So were created, nor can justly' accuse Lan επιστά 10
Their maker, or their making, or their fate, qal
As if predestination over-rul'd

Their will, dispos'd by absolute decree
Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed
Their own revolt, not I; if I foreknew,

Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault,
Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown.
So without least impulse or shadow' of fate,
Or ought by me immutably foreseen,

115

120

They tresspass, authors to themselves in all
Both what they judge and what they choose; for fo
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
Till they inthrall themselves; I else must change 125
Their nature, and revoke the high decree

130

Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd
Their freedom, they themselves ordain'd their fall.
The first fort by their own suggestion fell,
Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: Man falls deceiv'd
By th'other first: Man therefore shall find grace,
The other none: in mercy' and justice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, so shall my glory' excel,
But mercy first and last shall brightest shine.

Thus while God spake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the blessed Spi'rits elect
Sense of new joy ineffable diffus'd:
Beyond compare the fon of God was seen
Most glorious; in him all his Father shone
Substantially express'd; and in his face
Divine compaffion visibly appear'd,
Love without end, and without measure grace,
Which uttering thus he to his Father spoke.

135

140

O Father, gracious vas that word which clos'd Thy sovran fentence, that Man should find grace; 145 For which both Heav'n and Earth shall high extol Thy praifes, with th'innumerable found

F

Of hymns and facred songs wherewith thy throne
Incompass'd shall refound thee ever blest,
For should Man finally be lost, should Man,
Thy creature late so lov'd, thy youngest son,
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 judgest only right.
Or shall the Adversary thus obtain
His end and frustrate thine? shall he fulfil
His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought,
Or proud return, though to his heavier doom,
Yet with revenge accomplish'd, and to Hell
Draw 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 hast made?
So should thy goodness and thy greatness both
Be question'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 bosom, Son who art alone
My word, my wisdom, and effectual might,
All haft thou spoken as my thoughts are, all

As my eternal purpose hath decreed:

Man shall not quite be loft, but faved who will,

Yet not of will in him, but grace in me

Freely vouchsaf'd; once more I will renew

175

His lapsed powers, though forfeit and inthrall'd

By fin to foul exorbitant defires;

Upheld by me, yet once more he small standend

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 deliverance, and to none but me.

Some I have chofen of peculiar gracefimo

180

15

60

71

1

WOH

185

Elect above the rest, so is my will ob part
The rest shall hear me call, and oft he warn'd
Their finful state, and to appease betimes
Th'incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites; for I will clear their senses dark,
What may fuffice, and soften ftonny hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due,
To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endeavor'd with fincere intent,
Mine ear shall not be flow, mine eye not shut.
And I will place within them as a guider
My umpire confcience, whom if they will hear, 195
Light after light well us'd they shall attain,

And to the end persisting safe arrive.

190

200

205

This my long fufferance and my day of grace
They who neglect and scorn, shall never taste:
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 disobeying.
Disloyal breaks his fealty, and fins
Against the high fupremacy of Heav'n,
Affecting Godhead, and so lofing all,
To expiate his treason hath nought left,
But to destruction sacred and devote, of
He with his whole posterity must die,
Die he or justice must; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.
Say, heav'nly Pow'rs, where shall we find such love?
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

210

Man's mortal crime, the just th' unjust to fave? 215
Dwells in all Heav'n charity so dear!

He afk'd, but all the heav'nly quire stood mute,

And filence was in Heav'n: on Man's behalf
Patron or intercessor none appear'd,

Much less that durst upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ransome set.
And now without redemption all mankind
Must have been loft, ajudg'd to Death and Hell

220

By doom fevere, had not the Son of God,

In whom the fulness dwells of love divine,

225

His dearest meditation thus renew'd.

Father, thy word is past, Man fhall find grace;
And shall grace not find means, that finds her way,
The speediest of thy winged messengers,
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 bosom, and this glory next to thee
Freely put off, and for him lastly die

230

235

2.40

02

Well pleas'd; on me let Death wreck all his rage;
Under his gloomy pow'r I shall not long
Lie vanquish'd; thou hast given me to poffefs
Life in myself for ev'r; by thee I live,
Though now to Death I yield, and am his due 245
All that of me can die; yet that debt paid
Thou wilt not leave me in the loathfome grave

His prey, nor fuffer my unspotted foul

For ever with corruption there to dwell;

But I shall rise victorious, and fubdue

250

My vanquisher, spoil'd of his vaunted spoil;
Death his death's wound shall then receive, and stoop

Inglorious, of his mortal fting difarm'd.
I through the ample air in triumph high

Shall lead Hell captive maugre Hell, and show 255

260

The Powers of darkness bound. Thou at the fight Pleas'd, out of Heav'n shalt look down and smile, While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes, Death last, and with his carcase glut the grave: Then with the multitude of my redeem'd Shall enter Heav'n long absent, and return, Father, to fee thy face, wherein no cloud Of anger shall remain, but peace afsur'd And reconcilement; wrath shall be no more Thenceforth, but in thy prefence joy entire.

265

His words here ended, but his meek aspect Silent yet spake, 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 seiz'd

270

All Heav'n, what this might mean, and whither tend Wond'ring: 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 laft created; that for him I spare
Thee from my bosom and right hand, to fave,
By lofing thee a while, the whole race loft,
Thou therefore, whom thou only canft redeem,

275

280

Their nature also to thy nature join;

And be thyself Man among men on earth,
Made flesh, when time shall be, of virgin feed,
By wond'rous birth: be thou in Adam's room
The head of all mankind, though Adam's fon.

As in him perish all men, so in thee,
As from a fecond root, shall be restor'd

285

As many as are restor'd, without thee none.
His crime makes guilty all his fons; thy merit
Imputed shall abfolve them who renounce

290