Whether it fhall be accepted or not.

And fuch confeffion fhall my lips pronounce,
If ever I'm admitted to his feet,

As none of the restor'd have ever done

Because my fins have fo exceeded theirs.
And if the Savior can deliver me,
"Twill be an inftance of fuch mercy fhewn,.
As never hath took place fince time began.
Thus now the fallen angel humbled, mourn'd,
And fhew'd the real signs of penitence.
So Babel's tyrant king, of madness cur'd,
Deliver'd from his pride and cruelty,

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Lifted his eyes toward th' Almighty's throne:
Th' appointed time of punishment was past,
It had accomplish'd all that was defign'd;
His understanding then return'd to him,
He bleffed the Moft High, and prais'd his name,
And honor'd him who liveth evermore ;
Whose grand dominion doth extend o'er all,
Whofe kingdom endless ages fhall endure.
Before whofe fight proud monarchs are but duft,
Kings of the earth, as grafshoppers esteem'd.
All earth's inhabitants with him compar'd.
Reputed are as nothing, and as lefs,
Smaller than duft, lighter than vanity.
He doth according to his fov'reign will,"
In Heav'n's bright army, and among the hofts
That dwell upon the globe, all thefe he rules,
And none can flay his hand, or dare to ask,

What docft thou? or, why conduct' thou fo? 6555

This mighty change in Lucifer, foon reach'd
The holy city, and great joy it caus'd
Among the blett inhabitants who dwell
In prefence of their God, and of the Lamb..
Such a completion of their wishes brought
A large addition to their heav'nly blifs.
Mean while th' eternal Father thus addrefs'd
His darling Son, the image of himself.

660

Se'ft thou my Son, thine enemy fubdu'd !
At laft behold him humbled, fill'd with shame; 665;
He that rebell'd against thee, now submits,
Now falls before thy face, and fain would afk,
In humble tone, thy pardon, but he feels
His heart quite broken with the deepest fenfe
Cf his rebellions, and his evil deeds.

This is thy noblest conqueft; now behold.
My greatcft promifes to thee fulfill'd.
This is my covenant which I confirm❜d,

That if thy foul was made a facrifice,

6705

Thou should't with highest pleasure see the fruit. Of all thy labor and be fatisfy'd.

The gracious purpose of Jehovah God

676

Shall profper in thy hand, and thy fuccefs
Shall more than recompence thy bitter pains.
I promis'd thee that ev'ry knee fhould bow,
And ev'ry tongue fhould fwear, and thee confefs.
Their fov'reign Lord; to my eternal praise.
I gave thee all things, and did promife thee,
That-all fhould be fubmiffive to thy will,
That all things under thee I would re-head,

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And through thy blood all creatures reconcile,
Whether earth born, or fprung of high descent.
Thrones principalities, dominions, pow'rs,
All have become obedient to thy sway,

695

And now their head himself to thee refigns. 690.
Soon thou wilt finish and compleat that work,
Which I have giv'n thee nobly to perform.
Now fhall thy triumph to perfection rife;
Thou shalt be hail'd as univerfal King,
All things are put beneath Thee, Me except.
Thou haft the fceptre fway'd in righteousness,
And all ty foes are now at peace with thee.
The proclamation grand fhall foon be made.
Rebellion is no more! nor ever fhall
Prevail, nor rife throughout the universe.
So fpake the Father, while his glory.beam'd
With heav'nly radiance on his bleffed Sɔn ;.
Who fhone with equal, undiminish,d rays,
And all his Father's love to him return'd.
And thus in sweetest accents to him spake.
Father, the day of triumph and of joy
To all the hofts of Heav'n at laft is come,.
The day I looked for, which thou ordain'd,
In which thy gracious promife is fulfill'd,

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That all fhould bow to me, and own my pow'r. 710 How infinite thy love has been to me'!

How vaft the trust thou haft in me repos'd!

All things in Heav'n and earth thou gav'ft thy Son,
And will'd that nothing he at last should lofe.
Thy will I have perfòrm'd, and have reclaim'd 715
All that have gone aftray, all that rebell'd

Against thy government and holy laws.

Even Lucifer at laft fubmits himself.

This

great event was in thy word reveal'd.

719

That ev'ry knee should bow, and tongue fhould fwear,. And all thine enemies be reconcil d:.

But so astonishing was this display

Of love and mercy, goodness, grace, and peace,

That men for ages durft not this believe;

724

And fuch who lov'd thee ftill were much in doubt,

Whether thy goodness could so far extend,

As finally to reach, reclaim, restore,

All fallen creatures, all the human race,
And all the heft of rebel angels too

Nay, thofe who ventur'd to proclaim thy love 730
Thus boundless and benign, were disesteem'd,
Infulted, treated with contempt and fcorn..
But ftill the council of eternal peace

Which was between us both, stood fast and fure,
Thy thoughts and ways as far tranfcended man's,
As highest heav'ns above the earth were plac'd.
Now thy decrees fulfill'd have made thee known
A God of boundlefs love, a God of truth,
From henceforth thou shalt be by all ador'd ; ·
And henceforth no rebellion shall appear

In thy dominion to eternity.

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Thus fpake the Son, while all the faints rejoic'd, And all the ranfom'd throng their anthems fung. Loud hallelujahs through the city rofe

To God Jehovah and the holy Lamb,

745

Who by his blood redeem'd their fouls from death,

And laid the bafis of a gen'ral peace,.

A

750

Throughout the boundlefs empire of the Lord,
peace which never fhall be broken more.
Meantime poor Lucifer remained sad,
Far in the diftant regions of the north,
Where he deploring lay, for none as yet
Had been dispatch'd to him with news of peace;
But Jefu's pow'r and grace had reach'd his heart,
And like a fov'reign fufion made it melt,
And in proportion as it had been hard

755

"Tis foften'd now and doth like water flow.
He from the lake of fire had been releas'd,
Which now was quite diminish'd to a pool,
And foon fhall be destroy'd, and wholly cease, 760
As being henceforth of no farther use.

But now commiflion'd from the facred throne,
Gabriel furrounded with a chofen band,
Compos'd of holy angels, and of faints,
Went to convey to Lucifer the news,
That he was now permitted to approach
The City gates, and there fubmiffion make,
And homage pay at the Redeemer's feet.

Angels were ev'n aftonifhed to find.
The furious lion chang'd, now like a lamb
Sitting in meeknefs, and lamenting fore,
With deep contrition, all his horrid crimes
Against his Maker, and his creatures done.
This change effected by the pow'r of Christ,
Proves him the great Reftorer of the loft.

The deeper one is funk in depths of fin,
The greater is the pow'r that must restore.
The more forlorn and hopeless is the cafe,

765

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