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And Man there plac'd, with purpose to affay If him by force he can deftroy, or worse, By fome falfe guile pervert; and shall pervert, For Man will heark'n to his glozing lyes, And easily tranfgrefs the fole Command, Sole pledge of his obedience: So will fall, He and his faithlefs Progeny: Whofe fault? Whofe but his own? Ingrate, he had of me All he could have; I made him juft and right, Sufficient to have flood, though free to fall. Such I created all th' Ethereal Powers And Spirits, both them who stood and them who Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. [fail'd; Not free, what proof could they have gain'd fincere Of true allegiance, conftant Faith or Love, Where only what they needs must do, appear'd, 105 Not what they would? what praise could they receive? What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid, When Will and Reason (Reason also is choice) Useless and vain, of freedom both defpoil'd, Made paffive both, had ferv'd neceffity, Not me. They therefore as to right belong'd, So were created, nor can juftly accufe Their maker, or their making, or their Fate, As if Predeftination over-rul'd

Their will, difpos'd by abfolute Decree

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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 impulfe or fhadow of Fate, 120 Or aught by me immutably forefeen,

They trefspafs, Authors to themselves in all

Both what they judge and what they choose; forso
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
'Till they enthrall themfelves; I else must change
Their nature, and revoke the high Decree
Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordain'd

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Their freedom, they themselves ordain'd their fall.
The firft fort by their own fuggeftion fell,
Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: Man falls deceiv'd 130
By the other firft: Man therefore shall find grace,
The other none: in Mercy and Justice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, fo fhall my glory excell,
But Mercy first and laft fhall brightest shine.

Thus while God fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the bleffed Spirits elect
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd:

Beyond compare the Son of God was feen
Moft glorious, in him all his Father fhon
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 fpake.

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O Father, gracious was that word which clos'd 144 Thy fov'reign sentence, that Man fhould find grace; For which both Heav'n and Earth shall high extoll Thy praises, with th' innumerable found

Of Hymns and facred Songs, wherewith thy Throne Encompafs'd fall refound thee ever bleft.

For fhould Man finally be loft, should Man Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest Son Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though joyn'd With his own folly that be from thee far, *hat far be from thee, Father, who art Judge If all things made, and judgest only right. Or fhall the Adverfary thus obtain lis end, and fruftrate thine, shall he fulfill lis malice, and thy goodness bring to naught, Or proud return though to his heavier doom, (et with revenge accomplisht, and to Hell Draw after him the whole Race of mankind, y him corrupted or wilt thou thy felf bolish thy Creation, and unmake,

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or him, what for thy glory thou haft made? o should thy goodness and thy greatness both 165 e queftion'd and blafphem'd without defence. To whom the great Creatour thus reply'd. Son, in whom my foul hath chief delight, on of my bofom, Son who art alone y word, my wisdom, and effectual might, Il haft thou spoken as my thoughts are, all s my Eternal purpose hath decreed:

lan fhall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will,
et not of will in him, but grace in me
cely vouchfaft; once more I will renew
is lapfed powers, though forfeit and enthrall'd
y fin to foul exorbitant defires;

pheld by me, yet once more he fhall ftand
In even ground against his mortal foe,

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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.
Some I have chofen of peculiar grace

Elect above the reft: fo is my will:

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The reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd · 185
Their finful ftate, and to appease betimes
Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites: for I will clear their senses dark,
What may fuffice, and foft'n ftony hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To Prayer, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endeavour'd with fincere intent,
Mine ear shall not be flow, mine eye not shut.
And I will place within them as a guide
My Umpire Confcience, whom if they will hear, 195
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;
Eur hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more, 200
That they may ftumble on, and deeper fall;
And none but fuch from mercy I exclude.
But yet all is not done; Man difobeying,
Difloyal breaks his fealty, and fins
Against the high Supremacy of Heav'n,
Affecting God-head, and fo lofing all,
To expiate his Treason hath naught left,
But to deftruction facred and devote,
He with his whole pofterity muft die,

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Die he or Juftice muft; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.

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Say Heav'nly powers, where fhall we find fuch love, Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjuft to fave, 215 Dwells in all Heav'n charity so dear?

He ask'd, but all the Heav'nly Quire stood mute,
And filence was in Heav'n: on mans behalf
Patron or Interceffor none appear'd,

Much less that durft upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ranfom fet.

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And now without redemption all mankind
Muft have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell
By doom fevere, had not the Son of God,
In whom the fulnefs dwells of love divine,
His deareft Mediation thus renew'd.

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Father, thy word is past, man shall find grace; And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speediest of the 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;
Attonement for himself or offering meet,
Indebted and undon, 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

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