For to themselves I left them; and thou know'st,
Equal in their creation they were form'd,
Save what fin hath impair'd, which yet hath wrought Infenfibly, for I fufpend their doom;
Whence in perpetual fight they needs must laft Endless, and no folution will be found :
War wearied hath perform'd what war can do, 695 And to disorder'd rage let loose the reins,
With mountains as with weapons arm'd, which makes Wild work in heav'n, and dang'rous to the main. Two days are therefore past, the third is thine; For thee I have ordain'd it, and thus far Have fuffer'd, that the glory may be thine Of ending this great war, fince none but thou Can end it. Into thee fuch virtue' and grace Immenfe I have transfus'd, that all may know In heav'n and hell thy power above compare; 705 And this perverfe commotion govern'd thus
To manifeft thee worthieft to be heir
Of all things, to be heir, and to be King By facred unction, thy deserved right.
Go then, thou Mightieft, in thy Father's might, 710 Afcend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels That shake heaven's bafis, bring forth all my war, My bow and thunder, my almighty arms Gird on, and fword upon thy puiffant thigh; Purfue thefe fons of darkness, drive them out From all heaven's bounds into the utter deep : There let them learn, as likes them, to defpife God, and Meffiah his anointed King.
He faid, and on his Son with rays direct Shone full; he all his Father full exprefs'd Ineffably into his face receiv'd;
And thus the Filial Godhead anfw'ring fpake.
O Father, O Supreme of heavenly Thrones,
To glorify thy Son, I always thee,
First, Highest, Holieft, Beft; thou always feek'st
As is moft juft; this I my glory' account,
My exaltation, and my whole delight,
That thou in me well pleas'd, declar'st thy will Fulfill'd, which to fulfil is all my blifs.
Sceptre and power, thy giving, I affume;
And gladlier fhall refign, when in the end
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee
For ever, and in me all whom thou lov'st:
But whom thou hat'st I hate, and can put on Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on,
Image of thee in all things; and fhall foon,
Arm'd with thy might, rid heaven of thefe rebell'd, To their prepar'd ill manfion driven down,
To chains of darkness, and th' undying worm, That from thy juft obedience could revolt, Whom to obey is happinefs entire.
Then fhall thy faints unmix'd, and from th' impure Far separate, circling thy holy mount Unfeigned hallelujahs to thee fing,
Hymns of high praife, and I among them chief. 745 So faid, he o'er his fceptre bowing rofe
From the right hand of Glory where he fat; And the third facred morn began to fhine,
Dawning thro' heaven. Forth rufh'd with whirlwind The chariot of Paternal Deity,
Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, Itself instinct with fpirit, but convoy'd
By four cherubic fhapes; four faces each Had wond'rous; as with ftars their bodies all,
And wings, were fet with eyes, with eyes the wheels Of beryl, and careering fires between ;
Over their heads a crystal firmament,
Whereon a fapphire throne, inlaid with pure
Amber, and colours of the show'ry arch. He in celeftial panoply all arm'd
Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought, Afcended; at his right hand Vi&ory
Sat eagle-wing'd; befide him hung his bow And quiver with three-bolted thunder ftor'd, And from about him fierce effufion roll'd
Of smoke, and bick'ring flame, and fparkles dire: Attended with ten thousand thousand faints, He onward came; far off his coming fhone; And twenty thousand (I their number heard,) Chariots of God, half on each hand, were feen: 770 He on the wings of cherub rode fublime On the chrystalline sky, in fapphir thron'd, Illuftrious far and wide; but by his own First seen them unexpected joy furpris'd, When the great enfign of Meffiah blaz'd, Aloft by angels borne, his fign in heav'n;
Under whofe conduct Michael foon reduc'd His army, circumfus'd on either wing, Under their head imbodied all in one. Before him pow'r divine his way prepar'd; At his command th' uprooted hills retir'd
Each to his place; they heard his voice, and went Obfequious; Heav'n his wonted face renew'd, And with fresh flow'rets hill and valley smil'd. This faw his haplefs foes, but flood obdur'd, 785 And to rebellious fight rallied their powers Infenfate, hope conceiving from despair.
In heav'nly fpirits could fuch perverfenefs dwell? But to convince the proud what figns avail, Or wonders move th' obdurate to relent? They harden'd more by what might moft reclaim, Grieving to fee his glory, at the fight Took envy; and afpiring to his height,
Stood reimbattled fierce, by force or fraud
Weening to profper, and at length prevail Against God and Meffiah, or to fall
In univerfal ruin laft; and now
To final battle drew, difdaining flight,
Or faint retreat; when the great Son of God To all his hoft on either hand thus fpake.
Stand ftill in bright array, ye faints; here ftand,
Ye angels arm'd; this day from battle reft:
Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God Accepted, fearless in his righteous cause, And as ye have receiv'd, fo have ye done Invincibly: but of this curfed crew The punishment to other hand belongs; Vengeance is his, or whofe he fole appoints: Number to this day's work is not ordain'd, Nor multitude; ftand only and behold God's indignation on thefe godless pour'd By me; not you but me they have defpis'd, Yet envied; against me is all their rage, Because the Father, t' whom in heav'n fupreme Kingdom, and power, and glory appertains, Hath honour'd me, according to his will. Therefore to me their doom he hath affign'd; That they may have their wish, to try with me In battle which the ftronger proves, they all, Or I alone against them, fince by strength They measure all, of other excellence Not emulous, nor care who them excels; Nor other ftrife with them do I vouchfafe.
So fpake the Son, and into terror chang'd
His count'nance too fevere to be beheld, And full of wrath bent on his enemies. At once the four fpread out their starry wings With dreadful fhade contiguous, and the orbs
Of his fierce chariot roll'd, as with the found Of torrent floods, or of a numerous hoft. fie on his impious foes right onward drove, Gloomy as night; under his burning wheels The stedfast empyréan shook throughout, All but the throne itfelf of God. Full foon
Among them he arriv'd, in his right hand
Grafping ten thousand thunders, which he fent Before him, fuch as in their fouls infix'd
Plagues: they astonish'd all refiftance loft,
All courage; down their idle weapons dropt;
O'er fhields, and helms, and helmed heads he rode
Of thrones and mighty feraphim proftráte,
That wish'd the mountains now might be again
Thrown on them, as a shelter from his ire.
Nor lefs on either fide tempeftuous fell His arrows, from the fourfold-vifag'd four Diftinct with eyes, and from the living wheels Diftinct alike with multitude of eyes;
One spirit in them rul'd, and ev'ry eye
'Glar'd lightning, and fhot forth pernicious fire Among th' accurs'd, that wither'd all their ftrength, And of their wonted vigour left them drain'd, 851 Exhaufted, fpiritlefs, afflicted, fallen.
Yet half his ftrength he put not forth, but check'd His thunder in mid volley; for he meant
Not to deftroy, but root them out of heaven: The overthrown he rais'd, and as a herd
Of goats, or tim'rous flock together throng'd, Drove them before him thunder-ftruck, purfu'd With terrors and with furies to the bounds
And crystal wall of heav'n, which, op'ning wide, 860 Roll'd inward, and a spacious gap disclos'd
Into the wasteful deep: the monstrous fight Struck them with horror backward, but far worfe
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