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And Man there plac'd, with purpose to affay
If him by force he can deftroy, or worse,
By fome falfe 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,
He and his faithlefs Progeny: Whose fault?
Whofe but his own? Ingrate, he had of me
All he could have; I made him juft and right,
Sufficient to have flood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' Ethereal Powers
And Spirits, both them who stood and them who
[fail'd;
Freely they ftood who stood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have gain'd fincere
Of true allegiance, conftant Faith or Love,

Where only what they needs must do, appear'd, 105
Not what they would? what praife could they receive?
What pleasure 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 neceffity,
Not me. They therefore as to right belong'd,
So were created, nor can juftly accufe
Their maker, or their making, or their Fate,
As if Predeftination over-rul'd

Their will, difpos'd by abfolute Decree

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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 unforeknows.

E

So without leaft impulse or fhadow of Fate,
Or aught by me immutably foreseen,

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They trefspafs, Authors to themselves in all
Both what they judge and what they choofe; for fo
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
'Till they enthrall themselves; I else must change
Their nature, and revoke the high Decree
Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordain'd

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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 130
By the other firft: Man therefore shall find grace,
The other none: in Mercy and Justice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, so shall my glory excell,
But Mercy first and last shall brightest shine.

Thus while God spake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the bleffed Spirits elec
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd:

Beyond compare the Son of God was seen
Moft glorious, in him all his Father fhon
Subftantially 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 spake.

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O Father, gracious was that word which clos'd 144 Thy fov'reign fentence, 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 fhould Man finally be loft, should Man
Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy. youngest Son
Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though joyn'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, fhali he fulfill
His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught,
Or proud return though to his heavier doom,
Yet with revenge accomplisht, and to Hell
Draw after him the whole Race of mankind,
By him corrupted? or wilt thou thy self
Abolish thy Creation, and unmake,

For him, what for thy glory thou haft made?

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So fhould thy goodness and thy greatness both 16S ́
Be queftion'd and blafphem'd without defence.
To whom the great Creatour thus reply'd.
O Son, in whom my foul hath chief delight,
Son of my bofom, Son who art alone,
My word, my wifdom, and effectual might,
All haft thou spoken as my thoughts are, all
Eternal purpose hath decreed:

As

my
Man fhall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will,
Yet not of will in him, but grace in me
Freely vouchsafe; once more I will renew
His lapsed powers, though forfeit and enthrall'd
By fin to foul exorbitant defires;

Upheld by me, yet once more he shall ftand
On even ground against his mortal foe,

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By me upheld, that he may know how frail
His fall'n condition is, and to me owe
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 reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd 185
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 foft'n ftony hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To Prayer, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endeavour'd with fincere intent,
Mine ear shall not be flow, mine eye not shut.
And I will place within them as a guide

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My Umpire Confcience, whom if they will hear, 195
Light after light well us'd they shall attain,
And to the end perfifting, fafe, arrive.
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,

Difloyal breaks his fealty, and fins
Against the high Supremacy of Heav'n,
Affecting God-head, and fo lofing all,
To expiate his Treafon hath naught left,
But to deftruction facred and devote,
He with his whole pofterity must die,

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Die he or Juftice must; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.

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Say Heav'nly powers, where fhall we find fuch love, Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

Man's mortal crime, and juft th' unjuft to fave, 215 Dwells in all Heav'n charity fo dear?

He ask'd, but all the Heav'nly Quire stood mute,
And filence was in Heav'n: on mans behalf
Patron or Interceffor none appear'd,

Much less that durft upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ranfom fet.

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And now without redemption all mankind ·
Muft have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell
By doom fevere, had not the Son of God,
In whom the fulness dwells of love divine,
His dearest Mediation thus renew'd.

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Father, thy word is paft, man fhall find grace; And fhall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speedieft of the winged meffengers,

To vifit all thy creatures, and to all

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Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfought,

Happy for man, fo coming; he her aid

Can never feek, once dead in fins and loft;
Attonement for himself or offering meet,
Indebted and undon, 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 bofom, and this glory next to thee

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