Thenceforth, but in Thy presence joy entire.
His words here ended, but His meek afpec
Silent yet fpake, and breath'd immortal love
To mortal men, above which only shon
Filial obedience as a facrifice
Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will
Of His great Father. Admiration seiz'd
'All heav'n, what this might mean,
tend
Wond'ring; but foon th' Almighty thus reply'd;
O Thou in heav'n and earth the only peace
Found out for mankind under wrath 0 Thou
My fole complacence ! weil Thou know'st how dear
To Me are all My works, nor Man the least,
Though laft created; that for him I spare
Thee from My bofom, and right hand, to fave
By lofing Thee a-while) the whole race loft.
Thou therefore whom thou only canft redeem,
Their nature alfo to Thy nature join ;
And be Thy felf Man among men on earth,
Made flesh, when time shall be, of virgin-feeds
By wond'rous birth: be Thou in Adam's room
The head of all mankind, though Adam's fon
As in him perish all men, fo in Thee,
As from a fecond root, shall be reftor'd
As many as are reftor'd, without Thee none,
His crime makes guilty all his fons; Thy merit
Imputed shall abfolve them who renounce
Their own both righteous, and unrighteous deeds::
And five in Thee transplanted, and from Thee
Receive new life. So man, as is most just,
Shall fatisfie for man, be judg'd, and die;
And dying rife, and rifing with Him raise
His brethren, ranfom'd with His own dear life.
So, heav'nly love shall outdo hellish hate
Giving to death, and dying to redeem,
So dearly to redeem what hellish hate
So easily destroy'd, and still destroys
In those who, when they may, accept not grace.
Nor shalt Thou by defcending to affume
Man's nature, leffen or degrade Thine own.
Because Thou haft (tho' thron'd in highest bliss
Equal to God, and equally enjoying
God-like fruition) quitted all, to fave
A world from utter lofs, and haft been found
By merit more than birthright Son of God:
Found worthieft to be fo 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 alfo to this throne:
Here shalt Thou fit incarnate, here shalt reign
Both God and Man, Son both of God and Man
Anointed Universal King; all pow'r
I give Thee, reign for ever, and affume
Thy merits under Thee, as head fupreme
Thrones, Princedoms, Pow'rs, Dominions I reduce :
All knees to thee shall bow, of them that 'bide
In heav'n, or earth, or under earth in hell;
When Thou attended gloriously from heav'n
Shalt in the sky appear, and from Thee fend
The fummoning Arch-Angels to proclaim
Thy dread tribunal: forthwith from all winds
The living, and forthwith the cited dead
Of all paft ages, to the general doom
Shall haften, fuch a peal shall roufe their fleep?
Then all thy faints aflembled, thou shalt judge
Bad men, and Angels; they arraign'd shall fink
Beneath Thy fentence; hell (her numbers full )
Thenceforth shall be for ever shut. Mean-while
The world shall burn, and from her ashes fpring
New heav'n and earth, wherein the juft shall dwell;
And after all their tribulations long
See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,
With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth:
Then Thou Thy regal feeptre shalt lay by,
For, regal fceptre then no more shall need;
God shall be All in All. But all ye Gods,
Adore Him, who to compafs all this dies;
Adore the Son, ad honour Him as Me.
No fooner had th' Almighty ceas'd, but all
The multitude of Angels with a shout
(Loud, as from numbers without number; fweet;
As from bleft voices) utt'ring joy, heav'n rung
With jubilee, and loug hofanna's fill'd
Th'eternal regions. Lowly reverent
Tow'rds either throne they bow, and to the ground
With folemn adoration down they caft
Their crowns, inwove with amarant, and gold,
Immortal amarant ! a flow'r which once
In Paradise faft by the Tree of Life
Began to bloom; but foon for man's offenfe
To heav'n remov'd, where first it grew, there grow,
And flow'rs aloft shading the fount of life;
And where the river of blifs thro' midst of heav'n
Rowls o'er Elyfian flow'rs her amber stream :
With thefe, that never fade, the spirits elec
Bind their refplendent locks, inwreath'd with
Now in loose garlands thick thrown off the brighe
Pavement, that like a fea of jafper shon,
Impurpled with cœleftial rofes fmil'd.
Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took
Harps ever tun'd, that glitt'ring by their fide
Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet
Of charming fymphony they introduce
Their facred fong, and waken raptures high;
No voice exempt'; no voice but well could join
Melodious part, such concord is in heav'n.
Thee Father first they fung, Omnipotent,
Immutable, Immortal, Infinite,
Eternal King ! Thee Author of all Being,
Fountain of Light, They felf invisible
Amidft the glorious brightness where thou fit'ft
Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou shad'f
The full blaze of thy beams, and thro' a cloud
Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine,
Dark with exceffive bright, thy skirts appear:
Yet dazle heav'n, that brightest Seraphim
Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes.
Thee next they fang of all creation firft,
Begotten Son, Divine Similitude!
In whofe confpicuous count'nance, without cloud
Made vifible, th' Almighty Father shines,
Whom elfe no creature can behold: on Thee
Imprefs'd, th' effulgence of his glory abides;
Transfus'd on Thee his ample Spirit refts.
He heav'n of heav'ns, and all the pow'rs therein,
By Thee created; and by Thee threw down
Thafpiring Dominations. Thou that day
Thy Father's dreadful thunder did'ft not spare ;
Nor ftop thy flaming chariot wheels, that shook
Heav'n's everlasting Frame, while o'er the necks
Thou drov'ft of warring Angels difarraid.
Back from purfuit thy Pow'rs with loud acclaim
Thee only extoll'd, Son of thy Father's might,
To execute fierce vengeance on His foes;
Not fo on Man him thro' their malice fall'n,
Father of mercy and grace! Thou didft not doom
So ftriatly, but much more to pity incline.
No fooner did Thy dear and only Son,
Perceive Thee purpos'd not to doom frail man
So ftri&tly, but much more to pity inclin'd,
He to appeafe Thy wrath, and end the ftrife
Of mercy and juftice in thy face difcern'd,
Regardless of the blifs wherein he fat
Second to Thee, offer'd himself to die
For Man's offenfe. O unexampl'd love!
Love no where to be found lefs than Divine !
Hail Son of God, Saviour of men! Thy name
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