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of their Graves with the Lord and were seen in the Streets of Jerufalem, Mat. xxvii. 52. St. Ignatius in his Larger Epiftle to the Trallians Sect. IX. fays that Chrift went down into Hell Alone and came up again with a Multitude, and Prudentius (Cathem. IX. 97.) Then Many Fathers and Saints followed their Redeemer, returning the third Day, putting on Garments of Flesh; He carry'd them up into Heaven, the Glorious Triumph of his Paffion.

264

Wrath fhall be no more

Thenceforth, but in Thy Prefence Joy Intire. and the Ranfom'd of the Lord fhall Return and come to Sion with Songs and Everlasting Joy upon their Heads; they shall Obtain foy and Gladness, and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away. Ifa. xxxv. 10.

274 "God obferves that his Love is Evident

by his Lofing his Son for a Time to Redeem "Loft Man. Directs the Incarnation, and "his Son's Head-fhip over the Human Race; "the Imputation of his Righteousness is a "fufficient Satisfaction. after a Short Recapitulation, that Chrift fhall Satisfy, be Judg'd, Dye, Rife, Raise his Ranfom'd, by Heavenly Love Thus Out-doing Hellish Hate, "God goes on to fay that He, by Affuming "Man's Nature, fhall not Degrade the Di"vine; but that Both United fhall Reign over "the World 'till the Judgement-day is paft;

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"Then fhall Heaven and Earth be Renew'd in

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Righteousness, Peace, and Joy, and the Scepter fhall be Refign'd to the Father who "fhall Thenceforth be All in All as 1 Cor. XV. 24, 25, 28.

276 my Sole Complacence

My Only Delight and Pleasure, as v. 168.

299 Giving to Death, and Dying to Redeem the Father giving up to Death his Beloved Son, v. 295, and the Son Submitting to it, 236.

301 So Eafily Deftroy'd, and Still Destroyes 'tis God who fpeaks; He fees Future Events as Paft, or Present. Views all things at One View. II. 190.

322

Under Earth in Hell. This is fpoken in Heaven, and There Hell may be faid to be Under the Earth as more Distant from Thence. Heaven always implies Height and Hell the Contrary. Hell therefore in this Place is not fuppofed to be Under the Earth, that is, in its Center as fome have imagin'd; This is not Milton's Thought, as 'tis not Agreeable to his System.

333

Mean while

the World fhall Burn, and from her Afbes

Spring

New

New Heav'n and Earth wherein the Just
Shall dwell.

in the Early times of the Chriftian Church
'twas Univerfally Believ'd that after the Ge-
neral Conflagration there fhould be a New
Heaven and a New Earth, the Habitation of
Righteousness, and that Chrift fhould Reign
on This Renovated Earth with his Saints a
Thousand Years; This Therefore was called
the Millennium. Milton has wrought the
Beautifulleft Part of This Notion into his
Poem; he has Suppos'd the New Heavens
and the New Earth where All things fhall
bear the Infcription of Holyness to the Lord,
Zach. xiv. 20. when the Earth fhall be filled
with the Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord,
as the Waters cover the Sea, Habak. ii. 14.
but he has not taken in the Temporary
Reign of Chrift There. All shall be One
Kingdom; the Sceptre fhall be given up to
the Father, who fhall Reign Thenceforth for
Ever. VII. 160. X. 638, 647. XI. 900. XII.
547.

339 then thou thy Regal Sceptre falt lay by v. 317. 'tis faid He fhould Reign for Ever, This Explains That, for Ever is to the End of Time. as Milton fays in his Latin Epiftle to his Father, v. 30. we alfo when we shall have Regain'd our Native Heaven, and Time fhall be run out and stand still.

341

but all ye Gods

Angels in Scripture are Sometimes call'd Gods, as Princes alfo are. P. xcvii. 7. Heb. i. 6. Pf. lxxxii. 6. fo II. 352.

344 No fooner bad th' Almighty ceas't, but all the Multitude, &c.

as 'tis pointed in the Best Editions the Senfe of This place in fhort is, that at the Instant God had done fpeaking the Angels, uttering Joy with a Shout, Heaven Rung or Refounded with Jubilee, and Hofannas fill'd those Regions. Thus the Grammar is Right; But the Description of the Shout loofes Much of its Beauty; Sweet, not only as Bleft Voices, for they may not be So Always, as when they denounce Wrath, &c. but Bleft Voices uttering Joy.

There is Another way of Understanding This place by which the Fault of the former is Avoyded, and the Grammar Right too, and perhaps the Whole has a greater Energy and Beauty. the Sense we propose will arife bya little Alteration in the Pointing.

no fooner had th' Almighty ceas't, but all the Multitude of Angels, with a Shout Loud as from Numbers without Number, Sweet

as from Bleft Voices uttering Joy - Heav'n

rung

with Jubilee, and Loud Hofannaes fill'd
th' Eternal Regions!

the Poet breaks off from fpeaking of the Angels, and in a Tranfport crys out Heaven rung, &c. Then more Calmly refumes the Thread of his Relation; Lowly Reverent, &c.

352 their Crowns Inwove with Amarant and Gold. that is, Crowns of Amarant and Gold Interwoven, as IV. 693.

Inwoven Shade

Lawrel and Myrtle

Shade, of Lawrel and Myrtle Interwoven. and in Mafk, v. 548.

with Ivy Canopy'd and Interwove
with Flaunting Honey fuckle.

the Ancient Priests in their Minifterial Functions wore Fillets, White, Purple, Gold, &c. Interwove with Leaves of Lawrel, Olive, &c. or with Flowers according to the Occafion; See Statius Theb. III. 466. IV. 218. Sylv. II. I. 26. Val. Flacc. V. 10. and many Others. the Angels Now are in a Sort of Sacred Office, Hymning God; to Them Therefore Milton has given These fort of Crowns, or, as they are presently (362) call'd, Garlands.

353 Immortal Amarant

So the Name taken from the Greek fignifies. 'Twas esteem'd the Symbol of Immortality.

359 Rowls o're Elifian Flours her Amber ftream inftead

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