Then shail thy saints unmix'd, & from the impure Far separate, circling thy holy mount, Unfeigned hallelujahs to thee sing, 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 whirlwind sound The chariot of paternal Deity,
Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn,
Itself instinct with Spirit, but convoy'd
By four cherubie shapes; four faces each
Had wondrous; as with stars their bodies all
And wings were set with eyes, with eyes the wheels 755 Of beryl, and careering fires between;
Over their heads a crystal firmament,
Whereon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure Amber, and colours of the showery arch, 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 stored, 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, Chariots of God, half on each hand were seen He, on the wings of cherub, rode sublime On the crystalline sky, in sapphire throned, Illustrious far and wide, but by his own First seen; them unexpected joy surprised, When the great ensign of Messiah blazed, Aloft by angels borne, his sign in Heaven; Under whose conduct Michael soon reduced His army, circumfused on either wing, Under their head embodied all in one. Before him, Power Divine his way prepared; At his command the uprooted hills retired, Each to his place; they heard his voice, and went Obsequious: Heaven his wonted face renew'd, And with fresh flowerets hill and valley smiled. This saw his hapless foes, but stood obdured, 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? They, harden'd more by what might most reclaim, Grieving to see his glory, at the sight Took envy: and, aspiring to his highth, Stood re-embattled fierce, by force or fraud Weening to prosper, and at length prevail Against God and Messiah, or to fall In universal ruin lost; 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 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 received, so have ye done Invincibly: but of this cursed crew, 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 despised, 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. 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, Or I alone against them; since by strength They measure all, of other excellence Not emulous, nor care who them excels; Nor other strife with them do I vouchsafe.'
"So spake the Son, and into terror changed His countenance, too severe to be beheld, 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 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 empyrean shook throughout, All but the throne itself of God. Full soon 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 dropp'd: 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 His arrows, from the fourfold-visag'd four, Distinct with eyes, and, from the living wheels, Distinct alike with multitude of eyes; One spirit in them ruled, and every eye Glared lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire Among the accursed, 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 Not to destroy, but root them out of Heaven : The overthrown he raised, and, as a herd Of goats, or timorous flock together throng'd, Drove them before him, thunder-struck, pursued With terrors and with furies, to the bounds And crystal wall of Heaven; which opening wide, Roll'd inward, and a spacious gap disclos'd, Into the wasteful deep. The monstrous sight Struck them with horror backward, but far worse Urged them behind; headlong themselves they threw Down from the verge of Heaven; eternal wrath
Burnt after them, to the bottomless pit.
"Hell heard the unsufferable noise, Hell saw Heaven running from Heaven, and would have fled, Affrighted; but strict fate had cast too deep Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound. Nine days they fell: confounded Chaos roar'd, And felt tenfold confusion in their fall, Through his wild anarchy, so huge rout Encumber'd him with ruin. Hell at last,
Yawning, received them whole, and on them clos'd: Hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain. Disburden'd Heaven rejoiced; and soon repair'd Her mural breach, returning whence it roll'd. Sole victor, from the expulsion of his foes Messiah his triumphant 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, 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 And temple of his mighty Father, throned On high; who into glory him received, Where now he sits, at the right hand of bliss.
"Thus, measuring things in Heaven by things on earth,
At thy request, and that thou may'st beware, By what is past, to thee I have reveal'd, What might have else to human race been hid, The discord which befel, and war in Heaven, Among the angelic powers, and the deep fall Of those, too high aspiring, who rebell'd With Satan; he, who envies now thy state, Who now is plotting, how he may seduce Thee also from obedience, that with him Bereaved of happiness, thou may'st partake His punishment, eternal misery; Which would be all his solace and revenge, As a despite done against the Most High, Thee once to gain companion of his woe. But listen not to his temptations, warn Thy weaker let it profit thee to have heard, By terrible example, the reward
Of disobedience; firm they might have stood, Yet fell; remember, and fear to transgress.
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