Though now to death I yield, and am his due
All that of mé can die, yet that debt paid,
Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsome grave
His prey, nor fuffer my unfpotted foul
For ever with corruption there to dwell;
But I fhall rife victorious, and subdue
My vanquisher, spoil'd of his vanted spoil;
Death his death's wound fhall then receive, and ftoop
Inglorious, of his mortal fting difarm'd.
I through the ample air in triumph high
Shall lead hell captivé maugre hell, and fhow
The powers of darkness bound. Thou at the fight
Pleas'd, out of heav'n fhalt look down and smile,
While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes,
Death laft, and with his carcafs glut the grave:
Then with the multitude of my redeem'd
Shall enter heav'n long abfent, and return,
Father, to fee thy face, wherein no cloud
Of anger fhall remain, but peace affur'd,
And reconcilement; wrath fhall be no more
Thenceforth, but in thy prefence joy entire.
His words here ended, but his meek aspect
Silent yet fpake, and breath'd immortal love
To mortal men, above which only shone
Filial obedience as a facrifice
Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will
Of his great father. Admiration feiz'd
All heav'n, what this might mean, and whither tend
Wondring; but foon th'Almighty thus reply'd :
O thou in heav'n and earth the only peace
Found out for mankind under wrath, O thou
My fole complacence! well thou know'st how dear,
To me are all my works, nor man the leaft
Though last created, that for him I spare
Thee from my bofom and right hand, to save,
By loofing thee a while, the whole race loft.
Thou therefore whom thou only canft redeem,
Their nature alfo to thy nature joyne;
And be thyfelf man among men on earth,
Made flesh, when time fhall be, of virgin feed.
By wondrous birth: be thou in Adam's room
The head of all mankind, though Adam's fon.
As in him perish all men, fo in thee
As from a fecond root thall be reftor'd
As many as are reftor'd, without thee none.
His crime makes guilty all his fons, thy merit
Imputed shall abfolve them who tenounce
Their own both righteous and unrighteous deeds,
And live in thee transplanted, and from thee
Receive new life. So man, as is most just,
Shall fatisfy för man, bé judg'd and die,
And dying rife, and rifing with him raise
His brethren, ranfom'd with his own dear life.
So heav'nly love shall out do hellish hate,
Giving to death, and dying to redeem,
So dearly to redeem what hellish hate,
So eafily destroy'd, and still destroys
In thofe who, when they may, accept not grace,
Nor Thalt thou by defcending to affume
Man's nature, leffen or degrade thine own. Because thou haft, though thron'd in highest bliss Equal to God, and equally enjoying
God-like fruition, quitted all to fave
A world from utter lofs, and haft been found
By merit more than birthright fon of God,
Found worthieft to be fo by being good,
Far more than great or high; because in thee.
Love hath abounded more than glory abounds,
Therefore thy humiliation fhall exalt
With thee thy manhood alfo to this throne ;
Here shalt thou fit incarnate, here shalt reign
Both God and man, fon both of God and man,
Anointed universal king; all power
I give thee, reign for ever, and affume
Thy merits; under thee as head fupream 272
Thrones, princedoms, powers, dominions I reduce:
All knees to thee fhall bow, of them that bide
In heaven or earth, or under earth in hell;
When thou attended gloriously from heav'n
Shalt in the skie appear, and from thee send
The fummoning arch-angels to proclaim
Thy dread tribunal: forthwith from all winds
The living, and forthwith the cited dead
Of all past ages to the general doom
Shall haften, fuch a peal fhall rouse their sleep.
Then all thy faints affembl'd, thou shalt judge
Bad men and angels, they arraign'd, shall sink
Beneath thy fentence; hell, her numbers full,
Thenceforth fhall be for ever fhut. Mean while
The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring
New heav'n and earth, wherein the just shall dwell
And after all their tribulations long
See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,
With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth.
Then thou thy regal scepter fhalt lay by,
For regal scepter then no more shall need,
God shall be All in All. But all ye Gods,
Adore him, who to compass all this dies,
Adore the Son, and honour him as me.
No fooner had th'Almighty ceas'd, but all
The multitude of angels with a shout
Loud as from numbers without number, sweet
As from bleft voices, uttering joy, heav'n rung
With jubilee and loud hofanna's fill'd
Th'eternal regions: lowly reverent
Towards either throne they bow, and to the ground
With folemn adoration down they caft
Their crowns inwove with amarant and gold,
Immortal amarant, a flour which once
In Paradise, faft by the tree of life
Began to bloom, but foon for man's offence
To heav'n remov'd where first it grew, there grows,
And flours aloft fhading the fount of life,
And where the river of blifs through midst of heav'n Rowls o're Elifian flours her amber stream;
With these that never fade the spirits elect
Bind their refplendent locks inwreath'd with beams,
Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright
Pavement that like a fea of Jasper fhon
Impurpl'd with celestial roses smil'd.
Then crown'd again their gold'n harps they took,
Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their fide
Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet
Of charming symphonie they introduce
Their facred fong, and waken raptures high;
No voice exempt, no voice but well could join
Melodious part, fuch concord is in heav'n.
Thee Father first they fung omnipotent,
Immutable, immortal, infinite,
Eternal king; the Author of all being,
Fountain of light, thyself invisible
Amidst the glorious brightness where thon fit'st
Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou shad'ft
The full blaze of thy beams, and through a cloud
Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine,
Dark with exceffive bright thy skirts appear,
Yet dazle heav'n, that brightest Seraphim
Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes,
Thee next they fang of all creation first,
Begotten fon, divine fimilitude,
In whofe confpicuous count'nance, without cloud
Made visible, th'almighty father shines,
Whom elfe no creature can behold; on thee
Impreft the effulgence of his glory abides,
Transfus'd on thee his ample spirit rests.
He heav'n of heav'ns and all the powers therein
By thee created, and by thee threw down
Th'afpiring dominations: thou that day
Thy father's dreadful thunder didst not spare,
Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook
Heav'ns everlasting frame, while o're the necks
Thou drov'ft of warring angels disarraid..
Back from pursuit thy powers with loud acclaim
Thee only extol'd, fon of thy father's might,
To execute fierce vengeance on his foes,
|