Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main abyfs
Wide interrupt can hold; fo bent he seems
On desperate revenge, that fhall redound
Upon his own rebellious head. And now
Through all restraint broke loose he wings his way
Not far off Heav'n, in the precincts of light,
Directly tow'rds the new created world,
And Man there plac'd, with purpose to assay
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: So will fall,
He and his faithlefs progeny: Whose fault?
Whofe but his own? Ingrate, he had of me
All he could have; I made him juft and right,
Sufficient to have ftood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' ethereal Powers
And Spirits, both them who stood and them who fail'd;
Freely they food who stood, 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,
Not what they would? what praife could they receive?
What pleafure 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 necessity,
Not me? They therefore as to right belong'd,
So were created, nor can justly' accufe
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 themselves 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 leaft impulfe or fhadow' of fate,
Or ought by me immutably foreseen,
They trefpafs, authors to themselves in all
Both what they judge and what they choose; for fo
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
Till they inthrall themselves; 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 fhall find grace,
The other none: in mercy' and justice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, fo fhall my glory' excel,
But mercy first and last shall brightest shine.
Thus while God spake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the bleffed Spirits elect
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd:
Beyond compare the Son of God was feen
Moft glorious; in him all his Father shone
Subftantially exprefs'd; and in his face
Divine compaffion visibly appear'd,
Love without end, and without measure grace,
Which uttering thus he to his Father spake.
O Father, gracious was that word which clos'd
Thy sovran sentence, that Man fhould find grace; 145
For which both Heav'n and Earth fhall high extol
Thy praifes, with th' innumerable found
Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne
Incompafs'd fhall refound thee ever bleft.
For fhould Man finally be loft, should Man,
Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest son,
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 Adverfary thus obtain
His end, and fruftrate 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 thyself
Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou haft made?
So fhould thy goodnefs and thy greatnefs both
Be queftion'd and blafphem'd without defense,
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 wisdom, and effectual might,
All haft thou spoken as my thoughts are, all
As my eternal purpose hath decrced:
Man fhall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will,
Yet not of will in him, but grace in me
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 deliverance, and to none but me.
Some I have chofen of peculiar grace
Elect above the reft; fo is my will:
The reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd
Their finful ftate, 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 endeavor'd with fincere intent,
Mine ear shall not be flow, mine eye not shut.
And I will place within them as a guide
My umpire confcience, whom if they will hear,
Light after light well us'd they shall attain,
And to the end perfifting, fafe arrive.
This my long fufferance and my day of grace
They who negle& and scorn, fhall never taste;
But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more,
That they may ftumble on, and deeper fall i
And none but fuch from mercy I exclude.
But yet all is not done; Man difobeying,
Difloyal breaks his feälty, and fins
Against the high supremacy of Heaven,
Affecting God-head, and fo lofing all,
To expiate his treason hath nought left,
But to destruction facred and devote,
He with his whole pofterity must die,
Die he or justice muft; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.
Say heav'nly Pow'rs, where fhall we find fuch love? Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjust to save? 215 Dwells in all Heaven charity fo dear?
He ask'd, but all the heav'nly quire stood mute,
And filence was in Heav'n: on Man's behalf
Patron or interceffor none appear'd,
Much less that durft upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ransome fet.
And now without redemption all mankind
Must have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell
By doom severe, had not the Son of God,
In whom the fulness dwells of love divine,
His deareft mediation thus renew'd.
Father, thy word is past, Man fhall find grace; And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speedieft of thy winged messengers,
To vifit all thy creatures, and to all
Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfought?
Happy for Man, fo coming; he her aid.
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