Or high fore-knowledge. They themselves decreed
Their own revolt, not I: if I fore-knew,
Fore-knowledge had no influence on their fault,
Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown.
So without leaft impulse, or shadow of fate,
Or ought by Me immurably foreseen,

They trefpafs; authors to themselves in all,
Both what they judge, and what they choose; for fo
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
Till they inthrall themselves; I elfe, must change
Their nature,
and revoke the high decree
Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd

Their freedom; they themselves ordain'd their fall.
The first fort by their own suggestion fell,
Self-tempted, self-deprav'd : man falls deceiv'd
By th' other first: Man therefore shall find grace;
The other none : in mercy and justice both,
Through heav'n and earth, fo shall my glory excel;
But mercy, first and last, shall brightest shine.

Thus while God fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All heav'n, and in the blessed fpirits elec
Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd.
Beyond compare the Son of God was feen
Moft glorious; in Him all His Father shon
Subftantially 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.

O Father! gracious was that word which clos'd Thy fov'reign sentence, that man should find grace; G&

For which both heav'n and earth shall high extol
Thy praifes, with th' innumerable found

Of hymns, and sacred songs, wherewith thy throng
Encompafs'd shall refound thee ever bleft.
For should man finally be loft, should man
Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest fon,
Fall circumvented thus by fraud, tho' join'd
With his own folly? That be from thee far,
That far be from thee, Father, who art judge
Of all things made, and judgeft only right.
Or shall the adverfary thus obtain

1

His end, and fruftrate thine; shall he fulfil
His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought,
Or proud return (though to his heavier doom),
Yet, with revenge accomplish'd,

and to

hell

Draw after him the whole race of mankind,
By him corrupted? Or wilt thou thy felf
Abolish thy creation, and unmake

For him, what for thy glory thou haft made?
So should thy goodness, and thy greatness, both
Be question'd, and blafphem'd without defense.

To whom the great Creator thus reply'd.
O Son, in whom my foul hath chief delight,
Son of my bofom, Son vho art alone
My word, my wisdom, and effectual might!
All haft thou spoken as My thoughts are,
all
As My eternal purpose hath decreed.
Man shall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will
Yet not of will in him, but grace in Me
Freely vouchfaf'd; once more I will renew

His lapfed pow'rs, though forfeit, and inthrall'd
By fin to foul exorbitant defires:

Upheld by Me, yet once more he shall ftand
On even ground against his mortal foe:
By Me upheld, that he may know 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

Ele& above the reft: fo is My will:

The reft shall hear Me call, and oft be warn'd. Their finful ftate, and to appeafe betimes

Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace

Invites for I will clear their fenfes dark,

:

What may fuffice, and soften ftony hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To pray'r, 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,
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 taste ;
But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more ;
That they may stumble on " and deeper fall:
And none 'but such from mercy I exclude.
But yet all is not done : Man disobeying,
Disloyal breaks his fealty, and fins
Against the high supremacy of heav'n,

Affecting God-head, and so losing all,
To expiate his treason hath nought left:
But to deftruction facred, and devote,
He with his whole pofterity muft die ;
Die he or Justice muft; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.

Say, heav'nly Pow'rs, where shall we find fuch love!
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

Man's mortal crime and juft, th' unjust to fave? Dwells in all heaven charity fo dear!

He ask'd, but all the heav'nly choir food mure, And filence was in heav'n: on man's behalf Patron, or interceffor, none appear'd; Much less that durft upon his own head draw The deadly forfeiture, and ranfom fet. 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 fullness dwells of love divine,) His deareft mediation thus renew'd.

Father! thy word is past, Man shall find grace a And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speedieft of thy winged meffengers,

To vifit all thy creatures, and to all

Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfoughts
Happy for Man, fo coming! He her aid
Can never feek; ( once dead in fins, and loft)
Attonement for himfelf, or offering meet,
(Indebted, and undone :) hath none to bring.

Behold Me then ! Me for him, life for life
J offer, on Me let thine anger fall;
Account Me Man: I for his fake will leave
Thy bofom, and this glory next to Thee
Freely put off, and for him lastly die.
Well pleas'd, on Me let Death wreak all his rage.
Under his gloomy pow'r I shall not long
Lie vanquish'd; Thou haft giv'n me to poffefs
Life in My felf for ever; by Thee I live,
Though now to Death I yield, and am his due
All that of Me can die; yet that debt paid,
Thou wilt not leave Me in the loath fome grave
His prey, nor fuffer My unfpotted foul.
For ever with corruption there to dwell:
But I shall rife vi&orious, and fubdue
My vanquisher, spoil'd of his vaunted spoil :
Death his death's wound shall then receive, and
ftoop

Inglorious, of his mortal fing difarm'd.

I through the: ample air in triumph high
Shall lead hell captive, maugre hell! and show
The Powers of darkness bound. Thou at the fight
Pleas'd, out of heaven shalt look down, and smile;
While by Thee rais'd I ruin all My foes,
Death laft, and with his carcass glut the grave:
Then, with the multitude of My redeem'd
Shall enter heav'n long abfent, and return,
Father! to fee Thy face, wherein no cloud
Of anger shall remain ; but

peace

affur'd

And reconcilement: wrath shall be no more