Made visible, th'almighty Father shines,
Whom else no creature can behold; on thee
Imprefs'd th'effulgence of his glory abides,
Transfus'd on thee his ample Spirit rests.
He Heav'n of Heav'ns,and all the Pow'rs therein 390
By thee created; and by thee threw down
Th'aspiring Dominations: thou that day
Thy Father's dreadful thunder didst not spare,
Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that fhook
Heav'n's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks 395
Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarray'd.
Back from pursuit thy Pow'rs, with loud acclame,
Thee only extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might,
To execute fierce vengeance on his foes;
Not fo on Man: Him,through their malice fall'n, 400
Father of mercy and grace, thou didst not doom
So ftrictly, but much more to pity incline:
No fooner did thy dear and only Son
Perceive thee purpos'd not to doom frail Man
So ftrictly, but much more to pity inclin'd,
He, to appease thy wrath, and end the ftrife
Of mercy and justice, in thy face discern'd,
Regardless of the blifs wherein he fat
Second to thee, offer'd himself to die
For Man's offence. O unexampled love,
Love no where to be found less than Divine!
Hail, Son of God, Saviour of Men, thy name
Shall be the copious matter of my song
But mercy first and last shall brightest shine.
Thus while God spake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd 135
All Heav'n; and in the blessed Spi rits elect
Sense of new joy ineffable diffus'd:
Beyond compare the Son of God was seen
Moft glorious; in him all his Father fhone
Substantially express'd; and in his face
Divine compaffion visibly 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 sovran sentence, that Man fhould find grace; 145 For which both Heav'n and Earth fhall high extol Thy praises, with th’innumerable sound Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne Incompafs'd fhall refound thee ever bleft. For should Man finally be lost, should Man, Thy creature late fo 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 Of all things made, and judgeft only right. Or fhall the Adverfary thus obtain His end, and fruftrate thine? fhall 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 thyself.
Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou hast made?
So fhould 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 who 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 fhall 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 lapsed pow'rs, though forfeit and inthrall'd
By fin to foul exorbitant defires;
Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand
On even ground against his mortal foe;
By me upheld, that he may know how frail
His fall'n condition is, and to me owe
All his deliverance, and to none but me.
Some I have chosen of peculiar grace,
Elect above the reft; fo is my will:
The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd
Their sinful state, and to appease betimes
Th'incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites; for I will clear their senses dark,
What may fuffice, and foften flony hearts
To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due,
Though but endevor'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 Conscience; whom if they will hear, 195
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,
They who neglect and scorn, fhall never taste;
But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more,
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 feälty, and fins
Against the high supremacy of Heaven,
Affecting God-head; and so losing all,
To expiate his treason hath nought left,
But,to destruction 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 fhall we find fuch love? Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Man's mortal crime, and just th’unjust to save? 215 Dwells in all Heaven charity fo 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 220
The deadly forfeiture, and ransome set.
And now, without redemption,all mankind
Must have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell
By doom severe; had not the Son of God,
In whom the fulness dwells of love divine,
His deareft mediation thus renew'd.
Father, thy word is past, Man fhall find grace; And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speedieft of thy winged messengers,
To vifit all thy creatures, and to all
Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfought?
Happy for Man, fo coming; he her aid
Can never seek, once dead in fins and loft;
Atonement for himself or offering meet,
Indebted and undone, 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
Freely put off, and for him laftly die
Well pleas'd; on me let Death wreck all his rage; Under his gloomy pow'r I shall not long
Lie vanquifh'd; thou haft giv'n me to possess
Life in myself for ev'r; by thee I live,
Though now to Death I yield, and am his due, 245
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