135 Thus while God spake, ambrosial fragrance fill'd Beyond compare the Son of God was seen 145 Love without end, and without measure grace; "O Father! gracious was that word which clos'd Thy sovereign sentence, that man should find grace; "For which both heaven and earth shall high extol "Thy praises, with the innumerable sound 66 "Of hymns and sacred songs, wherewith thy throne Encompass'd shall resound thee ever blest. 150 "For should man finally be lost? should man, 66 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 160 "His end, and frustrate thine? shall he fulfil 66 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. 175 180 "Man shall not quite be lost, but sav'd who will; "Yet not of will in him, but grace in me 66 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; 66 By me upheld, that he may know how frail "All his deliv'rance, and to none but me. 185 "The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd "What may suffice; and soften stony hearts 190"To pray, repent, and bring obedience due. "To prayer, repentance, and obedience due, 66 Though but endeavour'd with sincere intent, "Mine ear shall not be slow, mine eye not shut. "And I will place within them as a guide, 195 "My umpire, conscience; whom if they will hear, 66 66 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, "That they may stumble on, and deeper fall; 66 Disloyal, breaks his feälty, and sins 205Against the high supremacy of Heaven, Affecting godhead, and, so losing all, "To expiate his treason hath nought left; 66 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? 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, 230 235 "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 "To visit all thy creatures; and to all "Comes unprevented, unimplored, unsought? Happy for man, so coming! He her aid "Account me man; I for his sake will leave Thy bosom, 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; 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 My vanquisher spoil'd of his vaunted spoil: "Death his death's wound shall then receive, and stoop Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarm'd. "I, through the ample air, in triumph high grave: 255 "Shall lead Hell captive, maugre hell, and show "The Powers of darkness bound. Thou, at the sight 66 Pleas'd, out of heaven shalt look down, and smile, '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 All heaven, what this might mean, and whither tend, "O thou, in heaven and earth the only peace 275"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, 66 66 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. "Thou therefore, whom thou only canst redeem, "Their nature also to thy nature join; "And be thyself man among men on earth, "Made flesh, when time shall be, of virgin seed, 285 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, "Imputed, shall absolve them who renounce "Their own both righteous and unrighteous deeds, “And live in thee transplanted, and from thee "Receive new life. So man, as is most just, 295 "Shall satisfy for man, be judg’d and die ; "And dying rise, and rising with him raise "His brethren, ransom'd with his own dear life. "So heavenly love shall outdo hellish hate, 66 Giving to death, and dying to redeem— 300 "So dearly to redeem, what hellish hate "So easily destroy'd, and still destroys "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 Equal to God, and equally enjoying "God-like fruition, quitted all, to save "A world from utter loss, and hast been found, 66 By merit more than birthright, Son of God310"Found worthiest to be so, by being good, "Far more than great, or high;-because in thee "Love hath abounded more than glory abounds; "Therefore thy humiliation shall exalt "With thee thy manhood also to this throne: 315"Here shalt thou sit incarnate-here shalt reign "Both God and man, Son both of God and man, "Anointed universal King: all power 320 “I give thee; reign for ever, and assume "Thy merits; under thee, as head supreme, "Thrones, Princedoms, Powers, Dominions, I reduce: |