Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/172

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��PARADISE LOST

��That far be from thee, Father, who art

judge

Of all things made, and judgest only right ! Or shall the Adversary thus obtain His end, and frustrate thine ? Shall he

fulfil His malice, and thy goodness bring to

naught Or proud return, though to his heavier

doom

Yet with revenge accomplished, and to Hell 160

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 should thy goodness and thy greatness

both

Be questioned and blasphemed without de- fence."

To whom the great Creator thus re- plied :

" O Son, in whom my soul hath chief de- light,

Son of my bosom, Son who art alone 169 My word, my wisdom, and effectual might, All hast thou spoken as my thoughts are,

all

As my eternal purpose hath decreed. Man shall not quite be lost, but saved who

will;

Yet not of will in him, but grace in me Freely voutsafed. Once more I will renew His lapsed powers, though forfeit, and en- thralled

By sin to foul exorbitant desires: 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 180

His fallen condition is, and to me owe All his deliverance, and to none but me. Some I have chosen of peculiar grace, Elect above the rest; so is my will: The rest shall hear me call, and oft be

warned

Their sinful state, and to appease betimes The incensed Deity, while offered grace Invites; for I will clear their senses dark What may suffice, and soften stony hearts To pray, repent, and bring obedience due. To prayer, repentance, and obedience due, Though but endeavoured with sincere in- tent, 192

��Mine ear shall not be slow, mine eye not

shut.

And I will place within them as a guide My umpire Conscience; whom if they will

hear,

Light after light well used they shall at- tain,

And to the end persisting safe arrive. This my long sufferance, and my day of

grace, They who neglect and scorn shall never

taste ;

But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more, 200 That they may stumble on, and deeper fall; And none but such from mercy I ex- clude.

But yet all is not done. Man disobeying, Disloyal, breaks his fealty, and sins Against the high supremacy of Heaven, Affecting Godhead, and, so losing all, To expiate his treason hath naught left, But, to destruction sacred and devote, He with his whole posterity must die; Die he or Justice must; unless for him 210 Some other, able, and as willing, pay The rigid satisfaction, death for death. Say, Heavenly Powers, where shall we find

such love ?

Which of ye will be mortal, to redeem Man's mortal crime, and just, the unjust to

save ?

Dwells in all Heaven charity so dear ?" He asked, but all the Heavenly Quire

stood mute, And silence was in Heaven: on Man's be^

half

Patron or intercessor none appeared Much less that durst upon his own head draw 220

The deadly forfeiture, and ransom set. And now without redemption all mankind Must have been lost, adjudged to Death

and Hell

By doom severe, had not the Son of God, In whom the fulness dwells of love divine, His dearest mediation thus renewed: " Father, thy word is passed, 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 230 Comes unprevented, unimplored, un- sought ?

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