Directly tow'ards the new created world, And man there plac'd, with purpose to affay If him by force he can destroy, or worse, By fame false guile pervert; and fall pervert, For Man will hearken to his glozing lies, And easily tranfgrefs the fole command, Sole pledge of his obedience: fo will fall, He and his faithless progeny: Whose fault? Whose but his own? Ingrate, he had of me 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 fpi'rits, both them who ffood and them who Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. [fail'd: Not free, what proof could they have giv'n fincere Öf true allegiance, constant faith or love,
Where only what they needs must do appear'd, 105 Not what they would? what praise could they receive? What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid,
When will and reafon (reason alfo' is choice) Useless and vain, of freedom both despoil'd, Made paffive both, had ferv'd Neceffity, Not me? They therefore as to right belong'd, So were created, nor can justly' accufe Their Maker, or their making, or their fate, As if predestination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute decree
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 unforeknown. So without leaft impulse or shadow' of fate, Or ought by me immutably foreseen,
They trefpafs, authors to themselves in all Both what they judge and what they chufe; for fo I form'd them free, and free they must remain Till they inthral themselves; I elfe must change 125 Their nature, and revoke the high decree Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd
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 th' other first: Man therefore shall find grace, The other none in mercy' and justice both, Thro' Heav'n and Earth, fo fhall my glory' excel, But mercy first and last shall brightest shine.
Thus while God spake, ambrosial fragrance fill'd All Heav'n, and in the bleffed fpi'rits elect Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd: Beyond compare the Son of God was feen Moft glorious; in him all his Father shone Substantially express'd; and in his face Divine compaffion visibly appear'd,
Love without end, and without measure grace, Which utt'ring thus he to his Father spake. O Father, gracious was that word which clos'₫
Thy fovran sentence, that Man should find grace; 145 For which both Heav'n and Earth shall high extol Thy praises, with th' innumerable found Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne Incompafs'd fhall refound thee ever bleft.
For fhould Man finally be loft, fhould Man, Thy creature late so lov'd, thy youngest son, Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though join'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? fhall he fulfil His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought, Or proud return, though to his heavier doom, Yet with revenge accomplish'd, and to Hell Draw after him the whole race of Mankind, By him corrupted? or wilt thou thyself Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou haft made? So fhould thy goodness and thy greatness both 165 Be queftion'd and blafphem'd without defense.
To whom the great Creator thus reply'd. O Son, in whom my foul hath chief delight, Son of my bofom, Son who art alone
My word, my wisdom, and effectual might, All haft thou spoken as my thoughts are, all
As 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 vouchfaf'd; once more I will renew
His lapfed powers, though forfeit and inthrall'd By fin to foul exorbitant desires;
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 owe
All his deliverance, and to none but mẹ, Some I have chofen of peculiar grace
Elect above the reft; so is my will;
The rest shall 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 senses dark, What may fuffice, and soften stony hearts To pray, repent, and bring obedience due. To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due, Though but endevor'd with sincere intent, Mine ear shall not be flow, mine eye not shut. And I will place within them as a guide
My umpire Conscience, whom if they will hear, 195 Light after light well us'd they shall attain, And to the end persisting, safe arrive.
This my long fuff'rance 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 difobeying, Difloyal breaks his feälty and fins Against the high supremacy of Heav'n, Affecting Godhead, and fo losing all, To expiate his treason hath nought left,` But to deftruction facred and devote, He with his whole pofterity must die, Die he or Justice must; unless for him Some other able, and as willing, pay The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.
Say heav'nly Powers, where fhall we find fuch love? Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjust to fave? 235 Dwells in all Heaven charity so dear?
He afk'd, but all the heav'nly quire stood mute, And filence was in Heav'n: on Man's behalf Patron or interceffor none appear'd,
Much less that durft upon his own head draw The deadly forfeiture, and ransome set. And now without redemption all mankind Must 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.
Father, thy word is past, Man fhall find grace; And shall Grace not find means, that finds her way,
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