Equal in their creation they were form'd,
Save what fin hath impair'd; which yet hath wrought
Infenfibly, for I fufpend their doom:
Whence in perpetual fight they needs must laft
Endless, and no folution will be found.
War wearied hath perform'd what war can do, 695
And to disorder'd rage let loose the reins, [makes
With mountains, as with weapons, arm'd; which
Wild work in heav'n, and dangerous to the main.
Two days are therefore past, the third is Thine;
For Thee I have ordain'd it; and thus far
Have suffer'd, that the glory may be Thine
Of ending this great war, fince none but Thou
Can end it. Into Thee fuch virtue, and grace
Immense, I have transfus'd, that all may know
In heav'n, and hell, Thy pow'r above compare:
And this perverse commotion govern'd thus,
To manifeft Thee worthieft to be Heir
Of all things; to be Heir, and to be King
By facred Unction, Thy deserved right.
Go then, Thou Mightieft, in Thy Father's Might!
Afcend My chariot, guide the rapid wheels
711
That shake heav'n's basis, bring forth all My war,
My bow, and thunder; My Almighty arms
Girer on, and fword upon Thy puiffant thigh.
Pursue these fons of darkness; drive them out 715
From all heav'n's bounds, into the utter deep:
There let them learn, as likes them, to despise
God, and Meffiab His anointed King.
He faid, and on His Son with rays direct
Shone full, He all His Father full expreft,
Ineffably into His face receiv'd:"
And thus the Filial Godhead anfw'ring spake.
O Father! O Supreme of heav'nly Thrones! First, Highest, Holieft, Beft! Thou always feek'st To glorifie Thy Son, I always Thee, As is most juft: this I My glory account, My exaltation, and My whole delight, That Thou in Me well-pleas'd, declar'st Thy will Fulfill'd, which to fulfill is all My blifs. Sceptre, and pow'r, Thy giving, I affume; And gladlier fhall refign, when in the end Thou shalt be all in all, and I in Thee For ever; and in Me all whom Thou lov'ft: But whom Thou hat'ft, I hate, and can put on Thy terrors, as I put Thy mildness on,
Image of Thee in all things: and shall foon,
Arm'd with Thy might, rid heav'n of these rebell'd;
To their prepar'd ill manfion driven down
To chains of darkness, and th' undying worm :
That from Thy just obedience could revolt,
Whom to obey is happiness entire.
Then fhall Thy Saints un-mix'd, and from th' impure
Far feparate, circling Thy holy mount
Un-fained hallelujahs to Thee fing,
Hymns of high praise, and I among them Chief.
So faid, He o'er His fceptre bowing, rofe
From the right hand of glory where He fat;
And the third facred morn began to shine,
Dawning through heav'n. Forth rush'd with whirl-
The chariot of Paternal Deity,
Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel un-drawn,
It felf inftinct with fpirit, but convoy'd
By four Cherubic fhapes; four faces each
Had wondrous; as with ftars, their bodies all,
And wings, were set with eyes; with eyes, the wheels
Of beril; and careering fires between:
Over their heads a chrystal firmament;
Where on a faphir throne, (in-laid with pure
Amber, and colors of the fhow'ry arch)
He, in cœleftial panoply all arm'd
Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought!
Afcended: at His right hand, Victory
Sat eagle-wing'd: befide Him hung his bow,
And quiver with three-bolted thunder ftor'd :
And from about Him fierce effufion rowl'd
Of smoke, and bick'ring flame, and sparkles dire.
Attended with ten thousand thousand Saints,
He onward came; far off his coming fhone,
And twenty thousand (I their number heard)
Chariots of God, half on each hand, were seen.
He on the wings of Cherub rode fublime
On the chryftallin sky, in faphir thron'd,
Illuftrious far, and wide: but by His own
First feen, them un-expected joy furpriz'd,
When the great enfign of Messiah blaz'd,
Aloft by Angels born, His fign in heav'n:
Under whofe conduct Michael foon reduc'd
His army, circumfus'd on either wing,
Under their Head imbodied all in one,
Before Him Pow'r Divine His way prepar'd; 780
At His command th' up-rooted hills retir'd
Each to his place, they heard his voice, and went
Obfequious; heav'n his wonted face renew'd,
And with fresh flow'rets hill and valley fmil'd.
This faw His hapless foes, but flood obdur'd,
And to rebellious fight rallied their Pow'rs, 786
Infenfate! hope conceiving from despair:
In heav'nly spirits could fuch perverseness dwell?
But, (to convince the proud what figns avail,
Or wonders move th' obdurate to relent!)
They harden'd more, by what might most reclaim,
Grieving to see His glory, at the fight
Took envy; and aspiring to His height,
Stood re-embattell'd fierce: by force, or fraud,
Weening to prosper, and at length prevail
Against God, and Meffiab; or to fall
In univerfal ruin laft: and now
To final battel drew, difdaining flight,
Or faint retreat; when the Great Son of God,
To all His hofts on either hand, thus fpake.
Stand ftill in bright array, ye Saints! here stand,
Ye Angels arm'd! this day from battel rest:
Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God
Accepted, fearless in His righteous cause:
And as ye have receiv'd, fo have ye done,
Invincibly. But, of this curfed crew
The punishment to other hand belongs:
Vengeance is His, or whofe He fole appoints.
Number to this day's work is not ordain'd,
Nor multitude: ftand only, and behold
God's indignation on these godless pour'd
By Me; not you, but Me, they have defpis'd;
Yet envied against Me is all their rage;
Because the Father, (t'Whom in heav'n supreme
Kingdom, and pow'r, and glory appertains,) 815
Hath honor'd Me, according to His will.
Therefore to Me their doom He hath affign'd:
That they may have their wish, to try with Me
In battel which the stronger proves; they all,
Or I alone against them: fince by strength
They measure all, of other excellence
Not emulous, nor care who them excels;
Nor other ftrife with them do I vouchsafe.
So fpake the Son, and into terror chang'd
His count'nance, too fevere to be beheld!
And full of wrath bent on His enemies.
At once the Four spread out their starry wings,
With dreadful fhade contiguous, and the orbs
Of His fierce chariot rowl'd, as with the found
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous hoft.
He on His impious foes right onward drove,
Gloomy as night: under His burning wheels
The stedfaft empyrean fhook throughout;
All but the throne it felf of God. Full foon
Among them He arriv'd; in His right hand
Grafping ten thousand thunders, which He fent
Before Him, fuch as in their fouls infix'd
Plagues: they astonish'd, all resistance loft, -
All courage; down their idle weapons dropp'd:
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