Purge and disperse, that I may see and tell
Of things invisible to mortal fight.
Now had the Almighty Father from above, From the pure Empyrean 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 Starrs, and from his fight receiv'd
Beatitude past utterance; on his right
The radiant image of his Glory fat,
His onely Son; On Earth he first beheld
Our two first Parents, yet the onely two
Of mankind, in the happie Garden plac't,
Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love,
Uninterrupted joy, unrivald love
In blissful folitude; he then survey'd
Hell and the Gulf between, and Satan there
Coasting the wall of Heav'n on this fide Night
In the dun Air fublime, and ready now
To stoop with wearied wings, and willing feet
On the bare outside of this World, that feem'd
Firm land imbofom'd without Firmament,
Uncertain which, in Ocean or in Air.
Him God beholding from his profpect high,
Wherein past, present, future he beholds,
Thus to his onely Son foreseeing spake.
Onely begotten Son, feest thou what rage
Transports our adverfarie, whom no bounds
Prescrib'd, no barrs of Hell, nor all the chains
Heapt on him there, nor yet the main Abyss
Wide interrupt can hold; fo bent he seems
On defperat revenge, that shall redound
Upon his own rebellious head. And now
Through all restraint broke loose he wings his way
Not farr off Heav'n, in the Precincts of light,
Directly towards the new created World,
And Man there plac't, with purpose to affay
If him by force he can deftroy, or worse,
By fom false guile pervert; and shall pervert;
For man will heark'n to his glozing lyes,
And easily tranfgrefs the fole Command,
Sole pledge of his obedience: So will fall
Hee and his faithlefs Progenie: whofe fault?
Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee
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 & them who faild;
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have givn fincere
Of true allegiance, constant Faith or Love,
Where onely what they needs must do, appeard,
Not what they would? what praise could they re-
What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid, [ceive?
When Will and Reason (Reason also is choice)
Useless and vain, of freedom both despoild,
Made paffive both, had servd neceffitie,
Not mee. They therefore as to right belongd,
So were created, nor can justly accuse
Thir maker, or thir making, or thir Fate;
As if Predeftination over-rul'd
Thir will, difpos'd by abfolute Decree
Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed Thir own revolt, not I: if I foreknew,
Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault,
Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown.
So without leaft impulse or shadow of Fate,
Or aught by me immutablie foreseen,
They trespass, Authors to themselves in all
Both what they judge and what they choose; for fo
I formd them free, and free they must remain,
Till they enthrall themselves: I else must change
Thir nature, and revoke the high Decree
Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordain'd
Thir freedom, they themselves ordain'd thir fall.
The first fort by thir own fuggeftion fell,
Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: Man falls deceiv'd
By the other firft: Man therefore fhall find grace,
The other none: in Mercy and Justice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, so shall my glorie excel,
But Mercy first and last shall brightest shine.
Thus while God spake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the bleffed Spirits elect
Sense of new joy ineffable diffus'd :
Beyond compare the Son of God was feen
Most glorious, in him all his Father shon
Substantially express'd, and in his face
Divine compaffion visibly appeerd,
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; For which both Heav'n and Earth shall high extoll Thy praises, with th' innumerable found Of Hymns and facred Songs, wherewith thy Throne Encompass'd shall refound thee ever bleft.
For should Man finally be loft, should Man 150
Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest Son
Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though joynd
With his own folly? that be from thee farr,
That farr be from thee, Father, who art Judge
Of all things made, and judgest onely right.
Or fhall the Adverfarie thus obtain
His end, and fruftrate thine, shall he fulfill
His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught,
Or proud return though to his heavier doom,
Yet with revenge accomplish't and to Hell
Draw after him the whole Race of mankind,
By him corrupted? or wilt thou thy felf
Abolish thy Creation, and unmake,
For him, what for thy glorie thou haft made?
So should thy goodness and thy greatness both
Be questiond and blafpheam'd without defence.
To whom the great Creatour thus reply'd.
O Son, in whom my Soul hath chief delight,
Son of my bofom, Son who art alone
My word, my wisdom, and effectual might,
All haft thou spok'n as my thoughts are, all
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 voutfaft; once more I will renew
His lapfed powers, though forfeit and enthrall'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 ow
All his deliv'rance, and to none but me.
Some I have chofen of peculiar grace
Elect above the reft; fo is my will:
The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warnd
Thir finful state, and to appease betimes
Th' incenfed Deitie, while offerd grace
Invites; for I will cleer thir fenfes dark,
What may fuffice, and foft'n ftonie hearts
To
pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To prayer, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endevord with fincere intent,
Mine eare 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 sufferance and my day of grace
They who neglect and scorn, shall never taste;
But hard be hard'nd, 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 don; Man disobeying,
Difloyal breaks his fealtie, and finns
Against the high Supremacie of Heav'n,
Affecting God-head, and fo loofing all,
To expiate his Treason hath naught left,
But to deftruction facred and devote,
He with his whole pofteritie must die,
Die hee or Juftice muft; unless for him
Som other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.
Say Heav'nly Powers, where shall we find fuch love,
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