Environ'd, wins his way; harder beset 904-951 And more endanger'd, than when Argo pass'd Over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf To tempt and punish mortals, except whom Of light appears, and from the walls of Heaven gra-963 Gladly the port, though shrouds and tackle torn; END OF THE SECOND BOOK. God sitting on his throne, sees Satan flying towards this world then newly created: shews him to the Son who sat on his right hand; foretells the success of Satan in perverting mankind, clears his own justice and wisdom from all imputation, having created man free, and able enough to have withstood his tempter, yet declares his purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fll not of his own malice, as did Sutan, but by him seduc'd. The Son of God renders praises to his Father for the manifestation of his gracious purpose towards man; but God again declares, that grace cannot be extended towards man without the satisfaction of divine justice. Man hath offended the majesty of God by aspiring to Godhead, and therefore, with all his progeny devoted to death, must die, unless some one can be found sufficient to answer for his offence, and undergo his punishment. The Son of God freely offers himself a ransom for man; the Father accepts him, ordains his incarnation, pronounces his exaltation above all names in heaven and earth; commands all the Angels to adore him; they obey and hymning to their harps in full quire, celebrate the Father and the Son. Mean while Satan alights upon the bare convex of this world's outermost orb; where wandering he first finds a place, since called the limbo of vanity; what persons and things fly up thither thence comes to the gate of heaven, described ascending by stairs, and the waters above the firmament that flow about it: his passage thence to the orb of the sun. he finds there Uriel, the regent of that orb, but first changes himself into the shape of a meaner Angel; and pretending a zealous desire to behold the new creation, and man whom God had placed there, inquires of him the place of his habitation, and is directed; alights first.on mount Niphates. |