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PARADISE LOST.

So dearly to redeem, what hellish hate So easily destroyed, and still destroys In those who, when they may, accept not grace. Nor shalt thou, by descending to assume Man's nature, lessen or degrade thine own. Because thou hast, though throned in highest bliss Equal to God, and equally enjoying Godlike fruition, quitted all, to save A world from utter loss, and hast been found By merit more than birthright, Son of God, 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; Here shalt thou sit incarnate, here shalt reign Both God and man, Son both of God and man, Anointed universal king; all power I give thee; reign for ever, and assume Thy merits; under thee, as head supreme, Thrones, Princedoms, Powers, Dominions, I reduce: All knees to thee shall bow, of them that bide In heaven, or earth, or under earth in hell. When thou, attended gloriously from heaven, Shalt in the sky appear, and from thee send The summoning Archangels to proclaim Thy dread tribunal; forthwith from all winds The living, and forthwith the cited dead Of all past ages, to the general doom Shall hasten; such a peal shall rouse their sleep. Then, all thy saints assembled, thou shalt judge Bad men and Angels. They arraigned, shall sink Beneath thy sentence. Hell, her numbers full, Thenceforth shall be for ever shut. Meanwhile The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring New heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell,

And, after all their tribulations long,

See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,

With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth.

With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth.

Then thou thy regal sceptre shalt lay by,

For regal sceptre then no more shall need;

God shall be all in all. But, all ye gods,

Adore Him, who to compass all this, dies;

Adore the Son, and honour Him as Me.

No sooner had the Almighty ceased, but all The multitude of angels, with a shout, Loud as from numbers without number, sweet As from blessed voices, uttering joy, heaven rung With jubilee, and loud hosannas filled The eternal regions. Lowly reverent Towards either throne they bow, and to the ground, With solemn adoration, down they cast Their crowns, inwove with amarant and gold;-Immortal amarant, a flower which once In Paradise, fast by the tree of life, Began to bloom; but soon for man's offence To heaven removed, where first it grew, there grows, And flowers aloft, shading the fount of life, But where the River of Bliss through midst of Heaven Rolls o'er Elysian flowers her amber stream; With these, that never fade, the spirits elect Bind their resplendent locks, inwreathed with beams. Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright Pavement, that like a sea of jasper shone, Impurpled with celestial roses, smiled. Then, crowned again, their golden harps they took, Harps ever tuned, that glittering by their side Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet Of charming symphony they introduce Their sacred song, and waken raptures high: No voice exempt, no voice but well could join Melodious part, such concord is in heaven.