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For to themselves I left them; and thou know'st,

Equal in their creation they were form'd,

690

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,

700

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.

715

720

O Father, O Supreme of heavenly Thrones,

To glorify thy Son, I always thee,

725

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;

730

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,

735

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.

740

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,

[found

Dawning thro' heaven. Forth rufh'd with whirlwind The chariot of Paternal Deity,

750

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 ;

756

Over their heads a crystal firmament,

Whereon a fapphire throne, inlaid with pure

Amber,

Amber, and colours of the show'ry arch.
He in celeftial panoply all arm'd

760

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

765

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;

775

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

780

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.

790

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,

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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,

795

Or faint retreat; when the great Son of God
To all his hoft on either hand thus fpake.

800

Stand ftill in bright array, ye faints; here ftand,

Ye angels arm'd; this day from battle reft:

805

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

810

815

820

825

Of

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

830

835

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,

841

That wish'd the mountains now might be again

Thrown on them, as a shelter from his ire.

845

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

855

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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