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705

"In heaven and hell thy power

above compare;
"And this perverse commotion govern'd thus,
"To manifest thee worthiest to be Heir

"Of all things-to be Heir, and to be King
"By sacred unction, thy deserved right.

710 "Go then, thou Mightiest! in thy Father's might;
"Ascend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels
"That shake heaven's basis, bring forth all my war,
"My bow, and thunder-my almighty arms
"Gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh;
715 "Pursue these sons of darkness; drive them out
"From all heaven's bounds into the utter deep:
"There let them learn, as likes them, to despise
"God, and Messiah his anointed King."

"He said, and on his Son with rays direct 720"Shone full: he all his Father full express'd,

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Ineffably into his face receiv'd:

"And thus the filial Godhead answering spake :

"O Father! O Supreme of heavenly Thrones! "First, Highest, Holiest, Best! Thou always seek'st 725 "To glorify thy Son; I always thee,

"As is most just: 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 bliss.

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730 Sceptre and power, thy giving, I assume,

735

"And gladlier shall resign, when in the end
"Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee

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"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"Image of thee in all things; and shall soon, "Arm'd with thy might, rid heaven of these rebell'd; "To their prepar'd ill mansion driven down, "To chains of darkness, and the undying worm, 740"That from thy just obedience could revolt, "Whom to obey is happiness entire.

"Then shall thy saints unmix'd, and from the impure

"Far separate, circling thy holy mount,
"Unfeigned hallelujahs to thee sing-

745"Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief.'
"So said, he, o'er his sceptre bowing, rose

“From the right hand of Glory where he sat :
"And the third sacred morn began to shine,
"Dawning through heaven. Forth rush'd with whirl-
"wind sound

750"The chariot of Paternal Deity,

"Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, "Itself instinct with spirit, but convoy'd

"By four Cherubic shapes: four faces each "Had wondrous; as with stars, their bodies all, 755" And wings, were set with eyes-with eyes the wheels "Of beryl; and careering fires between:

"Over their heads a crystal firmament,

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Where, on a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure "Amber, and colours of the showery arch, 760" He, in celestial panoply all arm'd

"Of radiant Urim, (work divinely wrought,) "Ascended: at his right hand Victory "Sat eagle-wing'd; beside him hung his bow, "And quiver with three-bolted thunder stor'd; 765 "And from about him fierce effusion roll'd "Of smoke, and bickering flame, and sparkles dire. "Attended with ten thousand thousand saints, "He onward came; far off his coming shone! "And twenty thousand (I their number heard) 770 "Chariots of God, half on each hand, were seen: "He on the wings of Cherub rode sublime "On the crystalline sky; in sapphire thron'd, "Illustrious far and wide: but by his own "First seen; them unexpected joy surpris'd, 775 "When the great ensign of Messiah blaz'd Aloft, by angels borne-his sign in heaven; "Under whose conduct Michael soon reduc'd "His army, circumfus'd on either wing, "Under their head embodied all in one.

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"Before him Power Divine his way prepar'd;

"At his command the uprooted hills retir'd, 780"Each to his place; they heard his voice, and went Obsequious; Heaven his wonted face renew'd,

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790

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"And with fresh flow'rets hill and valley smil'd.
"This saw his hapless foes, but stood obdur'd,
"And to rebellious fight rallied their powers;
"Insensate! hope conceiving from despair.
"In heavenly spirits could such perverseness dwell,
"But to convince the proud what signs avail,
"Or wonders move the obdurate to relent?

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They, harden'd more by what might most reclaim,
Grieving to see his glory, at the sight

"Took envy; and, aspiring to his height,
"Stood re-embattled fierce; by force, or fraud,
"Weening to prosper, and at length prevail

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Against God and Messiah, or to fall

795 "In universal ruin last: and now

"To final battle drew, disdaining flight,

"Or faint retreat: when the great Son of God,
"To all his host on either hand, thus spake:

"Stand still in bright array, ye Saints! here stand, 800 "Ye Angels arm'd! this day from battle rest: "Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God "Accepted, fearless in his righteous cause: "And as ye have receiv'd, so have ye done "Invincibly. But of this cursed crew 805 "The punishment to other hand belongs: "Vengeance is his, or whose he sole appoints. "Number to this day's work is not ordain'd, "Nor multitude: stand only, and behold "God's indignation on these godless pour'd "By me: not you, but me, they have despis'd, "Yet envied; against me is all their rage; "Because the Father, to whom in heaven supreme "Kingdom, and power, and glory, appertains, "Hath honour'd me, according to his will.

810

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"Therefore to me their doom he hath assign'd:

"That they may have their wish, to try with me "In battle which the stronger proves-they all, 820Or I alone against them; since by strength They measure all, of other excellence.

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"Not emulous, nor care who them excels:
“Nor other strife with them do I vouchsafe.'

"So spake the Son, and into terror chang'd 825 "His countenance, too severe to be beheld,

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"And full of wrath bent on his enemies. "At once, the four spread out their starry wings, "With dreadful shade contiguous; and the orbs "Of his fierce chariot roll'd, as with the sound 830"Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host. "He on his impious foes right onward drove, "Gloomy as night: under his burning wheels "The steadfast empyréan shook throughout; "All but the throne itself of God. Full soon

835

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Among them he arriv'd, in his right hand

Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent "Before him, such as in their souls infix'd

"Plagues: they, astonish'd, all resistance lost"All courage: down their idle weapons dropt: 840" O'er shields, and helms, and helmed heads he rode, "Of Thrones, and mighty Seraphim prostrate, "That wish'd the mountains now might be again. "Thrown on them, as a shelter from his ire.

"Nor less on either side tempestuous fell

815"His arrows, from the fourfold-visag'd four

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"Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels
"Distinct alike with multitude of eyes:
"One spirit in them rul'd; and every eye

"Glar'd lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire
"Among the accurs'd, that wither'd all their strength,
"And of their wonted vigour left them drain'd—
"Exhausted-spiritless-afflicted—fall'n!

"Yet half his strength he put not forth, but check'd
"His thunder in mid volley; for he meant

855 "Not to destroy, but root them out of heaven:

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"The overthrown he rais'd, and as a herd "Of goats, or timorous flock together throng'd, "Drove them before him thunderstruck, pursu'd "With terrors and with furies, to the bounds 860 "And crystal wall of heaven; which, op'ning wide, "Roll'd inward, and a spacious gap disclos'd

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"Into the wasteful deep: the monstrous sight "Struck them with horror backward; but far worse Urg'd them behind: headlong themselves they threw 865 "Down from the verge of heaven: eternal wrath "Burnt after them to the bottomless pit.

"Hell heard the unsufferable noise: hell saw "Heaven ruining from heaven, and would have fled "Affrighted; but strict Fate had cast too deep 870" Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound. "Nine days they fell: confounded Chaos roar'd, "And felt tenfold confusion in their fall

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"Through his wild anarchy; so huge a rout
"Encumber'd him with ruin: hell at last

"Yawning receiv'd them whole, and on them clos'd—
Hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire

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Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain:
"Disburden'd heaven rejoic'd, and soon repair'd
"Her mural breach, returning whence it roll'd.

"Sole Victor, from the expulsion of his foes,
"Messiah his triumphal chariot turn'd:

"To meet him all his saints, who silent stood
"Eye-witnesses of his almighty acts,

"With jubilee advanc'd; and, as they went,
885" Shaded with branching palm, each order bright
"Sung triumph, and him sung victorious King,
"Son, Heir, and Lord! to him dominion given,
"Worthiest to reign. He, celebrated, rode
"Triumphant through mid heaven, into the courts
890"And temple of his mighty Father thron'd
"On high! who into glory him receiv'd,
"Where now he sits at the right hand of bliss.

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