He trusted to have seiz'd, and into fraud 145 150 Already done, to have difpeopled Heav'n, My damage fondly deem'd, I can repair That detriment, if such it be to lose Self-loft, and in a moment will create Another world, out of one man a race 155 Of men innumerable, there to dwell, Not here, till by degrees of merit rais'd They open to themselves at length the way Up hither, under long obedience try'd, And Earth be chang'd to Heav'n, and Heav'n to Earth, One kingdom, joy and union without end. Mean while inhabit lax, ye Pow'rs of Heaven. And thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee This I perform, speak thou, and be it done: Mỹ overshadowing Spi'rit and might with thee 165 I send along; ride forth, and bid the deep Within appointed bounds be Heav'n and Earth, Boundless the deep, because I am who fill Infinitude, nor vacuous the fpace. Though I unéircumscrib'd myself retire, 170 And put not farth my goodness which is free To act or not, neceflity and chance Approach 180 185 Approach not me, and what I will is fate. So fpake th' Almighty, and to what he spake His Word, the filial Godhead, gave effect. 175 Immediate are the acts of God, more swift Than time or motion, but to human ears Cannot without process of speech be told, So told as earthly notion can receive. Great triumph and rejoicing was in Heaven, When such was heard declar'd th’ Almighty's will Glory they sung to the most High, good-will To future men, and in their dwellings peace : Glory to him, whose just avenging ire Had driven out th' ungodly from his fight And th’habitations of the just; to him Glory and praise, whose wisdom had ordain'd Good out of evil to create, instead Of Spi'rits malign a better race to bring Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse 19 His good to worlds and ages infinite. So sang the Hierarchies : Mean while the Son On his great expedition now appear'd, Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crown'd Of majesty divine; sapience and love Immense, and all his father in him shone. About his chariot numberless were pour'd Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones, And Virtues, winged Spirits, and chariots wingid From th' armoury of God, where stand of old 200 Myriads between two brazen mountains lodg’d Against a solemn day, harness'd at hand, P..3 Celeftial 195 Celestial equipage; and now came forth troubled and thou deep, peace, Said then th' omnific Word, your discord end : 220 .225 In God's eternal store, to circumscribe This universe, and all created things: One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd Round through the vast profundity obfcure, And said, Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds, 230 This be thy just circumference,, O world. Thus God the Heay'n created, thus the Earth, Matter Matter unform'd and void : Darkness profound Let there be light, faid God, and forthwith light 245 To journey through the aery gloom began, Spher'd in a radiant cloud, for yet the sun Was not; fhé in a cloudy tabernacle Sojourn'ď the while. God saw the light was good; And light from darkness by the hemisphere 250 Divided: light the day, and darkness night He nam'd. Thus was the first day evin and morn : Nor paft uncelebrated, nor unsung By the celestial quires, when orient light Exhaling first from darkness they beheld; 255 Birth-day of Heav'n and Earth; with joy and shout The hollow universal orb they fill’d, And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning prais’d God and his works, Creator him they sung, Both when first evening was, and when firit morn. 260 Again, God said, let there be firmament Amid the waters, and let it divide The P 4 270 : The waters from the waters : and God made 265 The earth was form’d, but in the womb as yet 280 285 Emergent, and their broad bare backs upheave Into the clouds, their tops ascend the sky: So high as heav'd the tumid hills, fo low Down sunk a hollow bottom broad and deep, Capacious bed of waters : thither they 29€ Hafted with glad precipitance, uprollid As drops on duit conglobing from the dry; Part : |
