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 impulse or shadow' 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 must 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 shall find grace,
The other none: in mercy' and justice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, so shall my glory' excel,
But mercy first and laft shall brightest shine.
Thus while God fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the blessed Spirits elect
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd:
Beyond compare the Son of God was feen
Most 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 fovran sentence, that Man should find grace; 145
For which both Heav'n and Earth fhall high extol
Thy praises, 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 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 Adversary 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 hast made?
So fhould thy goodness and thy greatness both
Be question'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 wifdom, and effectual might,
All haft thou spoken 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 vouchsaf'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
The reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd
Their sinful state, and to appease betimes
Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites; for I will clear their fenfes dark,
What may fuffice, and soften stony hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endeavor'd with fincere intent,
Mine ear fhall not be flow, mine eye not fhut.
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 neglect and scorn, shall never tafte;
But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more,
That they may stumble on, and deeper fall;
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 fupremacy of Heaven,
Affecting God-head, and fo lofing all,
To expiate his treason hath nought left,
But to deftruction facred and devote,
He with his whole pofterity must die,
Die he or juftice muft; unlefs for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.
Say heav'nly Pow'rs, where shall we find fuch love?
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjust to save?
Dwells in all Heaven charity fo dear?
He afk'd, but all the heav'nly quire ftood 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 set.
And now without redemption all mankind
Muft have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell
By doom severe, had not the Son of God,
In whom the fulnefs dwells of love divine,.
His deareft mediation thus renew'd.
Father, thy word is past, Man fhall find grace;
And fhall grace not find means, that finds her
The speedieft of thy winged meffengers,
To vifit all thy creatures, and to all
Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfought?.
Happy 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 fåll;
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 gloomy pow'r I shall not long
Lie vanquish'd; thou haft giv'n me to possess
Life in myself for ev'r; by thee I live,
Though now to Death I yield, and am his due
All that of me can die; yet that debt paid,
Thou wilt not leave me in the loathfome grave
His prey, nor fuffer my unspotted foul
For ever with corruption there to dwell;,
But I fhall rife victorious, and' fubdue
My vanquisher, spoil'd of his vaunted spoil;
Death his death's wound fhall then receive, and stoop Inglorious, of his mortal sting difarm'd.
I through the ample air in triumph high
Shall lead Hell captive maugre Hell, and show
The Pow'rs of darkness bound: Thou at the fight
Pleas'd, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile,
While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes,
Death laft, and with his carcafs glut the grave:
Titen with the multitude of my redeem'd
Shall enter Heav'n long abfent, and return,
Father, to fee thy face, wherein no cloud:
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