Affecting Godhead, and so losing all, 210 Say, heavenly Powers, where shall we find such love? Which of ye will be mortal to redeem Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjust to save? 215 Dwells in all heaven charity so dear? He ask'd, but all the heav'nly choir stood mute, And silence was in heav'n: on man's behalf Patron or intercessor none appear'd, Much less that durst upon his own head draw 220 And now without redemption all mankind In whom the fulness dwells of love divine, 225 Father, thy word is pass'd, man shall find grace; And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speediest of thy winged messengers, To visit all thy creatures, and to all Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unsought? Can never seek, once dead in sins and lost; 208 sacred] sacrate.' Bentl. MS. 230 BOOK III. Indebted and undone, hath none to bring. 245 Well pleas'd; on me let Death wreak all his rage; I through the ample air in triumph high Shall lead hell captive maugre hell, and show 250 255 The powers of darkness bound. Thou, at the sight Pleas'd, out of heaven shalt look down and smile, While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes, Death last, and with his carcass glut the grave: 236 me] The frequent repetition of 'me' is like Virgil, Æn. ix. 427. Me, me, adsum qui feci in me convertite ferrum.' Newton. 255 maugre hell] 'Such Life that maugre Hell he lives.' Sir T. Hawkins' Horace, (1638) p. 72. Maugre thy fury,' v. Marino's Sl. of the Inn. p. 58. Maugre thine enemies' hate.' Gayton's Ch. Script. p. 3. 4to. Then with the multitude of my redeem'd His words here ended, but his meek aspect Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will Of his great Father. Admiration seiz'd 260 265 270 All heaven, what this might mean and whither tend Wond'ring; but soon th' Almighty thus reply'd: 275 O thou in heav'n and earth the only peace Found out for mankind under wrath, O thou My sole complacence! well thou know'st how dear To me are all my works, nor man the least, Though last created, that for him I spare Thee from my bosom and right hand, to save, By losing thee a while, the whole race lost. Thou therefore whom thou only can'st redeem Their nature also to thy nature join; And be thy self man among men on earth, 230 267 Immortal love] See Lucret. v. 122. 'Immortalia mortali sermone notantes.' Aristot. de Rhetor. ii. 17. 2. ἀθανάτον όργην μὴ φύλαττε, θνητὸς ὤν. 277 least] Shakespeare's Lear, act i. scene 1. 'Now our joy, Although the last, not least.' and Jul. Cæs. act iii. scene 1. Though last, not least, in love.' Newton. Made flesh, when time shall be, of virgin seed, The head of all mankind, though Adam's son. As from a second root, shall be restor❜d, 285 295 His crime makes guilty all his sons; thy merit 290 In those who, when they may, accept not grace. 300 Man's nature lessen or degrade thine own. God-like fruition, quitted all to save A world from utter loss, and hast been found 306 301 destroys] The fall is spoken of as a thing past, but as perhaps present to the divine mind, so ver. 151 and 181. Pearce. 306 Equal] Newton says, 'this is an instance of Milton's orthodoxy;' how could he have overlooked the lines that follow? 'By merit more than birthright Son of God.' By merit more than birthright Son of GOD, With thee thy manhood also to this throne; Both God and Man, Son both of GOD and Man, 310 315 320 I give thee; reign for ever, and assume 325 Shall hasten, such a peal shall rouse their sleep. Then, all thy saints assembled, thou shalt judge 330 Bad men and angels; they arraign'd shall sink Beneath thy sentence; hell, her numbers full, Thenceforth shall be for ever shut. Mean while The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring New heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell, 325 archangels] Archangel; v. Thessal. iv. 6. St. Matt. xxiv. 31. Bentl. MS. 'The Archangel Michael is the only Archangel of whom we know any thing from holy Writ.' Horsley's Sermons, p. 583, 8vo. |