There standeth one among you, whom ye know not.

The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?

Continually, all the day, is my name blasphemed.
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back. He that shall deny me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.

Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper?

Is this the return thou makest to the Lord, O foolish and senseless people? Is not he thy father?

Ye know with all your heart and with all your soul, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you: all are come to pass unto you, not one thing thereof hath failed.

Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods.

Ye denied the Holy One and the Just.

Ye worship ye know not what.

It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be put to shame?

Against temptation. Thou thyself with scorn
And anger wouldst resent the offered wrong,
Though ineffectual found; misdeem not, then,
If such affront I labour to avert

From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare;
Or, daring, first on me the assault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn-
Subtle he needs must be who could seduce
Angels-nor think superfluous others' aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Access in every virtue-in thy sight

More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were
Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking on,
Shame to be overcome or overreached,

Would utmost vigour raise, and raised unite.

Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel

When I am present, and thy trial choose

With me, best witness of thy virtue tried?"

So spake domestic Adam in his care

And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought
Less attributed to her faith sincere,
Thus her reply with accent sweet renewed:-
"If this be our condition, thus to dwell

In narrow circuit straitened by a Foe,
Subtle or violent, we not endued
Single with like defence wherever met,
How are we happy, still in fear of harm?
But harm precedes not sin: only our Foe
Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem
Of our integrity: his foul esteem

Sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns

Foul on himself; then wherefore shunned or feared By us, who rather double honour gain

From his surmise proved false, find peace within, Favour from Heaven, our witness, from the event? And what is faith, love, virtue, unassayed

Alone, without exterior help sustained?

Let us not then suspect our happy state
Left so imperfet by the Maker wise
As not secure to single or combined.
Frail is our happiness, if this be so;
And Eden were no Eden, thus exposed."

To whom thus Adam fervently replied:-
"O Woman, best are all things as the will
Of God ordained them; his creating hand
Nothing imperfet or deficient left

Of all that he created-much less Man,
Or aught that might his happy state secure,
Secure from outward force. Within himself

Children have I nourished and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.

My people have forgotten me days without number. They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

Now their own doings are all round about them.

They that commit sin and iniquity, are enemies to their own soul.

My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

Wise are they to do evil, but how to do good they do not know.

The word of the Lord is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

My people have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

They are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me.

My people have been a lost flock, their shepherds have caused them to go astray, and have made them wander in the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.

They have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.

They have turned their backs to me, and not their faces.
They have fled from me.

The danger lies, yet lies within his power;
Against his will he can receive no harm.
But God left free the Will; for what obeys
Reason is free; and Reason he made right,
But bid her well be ware, and still erect,
Lest, by some fair appearing good surprised,
She dictate false, and misinform the Will
To do what God expressly hath forbid.
Not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoins
That I should mind thee oft; and mind thou me.
Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve,

Since Reason not impossibly may meet

Some specious object by the foe suborned,

And fall into deception unaware,

Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warned.
Seek not temptation, then, which to avoid
Were better, and most likely if from me
Thou sever not: trial will come unsought.
Wouldst thou approve thy constancy, approve
First thy obedience; the other who can know,
Not seeing thee attempted, who attest?
But, if thou think trial unsought may find
Us both securer than thus warned thou seem'st,
Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more.
Go in thy native innocence; rely

On what thou hast of virtue; summon all;

For God towards thee hath done his part: do thine."

So spake the Patriarch of Mankind; but Eve
Persisted; yet submiss, though last, replied :—
"With thy permission, then, and thus forewarned,
Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words
Touched only, that our trial, when least sought,
May find us both perhaps far less prepared,
The willinger I go, nor much expect

A Foe so proud will first the weaker seek;
So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse."

Thus saying, from her husband's hand her hand
Soft she withdrew.

O much deceived, much failing, hapless Eve,

Of thy presumed return! event perverse!

Thou never from that hour in Paradise

Found'st either sweet repast or sound repose;
Such ambush, hid among sweet flowers and shades,
Waited, with hellish rancour imminent,

To intercept thy way, or send thee back
Despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss.

"Ah! gentle pair, ye little think how nigh

Your change approaches, when all these delights

This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Because they are all estranged from me through their

idols.

How long yet will they not believe in me?

O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

HOU hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

THOU

The fear of the Lord driveth out sin.

This people draw near with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from

me.

In the day of your fast ye find pleasure.

For contention and strife do ye fast, and to smite with the fist of wickedness.

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? wilt thou call this a fast?

Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them that are broken go free, and break asunder every burden.

Is it not to distribute thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the afflicted poor into thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou clothe him; and that thou hide not thyself from thy own flesh?