Their multitude, and to his Son thus spake : At least our envions foe hath fail'd, who thought All like himself rebellious: by whose aid 1-10 This inaccessible high strength, the seat Of Deity supreme, us dispossess'd, He trusted to have seized, and into fraud Drew many, whom their place knows here no more; Yet far the greater part have kept, I see, 145 Their station; Heav'n yet populous retains Though wide, and this high temple to frequent 150 With ministeries due and solemn rites: 155 Up hither, under long obedience try'd, And Earth be changed to Heav'n, and Heav'n to Earth, One kingdom, joy and union without end. 161 Mean while inhabit lax, ye Pow'rs of Heav'n; And thou, my Word, begotten Son, by thee This I perform; speak thou and be it done. My overshadowing Spirit and might with thee 165 I send along; ride forth, and bid the deep Though I uncircumscribed myself retire 170 And put not forth my goodness which is free 139. At last. instead of at least, is proposed. 160. In allusion probably to the new heaven and new earth before mentioned, and not, as is supposed, to any mere improvement in man. 162. Lar, free to follow their former angelic pleasures and Occupations. It has no relation, as Newton supposes, to space or room. 165. Luke 35. 175 So spake th' Almighty, and to what he spake, His Word, the filial Godhead, gave effect. Immediate are the acts of God, more swift Than time or motion; but to human ears Cannot without process of speech be told; So told as earthly notion can receive. Great triumph and rejoicing was in Heav'n, When such was heard declared th' Almighty's will. Glory they sung to the Most High, good-will 180 To future men, and in their dwellings peace: Glory to him, whose just avenging ire Had driven out th' ungodly from his sight 185 Glory and praise, whose wisdom had ordain'd Of Spirits malign, a better race to bring Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse 19: His good to worlds and ages infinite. So sang the Hierarchies: Mean while the Son 195 200 205 Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound! On golden hinges moving, to let forth And Spirit coming to create new worlds. 211 On heav'nly ground they stood, and from the shore They view'd the vast immeasurable abyss Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild, Up from the bottom turn'd by furious winds And surging waves, as mountains, to assault 182. God instead of the is proposed by Bentley. 192. Zech. vi. ). Heavn's height, and with the centre mix the pole. Far into Chaos, and the world unborn; 220 For Chaos heard his voice: him all his train Follow'd in bright procession, to behold Then stay'd the fervid wheels, and in his hand 225 In God's eternal store, to circumscribe This universe, and all created things. One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd Round through the vast profundity obscure, And said, Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds, 230 Thus God the Heav'n created, thus the Earth, His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread, 235 240 Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light Ethereal first of things, quintessence pure, Sprung from the deep, and from her native east 245 225. Prov. viii. 27. 232. It is well observed, that this book is a magnificent paraphrase of the Mosaic account of the creation. 243. Gen. i. 3. I canno, but observe here that one of the most sublime, and at the same time learned of modern reasoners, in speaking to me on this passage of Scripture, remarked, that the usual way in which it is understood is not only incorrect, but greatly diminishes its sublimity. It is highly wrong, according to hi, to suppose that light was first called into being on the crea tion of this world, for Heaven nad been for ever filled with it, and God himself is compared to it: the expression, consequently, Let there be light,' is to be interpreted, Let the light flow forth, let there be light shining from its great original fountain on the commencing system.' Was not she in a cloudy tabernacle 250 Sojourn'd the while. God saw the light was good; By the celestial choirs, when orient light 255 Birth-day of Heav'n and Earth; with joy and shout The hollow universal orb they fill'd, And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning praised God and his works; Creator him they sung, Both when first ev'ning was, and when first morn. Again, God said, Let there be firmament 261 Amid the waters, and let it divide The waters from the waters. And God made 265 In circuit to the uttermost convex : Of this great round: partition firm and sure, The earth was form'd, but in the womb as yet 270 275 280 285 256. Job xxxvii. 4. 7. I might multiply references without end in this part of the poem, but it must be left to the industry or curiosity of the reader to discover the scriptural allusions where they are so numerous as in the present instance. Into the clouds; their tops ascend the sky: 290 295 300 For haste: such flight the great command impress'd 305 And saw that it was good, and said, Let th' earth Put forth the verdant grass, herb yielding seed, 310 And fruit-tree yielding fruit after her kind, Whose seed is in herself upon the earth. He scarce had said, when the bare earth, till then Desert and bare, unsightly, unadorn'd, 316 Brought forth the tender grass, whose verdure clad, 321 321. Swelling has been suggested, and most probably correctly, 323. Hair, coma is the same in Latin, small leaves, twigs, &c. implicit, entangled. 325. Gemm'd, from gemmare, to put forth blossoms. |