To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse,)
To better life shall yield him; where with me All my redeem'd may dwell in joy and bliss; Made one with me, as I with thee am one. »>
To whom the Father, without cloud, serene: « All thy request for man, accepted son, Obtain all thy request was : my decree.
But, longer in that paradise to dwell, The law I gave to nature him forbids: Those pure immortal elements, that know No gross, no unharmonious mixture foul, Eject him, tainted now; and purge him off, As a distemper, gross, to air as gross, And mortal food, as may dispose him best For dissolution wrought by sin; that first Distemper'd all things, and of incorrupt Corrupted. I, at first, with two fair gifts Created him endow'd; with happiness, And immortality: that fondly lost, This other serv'd but to eternize woe; Till I provided death: so death becomes His final remedy; and (after life, Tried in sharp tribulation, and refin'd By faith and faithful works,) to second life, Wak'd in the renovation of the just, Resigns him with heaven and earth renew'd.. up But let us call to synod all the blest,
Through heaven's wide bounds: from them I will not hide
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My judgments; how with mankind I proceed,
As how with peccant angels late they saw;
And in their state, though firm, stood more confirm'd. » He ended, and the Son gave signal high
To the bright minister that watch'd : he blew His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps When God descended, and perhaps once more To sound at general doom. The angelic blast Fill'd all the regions: from their blissful bowers Of amaranthine shade, fountain or spring, By the waters of life, where'er they sat
In fellowships of joy, the sons of light
Hasted, resorting to the summons high; And took their seats; till from his throne supreme The Almighty thus pronounc'd his sovran will: « O sons! like one of us man is become. To know both good and evil, since his taste Of that defended fruit; but let him boast His knowledge of good lost, and evil got; Happier! had it suffic'd him to have known. Good by itself, and evil not at all.
He sorrows now, repents, and prays contrite, My motions in him; longer than they move, His heart I know, how variable and vain, Self-left. Lest therefore now his bolder hand Reach also of the tree of life, and eat, And live for ever, ( dream at least to live For ever,) to remove him I decree, And send him from the garden forth to till The ground whence he was taken; fitter soil.
« Michael, this my behest have thou in charge; Take to thee from among the cherubim Thy choice of flaming warriors, lest the fiend, Or in behalf of man, or to invade Vacant possession, some new trouble raise : Haste thee, and from the paradise of God Without remorse drive out the sinful pair; From hallow'd ground the unholy; and denounce To them, and to their progeny, from thence Perpetual banishment. Yet, lest they faint At the sad sentence rigorously urg'd, (For I behold them soften'd, and with tears Bewailing their excess, ) all terror hide.
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