O bleffed be his name, that he hath led

My thoughts to sketch this comprehenfive plan,
And thus far hath supported me to trace
His Procefs and his Empire hitherto.
But far the grandeft part remains to fing:
The new creation, and the scenes of blifs
Which fhall attend and follow that event
But, oh, my God, my raptur'd soul inspire,
To fing of this in strains of lofti'll sound.

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Behold the wonders which demand our fong! 35. The Lord returns, and looks upon the globe, Welt'ring in fire, with its inhabitants :

He comes in mercy to create anew

What fin had ruin'd, and destruction feiz'd.
As when at first the chaos he beheld,
The ruins of the feat of Lucifer.

He saw it fhapeless, rude, without a form,
Compos'd of jarring elements; but he

By his own word, both light and order brought :
Beauty, variety: and harmony,

The place of wild diforder occupy'd.
So in this last creation of the earth,
By which he will reftore it to a state
The most compleat and glorious possible,
No more to be forfaken or deftroy'd;
He will come forth in his almighty love,
And fpeak the word, and nature fhall obey,
And fuddenly, before the wond'ring eyes
Of all his faints, fee the new world appears!
The floods of liquid fire at once fubfide,

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And form a folid pavement, clear as glass,
More beautiful than Paradife at first.

In this new earth no fea at all exifts,

Than in its first, or any after state.

For none is needed, as this globe renew'd,
Is quite for other purposes design'd

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How chang'd the globe! and how the atmosphere

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Is purify'd, from noxious vapours free!

The earth is now created to exift

For ever in eternal permanence,

An habitation fitted for the feat

Of all its old inhabitants, reftor'd

To righteoufnefs, and fpotlefs innoc exce;
And fitted thus for endless happiness.

Of this amazing work the prophet speaks

In language lofty, rapt'rous, and divine.

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Behold, fays God, new heav'ns and earth I make,

So far fuperior to those I form'd

In the beginning, ere I formed man,

That thofe fhall be remembered no more,

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Nor come to mind as worthy of a thought.

But let my faints and holy ones rejoice,

Be glad forevermore in what I make,

Which never fhall decay, nor change its form,
Nor lofe its glory, nor be ever marr'd.

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The earth and heav'ns, which I create anew,
Shall evermore continue in my fight,
The feat of joy and happiness unchang'd.
The fashion of that world shall never pass,
But in its pristine glory shall abide.

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O what a heart-refreshing view is this, To fee a world in full perfection rife, A Phoenix from the ashes of the first ! This great difcovery will reconcile Our minds unto the burning of the world, Which otherwise appears a gloomy scene. This charming prospect made th' apostle glad, When he by faith beheld the earth diffolv'd, The heav'ns on fire, the world itfelf confum'd, And all the things therein contain'd burnt up: 95 But yet in pleafing chearful words he adds,

Nevertheless, according to his word,

His gracious promife, we with joy expect
New heav'ns and earth, created by his pow'r,
Where righteousness, and righteous ones fhall dwell.
Though finners once, yet they to righteousness 101
Shall be restor'd, and wholly freed from fin,
Shall always then obey God's righteous laws.
Behold, fays John, 1 faw new heav'n and earth,
The former heav'n and earth were pafs'd away, 105
And lo, the ocean now no more appear'd!
What bleffed animating thoughts are these !
The earth itself fhall be at laft reftor'd,
(After the fire its fubftance hath diffolv'd,)
And will appear more beautiful by far
T'han ever Eden's Paradife was feen:
And as the earth itself fhall thus be chang'd,

No doubt all men fhall in its glory share.

But lo! behold what wonders ftrike mine eyes! Aftonishing! furpassing miracle!

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Behold the New Jerufalem defcends,

The New Jerufalem, which is above,

That city glorious, built by God himself;
Behold it cometh down from out of Heav'n,
Defcending to the new-created earth,
For the accomplishment of purposes
Moft grand and glorious, worthy of a God.
This is by far the most amazing fight
That ever was by eyes of man beheld.

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Hark, hear the voice of God aloud proclaims, 125
Behold, God's tabernacle is with men,

And he will dwell with them upon the earth,
And they shall be his people, He their God.
O most amazing change! the God of those
Whom he had long rejected and cast off.
Behold, he comes to ranfom and restore
I hofe who have fuffer'd in the lake of fire.

And God fhall wipe all tears away from them,
And forrow, crying, pain, and death fhall cease?
For all the former things are pass'd away,

The reign of fin and misery is past.

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The Lord, our Savior, feated on his throne,
Proclaims, behold, I fashion all things new
These are God's fayings, faithful, true, and just:
Behold, the heav'nly city ftands on earth?
Fill'd with the faints and faithful of all times,
Who long immortal glories have poffefs'd,
And long have dwelt in New Jerusalem.
Not for their fakes this city does come down,

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(For they dwelt there while it remain'd in Heav'n)

But that falvation might to all men come,
To all without exception who were loft.

O how amazing is the love of God,
Who first did fend his darling Son to die,
To lay a fure foundation for our hope,
Gave him to fuffer, die, and rife again,

And reafcend to Heav'n, from thence return

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To reign on earth before his mighty ones,

And at the close to raise and judge the world!~

In all these num'rous methods his defign

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Is ftill the fame; to fave the human race.

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And more and more he ranfoms ev'ry time,
That his great love another method tries.
But this his laft and grandeft effort gains.
The whole without exception, none are left.
All now fhall be recover'd, all reftor'd,
And not one creature finally remain
To mourn and wail in endless black defpair.
T'accomplish this moft grand and glorious work,
God and the Lamb in glory now defcend,
With all the faints who in this city dwell:
The holy city, their moft bleft abode,
Gently defcending, brings them from above,
Here to remain till the great closing scene;
Which now my mufe haftes quickly to defcribe.
Now let us take a foul-delighting view,

Of this amazing city, rich and large,
As far excelling all that eyes have feen
As Heav'n can be fuperior to the earth.

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For that which God hath built, by his own pow'r,

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