The other none: in mercy' and juftice both, Through Heav'n and Earth, fo fhall my glory' excel, But mercy first and last shall brightest shine. 136 Thus while God spake, 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 Most glorious; in him all his Father shone Substantially exprefs'd; and in his face Divine compaffion vifibly appear'd, Love without end, and without measure grace, Which uttering thus he to his Father spake. 140 O Father, gracious was that word which clos'd Thy fovran fentence, that Man should find grace; 145 his mafter Homer, and all who followed him, where they are reprefenting the Deity fpeaking, describe a scene of terror and awful confternation. The Heavens, Seas and Earth tremble &c, and this, to be fure, was confiftent enough with their natural notions of the fupreme Being: but it would not have been fo agreeable to the mild, merciful, and benevolent idea of the Deity upon the Chriftian fcheme, and therefore our author : has very judiciously made the words of the Almighty diffufing fragrance and delight to all around For him. There is a paffage in Ariofta, which is exactly in the fame tafte with what Milton has given us, Cant. 29. St. 30. Dio così diffe; e fe ferena intorno L'aria, e tranquillo il mar più che mai fuffe. Thus faid the Higheft, and then there did enfue A wondrous calm in waters and in air. Harrington. Thyer. 140. Subftantially exprefs'd;] According to Heb. I. 3. where the Son of God is tiled, the brightness of 150 For which both Heav'n and Earth shall high extol His end, and fruftrate thine? fhall he fulfil his Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perjon; xacaulup ane STOSAσEWS OUTY, the character of his fubftance, as the original expreffeth it. Hume. 147.-with th' innumerable found Of hymns and facred fongs,] Dr. Bentley reads with innumerable frains &c. He thinks it ftrange to find innumerable join'd to a fingular number, unless the fubftantive implies multitude in the very name : But is not innumerable found of fongs here the fame with innumerable force of Spirits in I. 101.? In both places the word innumerable, tho' 155 Yet join'd to found and force, yet in Follow'd with acclamation and the Angelic Yet with revenge accomplish'd, and to Hell By him corrupted? or wilt thou thyself For him, what for thy glory thou haft made? 160 So fhould thy goodness and thy greatness both 165 To whom the great Creator thus reply'd. My word, my wisdom, and effectual might, As my Man fhall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will, 170 Yet Angelic harmonies: the earth, the may be justify'd as well from the Saxon. 168. O Son, &c.] The Son is here addrefs'd by several titles and appellations borrow'd from Scripture. O Son, in whom my foul bath chief delight, from Mat. III. 17. My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Son of my bosom, from John I. 18. The only begotton Son which is in the bofom of the Father. My word, from Rev. XIX. 13. And his name is called the word of God. My wisdom and effectual might, from 1 Cor. I. 24. Chrift the power of God and the wisdom of God. 180. By Yet not of will in him, but grace in me Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand By me upheld, that he may know how frail 175 180 Elect above the reft; fo is my will; The reft shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd 180. By me upheld,] It was before, ver. 178. Upheld by me. The turn of the words is remarkable. And we have the oftner taken noticę of these turns of the words, because it has been objected by Dryden and others, that there were no turns of the words in Milton. 183. Some I have chofen of peculiar grace &c.] Our author 185 190 To did not hold the doctrin of rigid predeftination; he was of the fentiments of the more moderate Calvinifts, and thought that fome indeed were elected of peculiar grace, the reft might be faved complying with the terms and conditions of the Gospel. 192. endervor'd] So Milton fpells this word, and it is most agreeable to our pronunciation of To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due, 196 And to the end perfifting, safe arrive. This my long sufferance and my day of grace They who neglect and scorn, shall never taste; it, as well as to its derivation from the French en and devoir. 197. And to the end perfifling, safe arrive. He that indureth to the end fhall be faved, Mat. X. 22. 198. This my long sufferance and my day of grace never tafte] It is a great I pity that our author fhould have thus debafed the dignity of the VOL. I. 205 |