Irradiate, there plant eyes, all mift 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 highth, bent down his eye,
His own works and their works at once to view :
About him all the Sanctities of Heaven
Stood thick as ftars, and from his fight receiv'd
Beatitude paft utterance; on his right
The radiant image of his glory sat,
His only Son; on earth he first beheld
Our two first parents, yet the only two
Of mankind, in the happy garden plac'd,
Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love,
Uninterrupted joy, unrival'd love
In blifsful 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 seem'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 foreseeing spake.
Only begotten Son, feeft thou what rage
Transports our Adversary ? 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 loose he wings his way
Not far off Heav'n, in the precincts of light,
Directly tow'rds the new created world,
And Man there plac'd, with purpose to affay
If him by force he can destroy, or worse,
By fome false guile pervert; and fhall
For Man will hearken to his glozing lies,
And easily tranfgrefs the fole command,
Sole pledge of his obedience: So will fall,
He and his faithless progeny: Whose fault?
Whose but his own? Ingrate, he had of me
All he could have; I made him just and right,
Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' ethereal Powers
And Spirits, both them who stood and them who fail'd;
Freely they flood who stood, 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 praise could they receive?
What pleafure I from fuch obedience paid,
When will and reafon (reafon alfo' is choice)
Useless and vain, of freedom both defpoil'd,
Made paffive both, had ferv'd neceflity,
Not me? They therefore as to right belong'd,
So were created, nor can justly' accufe
Their maker, or their making, or their fate,
As if predeftination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute 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 lefs prov'd certain unforeknown.
So without leaft impulfe or fhadow' of fate,
Or ought by me immutably foreseen,
They trefpafs, authors to themfelves 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
Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd
Their freedom; they themselves ordain'd their fall.
The first fort by their own fuggeftion fell,
Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: Man falls, deceiv'd 130
By th' other firft: Man therefore fhall find grace,
The other none: in mercy' and justice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, fo fhall my glory' excel,
But mercy first and laft fhall brighteft shine.
Thus while God fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the bleffed Spi'rits elect
Sense of new joy ineffable diffus'd:
Beyond compare the Son of God was feen
Moft glorious; in him all his Father fhone
Subftantially exprefs'd; and in his face
Divine compaffion vifibly 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 sovran sentence, that Man should find grace; 145 For which both Heav'n and Earth shall high extol Thy praises, with th' innumerable found
Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne
Incompafs'd fhall refound thee ever bleft.
For fhould Man finally be loft, should Man,
Thy creature late fo 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 judgeft only right.
Or fhall the Adversary thus obtain
His end, and fruftrate thine? fhall 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 thyself
Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou hast made?
So fhould thy goodness and thy greatness both
Be question'd and blafphem'd without defense.
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 wisdom, 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 deliverance, and to none but me.
Some I have chofen of peculiar grace
Elect above the reft; fo is my
The reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd
Their finful state, and to appease betimes
Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites; for I will clear their fenses dark,
What may fuffice, and soften stony 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 guide
My umpire confcience, whom if they will hear,
Light after light well us'd they shall attain,
And to the end perfisting, safe arrive.
This my long fufferance and my day of grace
They who neglect and scorn, shall never tafte;
But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more,
That they may ftumble on, and deeper fall;
And none but fuch from mercy I exclude.
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