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665

Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire,

game

That under ground they fought in dismal shade;
Infernal noise; war seem'd a civil
To this uproar; horrid confusion heap'd
Upon confufion rose: and now all Heaven
Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspread,
Had not th'almighty Father, where he fits
Shrin'd in his fanctuary of Heav'n fecure,
Confulting on the fum of things, foreseen
This tumult, and permitted all, advis'd:
That his great purpose he might so fulfil,
To honor his anointed Son,aveng'd

Upon his enemies, and to declare

670

675

All pow'r on him transferr'd: whence to his Son, Th'affeffor of his throne, he thus began.

Effulgence of my glory, Son belov'd,

Son in whose face invisible is beheld

Visibly, what by deity I am,

And in whose hand what by decree I do,
Second Omnipotence, two days are past,

680

Two days, as we compute the days of Heaven, 685
Since Michael and his Pow'rs went forth to tame
These disobedient: fore hath been their fight,
As likelieft was, when two such foes met arm'd;
For to themselves I left them, and thou know'st,
Equal in their creation they were form'd,
Save what sin hath impair'd, which yet hath wrought
Infenfibly, for I fufpend their doom;

D d

690

Whence

Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last
Endless, and no folution will be found:

War,wearied,hath perform'd what war can do, 695
And to disorder'd rage let loose the reins,

700

With mountains as with weapons arm'd, which makes
Wild work in Heav'n, and dange rous to the main.
Two days are therefore past, the third is thine;
For thee I have ordain'd it, and thus far
Have suffer'd, that the glory may be thine
Of ending this great war; fince none but Thou
Can end it. Into thee fuch virtue and grace
Immenfe I have transfus'd, that all may know,
In Heav'n and Hell, thy pow'r above compare; 705
And this perverfe commotion govern'd thus,

To manifeft thee worthieft to be Heir

Of all things; to be Heir and to be King

By facred unction, thy deserved right.

Go then, thou Mightieft, in thy Father's might,
Afcend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels
That shake Heav'n's bafis, bring forth all my war,
My bow and thunder, my almighty arms
Gird on, and fword upon thy puissant thigh;
Pursue thefe fons of darkness, drive them out
From all Heav'n's bounds into the utter deep:
There let them learn, as likes them, to despise
God and Meffiah his anointed king.

710

715

He said, and on his Son,with rays direct, Shone full; he all his Father full exprefs'd,

720 Ineffably

Ineffably into his face receiv'd;

And thus the filial Godhead anfw'ring spake.
O Father, O Supreme of Heav'nly Thrones,
First, Higheft, Holieft, Best, thou always feek'st
To glorify thy Son, I always thee,

As is most juft; this I my glory account,
My exaltation, and my whole delight,

my blifs.

That thou in me well pleas'd, declar'ft thy will
Fulfill'd, which to fulfil is all
Scepter and pow'r, thy giving, I affume;

725

730

And gladlier shall resign, when,in the end,
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee
For ever, and in me all whom thou lov'ft:

But whom thou hat'st, I hate, and can put on

Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on,

735

Image of thee in all things; and shall soon,

Arm'd with thy might, rid Heav'n of these rebell'd, To their prepar'd ill mansion driven down,

To chains of darkness, and th'undying worm,

That from thy just obedience could revolt,

740

Whom to obey is happiness entire.

Then shall thy Saints unmix'd, and from th' impure Far feperate, circling thy holy mount

Unfeigned Halleluiahs to thee fing,

Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief. 745
So faid, he,o'er his scepter bowing, rose

From the right hand of glory where he sat;
And the third facred morn began to shine,

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Dawning through Heav'n: forth rufh'd,with whirlwind The chariot of paternal Deity,

(found,

Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, Itfelf instinct with Spirit, but convoy'd

By four Cherubic shapes; four faces each

Had wondrous; as with ftars their bodies all,

And wings were fet with eyes; with eyes the wheels Of beril, and carreering fires between;

756

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Sat eagle-wing'd; befide him hung his bow

And quiver,with three-bolted thunder ftor'd;

And from about him fierce effufion roll'd

765

Of fmoke, and bickering flame,and sparkles dire:
Attended with ten thousand thousand Saints,

He onward came, far off his coming fhone;
And twenty thoufand (I their number heard)
Chariots of God, half on each hand were seen: 770
He on the wings of Cherub rode fublime
On the crystállin fky, in faphir thron'd,
Illuftrious far and wide; but by his own
First seen; them unexpected joy furpris'd,
When the great ensign of Meffiah blaz’d
Aloft, by Angels borne, his fign in Heav'n;

775

Under

780

Under whose conduct Michael foon reduc'd
His army, circumfus'd on either wing;
Under their Head imbodied all in one.
Before him pow'r divine his way prepar'd;
At his command th' uprooted hills retir'd
Each to his place; they heard his voice, and went
Obfequious; Heav'n his wonted face renew'd;
And with fresh flow'rets hill and valley smil'd.
This faw his hapless foes, but flood obdur'd,
And to rebellious fight rallied their Powers
Infenfate; hope conceiving from despair.

785

In heav'nly Spi rits could fuch perverseness dwell?
But to convince the proud what signs avail,
Or wonders move th' obdurate to relent?

790

They, harden'd more by what might most reclame, Grieving to fee his glory, at the fight

Took envy; and aspiring to his highth,

Stood reimbattel'd fierce; by force or fraud

Weening to prosper, and at length prevail
Against God and Meffiah, or to fall

795

In univerfal ruin laft; and now

To final battel drew, difdaining flight,

Or faint retreat; when the great Son of God
To all his hoft,on either hand, thus spake.

800

Stand ftill in bright array, ye Saints, here stand

Ye Angels arm'd, this day from battel rest;
Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God
Accepted; fearless in his righteous cause,

And

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