Page images
PDF
EPUB

And man there plac't, with purpose to essay
If him by force he can destroy, or worse,
By fome falfe guile pervert; and shall pervert;
For man will heark'n to his glozing lyes,
And eafily tranfgrefs the fole command,
Sole pledge of his obedience: fo will fall
He and his faithless progenie: whose fault?
Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of me
All he could have; I made him just and right,
Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th'ethereal powers

And spirits, both them who stood and them who fail'd;
Freely they stood who ftood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have giv'n fincere
Of true allegiance, constant faith or love,

Where only what they needs muft do, appear'd,
Not what they would? what praise could they receive?
What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid,
When will and reafon (reafon also is choice)
Useless and vain, of freedom both defpoil'd,
Made paffive both, had ferv'd neceffitie,
Not me. They therefore as to right belong'd,
So were created, nor can justly accuse

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 least impulse or shadow of fate,

Or aught by me immutably foreseen,

They trefpafs, authors to themselves in all
Both what they judge and what they chufe; for fo
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
Till they enthrall themfelves; I elfe must change
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-depray'd: man falls deceiv'd
By the other firft: man therefore fhall find grace,
The other none: in mercy and juftice both,
Through heav'n and earth, so shall my glory excell,
But mercy first and last shall brightest shine.

Thus while God fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All heav'n, and in the bleffed fpirits elect
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd:
Beyond compare the Son of God was feen
Moft glorious, in him all his Father shon
Subftantially expreft, and in his face
Divine compaffion vifibly 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 fovran sentence, that man should find grace ;
For which both heav'n and earth fhall high extoll
Thy praises, with th innumerable found

Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne
Encompass'd fhall refound thee ever blest.
For should man finally be loft, fhould man
Thy creature late fo loy'd, thy youngest fon

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 fhall the adverfarie thus obtain

His end, and frustrate thine, shall he fulfill
His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught,
Or proud return though to his heavier doom,
Yet with revenge accomplish't 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 should thy goodness and thy greatness both
Be question'd and blafphem'd without defence.
To whom the great Creator thus reply'd.
O fon, 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 spok'n as my thoughts are, all
As my eternal purpose hath decreed;

Man fhall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will,
Yet not of will in him, but grace in me
Freely voutsaft; once more I will renew
His lapfed powers, though forfeit and enthrall'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 deliv'rance, and to none but me.

[ocr errors]

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 Deitie, while offer'd grace
Invites; for I will clear their fenses dark,
What may fuffice, and foft'n ftonie hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To prayer, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endeavor'd, with fincere intent,
Mine ear shall not be flow, mine eye not fhut.
And I will place within them as a guide
My umpire conscience, whom if they will hear,
Light after light well us'd they shall attain,
And to the end persisting, safe arrive.

This my long fufferance and my day of grace
They who neglect and scorn, fhall never tafte;
But hard be hard'nd, blind be blinded more,
That they may ftumble on, and deeper fall;
And none but fuch from mercy I exclude.
But yet all is not done; man disobeying,
Difloyal breaks his fealtie, and fins
Against the high supremacy of heav'n.
Affecting God-head, and so losing all,
To expiate his treason hath nought left.
But to deftruction 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 powers, where shall we find such love,

Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

Man's mortal crime, and just th’unjust to fave,
Dwells in all heav'n charity so deare?

He afk'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 ransom set.

And now without redemption all mankind
Must have been lost, adjudg`d to death and hell
By doom fevere, had not the son of God,
In whom the fulness dwells of love divine,
His dearest mediation thus renew'd.

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

To vifit all thy creatures, and to all

Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfought,
Happie for man, fo coming; he her aid
Can never feek, once dead in fins and loft ;
Atonement for himself or offering meet,
Indebted and undone, hath none to bring:
Behold me then, me for him, life for life
I offer, on me let thine anger fall
¿
Account me man; I for his fake will leave
Thy bofom, and this glory next to thee
Freely put off, and for him laftly die

Well pleas'd, on me let Death wreck all his rage;
Under his gloomie power I fhall not long:

Lie vanquish't; thou haft giv'n me to possess
Life in myself for ever, by thee I liye,

« PreviousContinue »