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 bosom, and this glory next to thee
Freely put off, and for him lastly die
Well pleas'd, on me let DEATH wreak all his rage.
Under his gloomy pow'r I shall not long
Lie vanquish'd; thou hast giv'n me to possess
Life in my self 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 unspotted foul
For ever with corruption there to dwell:
But I shall rise victorious, and fubdue
My vanquisher, spoil'd of his vaunted spoil:
Death his death's wound shall then receive, and stoop
Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarm'd.
I through the ample air in triumph high
Shall lead Hell captive, maugre Hell! and show 255
The Pow'rs of darkness bound. Thou at the fight
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 redeem'd
Shall enter Heav'n long absent, and return,
FATHER, to fee thy face, wherein no cloud
Of anger shall remain; but peace afsur'd
And reconcilement: wrath shall be no more
Thenceforth, but in thy prefence joy entire.
His words here ended, but his meek aspect Silent yet spake, and breath'd immortal love To mortal men, above which only shone Filial obedience: as a facrifice
Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will
Of his great FATHER. Admiration seiz'd
All Heav'n, what this might mean, and whither tend
Wond'ring, but foon th' Almighty thus reply'd:
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'ist how dear To me are all my works, nor man the least Though laft created; that for him I spare Thee from my bosom and right hand, to save (By lofing thee a while) the whole race loft. Thou therefore whom thou only canst redeem, Their nature also to thy nature join;
And be thy self man among men on earth,
Made flesh, when time shall 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, so in thee,
As from a second root, shall be restor'd
As many as are restor'd, without thee none.
His crime makes guilty all his sons; thy merit
Imputed shall absolve 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 just,
Shall fatisfie for man, be judg'd and die;
And dying rise, and rifing with him raise
His brethren, ransom'd with his own dear life.
So heav'nly love shall outdo hellish hate
Giving to death, and dying to redeem,
So dearly to redeem what hellish hate
So eafily destroy'd, and still destroys
In those who, when they may, accept not grace.
Nor shalt thou by descending to affume
Man's nature, lessen or degrade thine own.
Equal to God, and equally enjoying
Because thou haft, thơ' thron'd in highest bliss 305
God-like fruition, quitted all to fave
A world from utter loss, and haft been found
By merit more than birthright Son of GOD,
Found worthiest to be fo by being good,
Far more than great or high; because in thee
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