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 judgest only right.
Or shall the adversary thus obtain

His end, and frustrate thine? shall 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 hast made?
So should thy goodness and thy greatness both
Be question'd and blasphemed without defence.'
To whom the great Creator thus replied:
'O Son, in whom my soul hath chief delight,

155

160

165

153. An imitation of Genesis xviii. 25. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee; shall not the judge of all the earth do right?'' N.

158. nought: 'ne aught, not any thing, Saxon; as therefore we write aught, not ought, for any thing, we should, according to analogy, write naught, not nought, for nothing; but a custom has irreversibly prevailed of using naught for bad, and nought for nothing.' DR. JOHNSON.

166. This speech has in it much of the spirit and manner of the intercession used by Moses to avert the wrath of God from the people, when they murmured at the report of the spies. See Numb. xiv. 13.' CowPER.

168. The Son is here addressed by several titles and appellations borrowed from Scripture. Matth. iii. 17. My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' John i. 18. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father.' Rev. xix. 13. And his name is called the Word of God.' 1 Cor. i. 24. 'Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.'' N.

Son of my bosom, Son who art alone

My word, my wisdom, and effectual might,
All hast thou spoken as my thoughts are, all
As my eternal purpose hath decreed:

Man shall not quite be lost, but saved who will ;
Yet not of will in him, but grace in me
Freely vouchsafed; once more I will renew
His lapsed powers, though forfeit, and enthrall'd
By sin 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 me.
Some I have chosen of peculiar grace,

170

175

180

Elect above the rest; so is my will:

The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd
Their sinful state, and to appease betimes
The incensed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites; for I will clear their senses dark,
What may suffice, and soften stony hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To prayer, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endeavour'd with sincere intent,
Mine ear shall not be slow, mine eye not shut.
And I will place within them as a guide,

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190

My umpire conscience; whom if they will hear, 195

174. Rom. ix. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.'' CowPer. 189. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. 'I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.'

ib. what may suffice.: Hor. Sat, ii. 7, 3. quod sit satis.'

Light after light, well used, they shall attain,
And to the end persisting, safe arrive.
This my long sufferance, 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 such from mercy I exclude.
But yet all is not done; man disobeying,
Disloyal, breaks his feälty, and sins
Against the high supremacy of Heaven,
Affecting godhead, and, so losing all,
To expiate his treason hath nought left;
But to destruction sacred and devote,
He, with his whole posterity must die.
Die he or justice must; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.

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205

210

Say, heavenly powers, where shall we find such love? Which of ye will be mortal, to redeem

Man's mortal crime, and just the unjust to save? 215 Dwells in all heaven charity so dear?'

He ask'd, but all the heavenly quire stood mute,

196. Prov. iv. 18. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.'' Cow PER.

197. Matth. x. 22. He that endureth to the end shall be saved." N.

200. Isaiah xxviii. 12, 13. Yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them, precept upon precept, line upon line; here a little and there a little; that they might go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken.' CowPER. 204. feälly: fidelity, allegiance: fr. Lat. fidelitas.

215. An allusion to 1 Pet. ii. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust.'' N.

And silence was in heaven: on man's behalf
Patron or intercessor none appear'd,

Much less that durst upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ransom set.
And now without redemption all mankind
Must have been lost, adjudged to death and hell
By doom severe, had not the Son of God,

In whom the fulness dwells of love divine,
His dearest mediation thus renewed:

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225

'Father, thy word is past, man shall find grace; And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speediest of thy winged messengers,

To visit all thy creatures, and to all

Comes unprevented, unimplored, unsought?
Happy for man, so coming; he her aid
Can never seek, once dead in sins, and lost;
Atonement for himself, or offering meet,
Indebted and undone, hath none to bring:

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235

219. Isaiah lix. 16. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor.'' N.

231. unprevented: 'from prævenire, to come before. This grace is not preceded by merit or supplication; itself prevents or goes before; it is a free gift; as xi. 3. Prevenient grace descending :' 2 Tim. i. 9. Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.' Psalm lxxxviii. 13. Unto thee have I cried, O Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.' Here the favor, if it comes, comes not unprevented; prayer prevents or goes before God's goodness.' RICHARDSON.

232. Rom. x. 20. I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.' The very prayer for grace, if it be sincere and fervent, implies the previous communication of it.' Cow PER.

Behold me then; me for him, life for life

I offer; on me let thine anger fall;

Account me man: I for his sake will leave

Thy bosom, and this glory next to thee

Freely put off, and for him lastly die

240

Well pleased; on me let Death wreck all his rage: Under his gloomy power I shall not long

Lie vanquish'd; thou hast given me to possess
Life in myself for ever; by thee I live,

Though now to Death I yield, and am his due
All that of me can die : yet, that debt paid,
Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsome grave
His prey, nor suffer my unspotted soul
For ever with corruption there to dwell:
But I shall rise victorious, and subdue
My vanquisher, spoil'd of his vaunted spoil;

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250

Death his death's wound shall then receive, and stoop

Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarm'd.

I through the ample air in triumph high

236. The frequent and vehement repetition of me here is very like that in Virg. Æn. ix. 427.

Me, me: adsum qui feci: in me convertite ferrum :' and a little afterwards:

'Figite me, si qua est pietas: in me omnia tela

Conjicite, O Rutuli; me primum absumite ferro." N.

241. wreck; generally written wreak; vent, discharge, burl: iv.11. 244. John v. 26. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.'' N.

249. According to the Psalmist, Ps. xvi. 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell, neither suffer thine Holy One to see corrruption;' applied to our Saviour's resurrection by St. Peter, Acts ii. 20.' N.

254. Compare Ps. lxviii. 18. Ephes. iv. 8. Col. ii. 15.' N.