His end, and frustrate thine, shall he fulfill
His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught, Or proud return though to his heavier doom, Yet with revenge accomplish't and to Hell Draw after him the whole Race of mankind, By him corrupted? or wilt thou thy self Abolish thy Creation, and unmake,
For him, what for thy glorie thou hast made?
So should thy goodness and thy greatness both Be questiond and blaspheam'd without defence. To whom the great Creatour thus reply'd.
O Son, in whom my Soul hath chief delight, Son of my bosom, Son who art alone
My word, my wisdom, and effectual might, All hast thou spok'n as my thoughts are, all As my Eternal purpose hath decreed:
Man shall not quite be lost, but sav'd who will, Yet not of will in him, but grace in me
Freely voutsaft; once more I will renew
His lapsed powers, though forfeit and enthrall'd
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
His fall'n condition is, and to me ow
All his deliv'rance, 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 warnd
Thir sinful state, and to appease betimes Th' incensed Deitie, while offerd grace Invites; for I will cleer thir senses dark, What may suffice, and soft'n stonie hearts To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
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To prayer, repentance, and obedience due, Though but endevord with sincere intent,
Mine eare 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 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, shall never taste; But hard be hard'nd, blind be blinded more, That they may stumble on, and deeper fall; And none but such from mercy I exclude.
But yet all is not don; Man disobeying, Disloyal breaks his fealtie, and sinns Against the high Supremacie of Heav'n, Affecting Godhead, and so loosing all, To expiate his Treason hath naught left, But to destruction sacred and devote,
He with his whole posteritie must die, Die hee or Justice must; unless for him Som other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.
Say Heav'nly Powers, where shall we find such love,
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Mans mortal crime, and just th' unjust to save, Dwels in all Heaven charitie so deare?
He ask'd, but all the Heav'nly Quire stood mute, And silence was in Heav'n: on mans behalf
Patron or Intercessor none appeerd,
Much less that durst upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ransom set.
And now without redemption all mankind Must have bin lost, adjudg'd to Death and Hell By doom severe, had not the Son of God,
In whom the fulness dwels of love divine, His dearest mediation thus renewd.
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, unimplor'd, unsought, Happie for man, so coming; he her aide
Can never seek, once dead in sins and lost; Attonement for himself or offering meet, Indebted and undon, hath none to bring: Behold mee then, mee for him, life for life I offer, on mee let thine anger fall;
Account mee man; I for his sake will leave Thy bosom, and this glorie next to thee Freely put off, and for him lastly die
Well pleas'd, on me let Death wreck all his rage; Under his gloomie power I shall not long
Lie vanquisht; thou hast givn me to possess
Life in my self for ever, by thee I live,
Though now to Death I yeild, and am his due All that of me can die, yet that debt paid, Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsom grave His prey, nor suffer my unspotted Soule
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For ever with corruption there to dwell; But I shall rise Victorious, and subdue
My Vanquisher, spoild of his vanted spoile;
Death his deaths wound shall then receive, & stoop
Inglorious, of his mortall sting disarm'd. I through the ample Air in Triumph high
Shall lead Hell Captive maugre Hell, and show The powers of darkness bound. Thou at the sight 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 Grave: Then with the multitude of my redeemd
Shall enter Heaven long absent, and returne, Father, to see thy face, wherein no cloud
Of anger shall remain, but peace assur'd, And reconcilement; wrauth shall be no more Thenceforth, but in thy presence Joy entire. His words here ended, but his meek aspect Silent yet spake, and breath'd immortal love To mortal men, above which only shon
Filial obedience: as a sacrifice
Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will
Of his great Father. Admiration seis'd
All Heav'n, what this might mean, & whither tend
Wondring; but soon th' Almighty thus reply'd: O thou in Heav'n and Earth the only peace Found out for mankind under wrauth, O thou
My sole complacence! well thou know'st how dear, To me are all my works, nor Man the least
Though last created, that for him I spare
Thee from my bosom and right hand, to save, By loosing thee a while, the whole Race lost. Thou therefore whom thou only canst redeeme, Thir Nature also to thy Nature joyne;
And be thy self Man among men on Earth, Made flesh, when time shall be, of Virgin seed, By wondrous birth: Be thou in ADAMS room The Head of all mankind, though ADAMS 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. His crime makes guiltie all his Sons, thy merit Imputed shall absolve them who renounce
Thir own both righteous and unrighteous deeds, And live in thee transplanted, and from thee Receive new life. So Man, as is most just,
Shall satisfie for Man, be judg'd and die,
And dying rise, and rising with him raise
His Brethren, ransomd with his own dear life. So Heav'nly love shal outdoo Hellish hate, Giving to death, and dying to redeeme,
So dearly to redeem what Hellish hate
So easily destroy'd, and still destroyes
In those who, when they may, accept not grace. Nor shalt thou by descending to assume
Mans Nature, less'n or degrade thine owne. Because thou hast, though Thron'd in highest bliss Equal to God, and equally enjoying
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Godlike fruition, quitted all to save
A World from utter loss, and hast been found By Merit more then Birthright Son of God, Found worthiest to be so by being Good,
Farr more then Great or High; because in thee Love hath abounded more then Glory abounds, Therefore thy Humiliation shall exalt