135 Thus while God spake, ambrosial fragrance fill'd Beyond compare the Son of God was seen Love without end, and without measure grace; "O Father! gracious was that word which clos'd 145"Thy sovereign sentence, that man should find grace; "For which both heaven and earth shall high extol 150 Thy praises, with the innumerable sound "Of hymns and sacred songs, wherewith thy throne Encompass'd shall resound thee ever blest. 66 "For should man finally be lost? should man, "Thy creature late so 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 155 "Of all things made, and judgest only right. "Or shall the adversary thus obtain "His end, and frustrate thine? shall he fulfil "His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought; "Or proud return, though to his heavier doom, 160 "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? 165 "So should thy goodness and thy greatness both "Be question'd, and blasphem'd without defence." To whom the great Creator thus replied: "O Son, in whom my soul hath chief delight, "Son of my bosom, Son who art alone 170 "My word, my wisdom, and effectual might! "All hast thou spoken as my thoughts are, all "As my eternal purpose hath decreed. 175 "Man shall not quite be lost, but sav'd who will; "Yet not of will in him, but grace in me Freely vouchsaf'd: once more I will renew "His lapsed powers, though forfeit, and enthrall'd "By sin to foul exorbitant desires; 66 Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand "On even ground against his mortal foe ; 180 "By me upheld, that he may know how frail 185 "The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd 195 66 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 sufferance, and my day of grace, 66 They who neglect and scorn, shall never taste; 200 "But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more, 205 "That they may stumble on, and deeper fall; 66 66 Disloyal, breaks his fealty, and sins Against the high supremacy of Heaven, Affecting godhead, and, so losing all, "To expiate his treason hath nought left; "But, to destruction sacred and devote, "He, with his whole posterity, must die: 210 "Die he or justice must; unless for him "Some other able, and as willing, pay "The rigid satisfaction-death for death. 66 Say, heavenly Powers, where shall we find such love? "Which of ye will be mortal, to redeem 215 "Man's mortal crime; and just, the unjust to save? "Dwells in all heaven charity so dear?" He ask'd, but all the heavenly quire stood mute, 220 Much less that durst upon his own head draw And now, without redemption, all mankind 225 In whom the fulness dwells of love divine, "Father! Thy word is past, man shall find grace: "And shall grace not find means, that finds her way "The speediest of thy winged messengers 230 "To visit all thy creatures; and to all "Comes unprevented, unimplored, unsought? 66 Happy for man, so coming! He her aid "Can never seek, once dead in sins, and lost"Atonement for himself, or offering meet, 235"(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 sake will leave Thy bosom, and this glory next to thee 240"Freely put off, and for him lastly die "Well pleas'd: on me let Death wreak all his rage; 245 "Though now to Death I yield, and am his due, F "For ever with corruption there to dwell: 250 "But I shall rise victorious, and subdue 255 "My vanquisher spoil'd of his vaunted spoil: 66 "I, through the ample air, in triumph high "Shall lead Hell captive, maugre hell, and show Thou, at the sight "Pleas'd, out of heaven shalt look down, and smile, grave: "While, by thee rais'd, I ruin all my foes"Death last, and with his carcass glut the 260" Then, with the multitude of my redeem'd, "Shall enter heaven, long absent, and return, "Father, to see thy face, wherein no cloud "Of anger shall remain, but peace assur'd "And reconcilement: wrath shall be no more 265" Thenceforth, but in thy presence joy entire." His words here ended, but his meek aspéct Silent yet spake, and breath'd immortal love To mortal men; above which only shone Filial obedience: as a sacrifice 270 Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will 275 Of his great Father. Admiration seiz'd All heaven, what this might mean, and whither tend, "O thou, in heaven and earth the only peace "Found out for mankind under wrath! O thou, "My sole complacence! well thou knowest how dear "To me are all my works, nor man the least, "Though last created; that for him I spare "Thee from my bosom and right hand, to save, 280" By losing thee awhile, the whole race lost. 285 "Thou therefore, whom thou only canst redeem, 66 'By wondrous birth: be thou in Adam's room "The head of all mankind, though Adam's son. "As in him perish all men, so in thee, "As from a second root, shall be restor❜d "As many as are restor'd; without thee none. 290"His crime makes guilty all his sons; thy merit, 66 Imputed, shall absolve them who renounce "Their own both righteous and unrighteous deeds, "In those who, when they may, accept not grace. "Man's nature, lessen or degrade thine own. 305 "Because thou hast, though thron'd in highest bliss 66 'Equal to God, and equally enjoying "God-like fruition, quitted all, to save "A world from utter loss, and hast been found, "By merit more than birthright, Son of God310Found worthiest to be so, by being good, "Far more than great, or high;-because in thee "With thee thy manhood also to this throne: 320 "I give thee; reign for ever, and assume 66 66 Thy merits; under thee, as head supreme, Thrones, Princedoms, Powers, Dominions, I reduce : "All knees to thee shall bow, of them that bide "In heaven, or earth, or under earth in hell. "When thou, attended gloriously from heaven, "Shalt in the sky appear, and from thee send |