Behold me then, me for him, life for life
I offer, on me let thine anger fall;
Account me man: I for his fake will leave
Thy bofom, and this glory next to thee
Freely put off, and for him laftly die

240

Well pleas'd, on me let DEATH wreak all his rage. Under his gloomy pow'r I fhall not long

246

Lie vanquish'd; thou haft giv'n me to poffefs
Life in my felf for ever; by thee I live,
Though now to DEATH I yield, and am his due
All that of me can die: yet that debt paid,
Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsome grave
His prey, nor fuffer my unfpotted foul
For ever with corruption there to dwell:
But I fhall rife victorious, and fubdue
My vanquisher, fpoil'd of his vaunted spoil:
Death his death's wound fhall then receive, and ftoop
Inglorious, of his mortal fting difarm'd.

I through the ample air in triumph high

250

Shall lead Hell captive, maugre Hell! and fhow 255
The Pow'rs of darknefs bound. Thou at the fight
Pleas'd, out of Heaven fhalt look down and fmile;
While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes,
DEATH laft, and with his carcass glut the grave.
Then with the multitude of my redeem'd
Shall enter Heav'n long abfent, and return,
FATHER, to fee thy face, wherein no cloud
Of anger shall remain; but peace affur'd
And reconcilement: wrath fhall be no more
Thenceforth, but in thy prefence joy entire.

His words here ended, but his meek afpect
Silent yet fpake, and breath'd immortal love
To mortal men, above which only fhone
Filial obedience: as a facrifice

260

265

Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will
Of his great FATHER. Admiration seiz'd

270

All Heav'n, what this might mean, and whither tend Wond'ring, but foon th' Almighty thus reply'd:

280

O Thou in Heav'n and earth the only peace
Found out for mankind under wrath, O Thou 275
My fole complacence! well thou know'ft how dear
To me are all my works, nor man the leaft
Though laft created; that for him I fpare
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 fhall be, of virgin-feed,
By wondrous birth: be thou in ADAM'S room 285
The head of all mankind, though ADAM's fon.
As in him perish all men, fo in thee,

As from a fecond root, fhall be reftor'd
As many as are reftor'd, without thee none.
His crime makes guilty all his fons; thy merit 290
Imputed fhall abfolve them who renounce
Their own both righteous, and unrighteous deeds:
And live in thee transplanted, and from thee
Receive new life. So man, as is most juft,
Shall fatisfic for man, be judg'd and die;
And dying rife, and rifing with him raife
His brethren, ranfom'd with his own dear life.
So heav'nly love fhall outdo hellish hate
Giving to death, and dying to redeem,
So dearly to redeem what hellish hate

295

300

So eafily deftroy'd, and ftill destroys

In those who, when they may, accept not grace.

Nor fhalt thou by defcending to affume

Man's nature, leffen or degrade thine own.

Because thou haft, tho' thron'd in highest blifs

305

Equal to Gop, 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

310