And Tirefias, and Phineus, prophets old: Then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move Harmonious numbers; as the wakeful bird Sings darkling, and in shadiest covert hid
Tunes her nocturnal note. Thus with the year 40 Seasons return; but not to me returns Day, or the fweet approach of ev'n or morn, Or fight of vernal bloom, or fummer's rofe, Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine; But cloud inftead, and ever during dark Surrounds me, from the chearful ways of men Cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair Prefented with an univerfal blank
Of nature's works, to me expung'd and raz'd, And wisdom at one entrance quite fhut out. So much the rather thou, celeftial light,
Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers 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 empyréan 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 fanctities of heav'n
Stood thick as ftars, and from his fight receiv'd Beatitude past utterance: on his right The radiant image of his glory fat, His only Son. On earth he firft beheld Our two firft parents, yet the only two Of mankind, in the happy garden plac'd, Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love, Uninterrupted joy, unrivall'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 ftoop 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 paft, prefent, future, he beholds, Thus to his only Son, forefeeing spake.
Only begotten Son, feest thou what rage Tranfports our adverfary; whom no bounds. Prefcrib'd, no bars of hell, nor all the chains Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main abyss Wide interrupt, can hold; fo bent he seems On defperate revenge, that fhall redound Upon his own rebellious head? And now Through all reftraint broke loofe, 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 effay If him by force he can destroy, or worse By fome falfe guile pervert: and fhall pervert; For man will hearken to his glozing lies, And eafily tranfgrefs the fole command, Sole pledge of his obedience: fo will fall, He, and his faithlefs progeny. Whose fault? Whose 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 powers
And fp'rits, both them who stood, and them who fail'd; Freely they ftood who ftood, 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 praife could they receive? What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid, When will and reafon (reaf'n alfo is choice) Ufelefs and vain, of freedom both defpoil'd, Made paffive both, had ferv'd neceffity, 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 predeftination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute decree,
Or high forcknowledge. They themselves decreed Their own revolt, not I; if I foreknew,
Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no lefs prov'd certain unforeseen, So without least impulse or shadow of fate, Or ought by me immutably foreseen, They trefpafs, authors to themselves in all,
Both what they judge, and what they chuie; for fo I form'd them free: and free they must remain, Till they inthral themselves; I elie moit change 125 Their nature, and revoke the high decree Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd
Their freedom; they themselves ordain'd their fall. The firft fort by their own fuggeftion fell, Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: man falls, deceiv'd 130 By th' other firft: man therefore shall find grace, Th' other none: in mercy' and justice both, Through heav'n and earth, fo fhall my glory' excel; But mercy, first and last, shall brightest shine.
Thus while Gop spake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd All heav'n, and in the bleffed fp'rits elect Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus’d. Beyond compare the Son of God was seen Moft glorious; in him all the Father thone Subftantially exprefs'd: and in his face Divine compaffion vifible appear'd, Love without end, and without measure grace, Which uttering, thus he to his Father spake.
O Father, gracious was that word which clos'd Thy fov'reign fentence, that man should find grace; 145 For which both heav'n and earth fhall high extol Thy praifes, with th' innumerable found
Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne Incompafs'd fhall refound thee ever blefs'd. For fhould man finally be loft? should man, Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest fon, Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though join'd 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 fruftrate thine? fhall he fulfil
His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught,
Or proud return, though to his heavier doom, Yet with revenge accomplish'd, and to hell Drawn after him the whole race of mankind, By him corrupted? or wilt thou thyfelf Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou haft made? So fhould thy goodness and thy greatness both 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 purpose 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 east shall hear my call, and oft be warn'd Their finful ftate, 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 Confcience; whom if they will hear, 195 Light after light, well us'd, they shall attain, And to the end perfifting, fafe arrive.
This my long fuff'rance, and my day of grace, They who neglect and fcorn, fhall never tafte;
But hard be harden'd; blind be blinded more, That they may stumble 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 godhead, and fo lofing all, Toexpiate his treason hath naught left; But to deftruction facred and devote, He, with his whole pofterity, muft die; Die he, or juftice mult; 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' unjúft to fave? 215 Dwells in all heaven charity fo dear?
He afk'd; but all the heav'nly quire ftood 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 The deadly forfeiture, and ranfom fet. And now without redemption all mankind Must have been loft, adjudg'd to death and hell By doom fevere, had not the Son of God, In whom the fulnefs dwells of love divine, His deareft mediation thus renew'd.
Father, thy word is past, man fhall find grace; And fhall grace not find means, that finds her way, The fpeedieft of thy winged meffengers,
To vifit all thy creatures, and to all
Comes unprevented. unimplor'd, unfought? Happy for man, fo coming: he her aid Can never feek, once dead in fins, and loft; Atonement for himself, or offering meet, Indebted and undone, hath none to bring. Behold me then; me for him, life for life I offer; on me let thine anger fall: Account me man; I for his fake will leave Thy bofom, and his glory next to thee Freely put off, and for him laftly die
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