Or dim fuffufion veil'd. Yet not the more Cease I to wander, where the Muses haunt Clear fpring, or fhady grove, or funny hill, Smit with the love of facred fong; but chief Thee, Sion, and the flow'ry brooks beneath, That wash thy hallow'd feet, and warbling flow, Nightly I vifit: nor fometimes forget
Those other two equall'd with me in fate, So were I equall'd with them in renown, Blind Thamyris, and blind Mæonides; And Tirefias, and Phineus, prophets old: Then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move Harmonious numbers; as the wakeful bird Sings darkling, and in fhadieft covert hid Tunes her nocturnal note. Thus with the year Seasons return; but not to me returns Day, or the fweet approach of ev'n or morn, Or fight of vernal bloom, or fummer's rofe, Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine; But cloud instead, and ever-during dark Surrounds me, from the cheerful ways of men Cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair 'Presented with an univerfal blank
Of nature's works, to me expung'd and ras'd, And wisdom at one entrance quite fhut out, So much the rather thou; celestial Light,
Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers Irradiate, there plant eyes, all mift from thence Purge and difperfe, that I may fee and tell Of things invifible to mortal fight,
Now had th' Almighty Father from above,
From the pure empyréan where he fits
High thron'd above all height, bent down his eye, His own works and their works at once to view : About him all the fanctities of heaven
Stood thick as ftars, and from his fight receiv'd
Beatitude past utterance: on his right The radiant Image of his glory fat, His only Son. On earth he first beheld Our two firft parents, yet the only two Of mankind, in the happy garden plac'd, Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love, Uninterrupted joy, unrivall'd love,. In blifsful folitude. He then furvey'd Hell and the gulf between, and Satan there Coafting the wall of heav'n on this fide Night, In the dun air fublime; and ready now To ftoop with wearied wings and willing feet On the bare outside of this world, that seem'd Firm land imbofom'd, without firmament; Uncertain which, in ocean or in air.
Him God beholding from his profpect high, Wherein paft, prefent, future, be beholds, Thus to his only Son foreseeing spake.
Only begotten Son, feeft thou what rage Franfports our adverfary? whom no bounds. Prefcrib'd, no bars of hell, nor all the chains Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main abyss Wide interrupt, can hold; fo bent he seems On defperate revenge, that shall redound Upon his own rebellious head. Through all restraint broke loose, he wings his way Not far off heav'n, in the precincts of light, Directly tow'ards the new-created world, And man there plac'd, with purpose to effay If him by force he can deftroy, or worse, By fome falfe guile pervert: and shall 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 juft and right, Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall. Such I created all th' ethereal powers
And fpi'rits, both them who stood, and them who fail'd; Freely they ftood who ftood, and fell who fell. Not free, what proof could they have giv'n fincere Of true allegiance, conftant 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 (reafon alfo' is choice) Ufeless 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 justly' accuse
Their Maker, or their making, or their fate, As if predeftination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute decree,
Or high foreknowledge. They themfelves decreed Their own revolt, not I: if I foreknew, Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown, So without least impulse or shadow' of fate, Or aught by me immutably foreseen, They trefpafs, authors to themselves in all,
Both what they judge, and what they chuse; for so I form'd them free and free they must remain, Till they inthrall themfelves; I elfe muft 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 fuggeftion 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, Through heaven and earth, fo fhall my glory' excel;,
But mercy, first and laft, fhall brighteft fhine.
All heaven, and in the bleffed fpi'rits elect
Thus while God fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd.
Beyond compare the fon of God was feen Moft glorious; in him all his Father fhone Substantially exprefs'd; and in his face Divine compaffion vifibly appear'd,
Love without end, and without measure grace; Which uttering, thus he to his Father fpake.
O Father, gracious was that word which clos'd Thy fov'reign fentence, that man fhould find grace; For which both heav'n and earth fhall high extol 146 Thy praifes, with th' innumerable found Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne Incompafs'd fhall refound thee ever blefs'd. For should man finally be loft, fhould man Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest fon, 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 frustrate 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 thyfelf Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou haft made? So fhould thy goodness and thy greatness both Be question'd and blafphem'd without defence.
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 wifdom, 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
Freely vouchfaf'd: once more I will renew His lapfed pow'rs, though forfeit, and inthrall'd By fin to foul exorbitant defires;
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 deliv'rance, and to none but me. Some I have chofen of peculiar grace,
Elect above the reft; fo is my
The reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd Their finful state, and to appease betimes
Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace Invites; for I will clear their fenfes dark, What may fuffice, and foften ftony hearts To pray, repent, and bring obedience due, To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due, Though but endeavour'd with fincere intent, Mine ear fhall not be flow, mine eye not shut. And I will place within them as a guide,
My umpire Confcience; 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 fufferance, and my day of grace, They who neglect and fcorn, fhall never tafte; 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 féälty, and fins
Against the high Supremacy of Heaven,
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