Evexit Virtus, & quos malus abftulit Error;
Dos conceffa eadem & Libertas omnibus una.
Ni facerem, fidei intactæ quæ pignora poffent
Mî dare? quas illis Egomet perfolvere laudes?
At Me nil juviffet Honos, nil omne placendi
Officium, fi non fuaderet læta voluntas,
Si Ratio, quæ velle fuum fibi vendicat, arctis
Compulfa imperiis mihi fe non fponte dediffet.
En Ego cuncta dedi, quæ fas; nec jure licebit
Auctoremve queri, fative adamantina vincla.
Ullane Lex fati gravis, aut mea præscia Virtus
Impediit? Mene hanc illis decernere labem?
Ipfi decrevere fibi. Mea præfcia Virtus
Haud quidquam effecit: fi non provisa fuissent,
Noxa eadem miferos leto mulctâffet eodem.
Ego nil fati vis afpera, præfcia nil mens
Offecit: facinus nullo cogente fequuntur,
Omnigeni fibi caufa mali. Gens libera facta est;
Of true allegiance, conftant Faith, or Love?
Where only what they needs muft do appear'd;
Not, what they would: What praise could they re-
What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid? [ceive?
When Will and Reason (Reason alfo is choice)
Useless and vain, of Freedom both defpoil'd,
Made paffive both, had ferv'd neceffity,
Not Me. They therefore, as to right belong'd,
So were created: nor can juftly accuse
Their Maker, or their making, or their Fate:
As if Predeftination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute Decree,
Or high Fore-knowledge. They themselves decreed
Their own revolt, not I. If I fore-knew,
Fore-knowledge had no influence on their Fault,
Which had no less prov'd certain unforeknown.
So without least impulfe or fhadow of Fate,
Or ought by Me immutably foreseen,
They trefpafs; Authors to themfelves in all, [fo
Both what they judge, and what they choose; for
Libera femper erit, turpes ni fponte catenas
Induerint. Aliter primævam abolere necesse est
Naturam, æternumque atque immutabile fœdus
Solvere, quo data libertas; data munere noftro
Libertas; fibi cladem inhoneftam & crimina debent.
Calicolæ cecidere olim fuadentibus ipfis
Errantes; aluere malum fua pectora virus:
Illi Hominem ludunt: Ergo Huic parcetur, at Illos
Ira manet. Noftras Equum & Clementia laudes
Sublimes fuper aftra ferent; Clementia princeps;
Illa decus primum fibi vendicat, Illa fupremum.
Hæc DEUS; & latè cœlum omne exhalat odorem
Ambrofium: Divûm lectorum infueta Voluptas
Corda modis hilarat miris atque ora ferenat.
Ante alios fummo longè præfignis honore
Magna DEI fulfit Soboles: fedet omnis in Ipfo
Majeftas transfufa Patris; Clementia vultu
Panditur, immenfæ rivus Bonitatis, Amorifque
I form'd them free, and free they must remain,
'Till they inthrall themselves; I else must change
Their Nature; and revoke the high Decree
Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordain'd [Fall.
Their Freedom; They themselves ordain'd their
The first fort by their own fuggeftion fell,
Self-tempted, felf-deprav'd: Man falls, deceiv'd
By th' other first: Man therefore shall find grace;
The other none: in Mercy and Juftice both,
Through Heav'n and Earth, fo fhall my Glory ex-
But Mercy, first and last, shall brighteft fhine. [cell;
Thus while GOD fpake, ambrofial fragrance fill'd
All Heav'n, and in the bleffed Spirits Elect
Sense of new joy ineffable diffus'd.
Beyond compare the Son of GOD was seen
Moft glorious; in Him all His FATHER fhon
Subftantially exprefs'd; and in His Face
Divine compaffion vifibly appear'd,
Æterni immortale jubar: Sermone benignos
Sic aperit fenfus animi, affaturque Parentem:
Quàm dulcis Vox ifta, Pater, quam plena favoris,
Quæ veniam dignata Homini! Tibi læta canoras
Ergo feret laudes tellus, tibi confona cœli
Regia, & æternos folio ingeminabit honores.
Ecquid Homo infelix æternâ morte prematur ?
Ille, tibi tantum dilecta, noviffima Proles,
Fraude malâ illufus pereat; quanquam ipfe volenti
Ah mifer! ipfe animo fraudem juvet? Hoc procul à Te,
Oro, abfit procul Hoc, Genitor; qui numine jufto
Cuncta regis, prudens & fervantiffimus Æqui.
Scilicet infultans Hoftis fibi plaudet, atroci
Vindictâ exfaturans animum & tua munera calcans?
Ille adeo, quanquam afperiora ad vincla, redibit
Ultor ovans, fcelerum & comites fociofque dolorum
Tartareas genus omne Hominum devolvat in umbras?
Quem Tibi finxisti, Tun'mundum hunc Illius ergô
Love without end, and without measure Grace;
Which utt'ring, thus He to His FATHER fpake:
O FATHER, gracious was that Word which clos'd
Thy fov'reign fentence, that Man should find grace;
For which both Heav'n and Earth fhall high extoll
Thy praises, with th' innumerable found
Of Hymns and facred Songs, wherewith thy Throne
Encompass'd fhall refound thee ever bless'd.
For fhould Man finally be loft, fhould Man
Thy Creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest Son,
Fall circumvented thus by Fraud, tho' join'd
With his own Folly? That be from thee far,
That far be from thee, FATHER, who art Judge
Of all things made, and judgeft only right.
Or fhall the Adversary thus obtain
His end, and fruftrate thine? fhall He fulfill
His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought?
Or proud return (though to his heavier doom,)
Yet, with revenge accomplish'd? and to Hell
Draw after him the whole Race of mankind,
Difperdas ? Sic Te juftumque bonumque negabunt,
Sic Tibi dira ferent convitia, vindice nullo.
Cui deinde omnipotens mundi fic rettulit Auctor:
Nate mihi ante alios longe cariffime, toto
Nate recepte finu, mea magna Potentia, Verbum,
Confilium & Virtus; Animo tua dicta Parentis
Respondent; jam mente eadem dudum ipse peregi
Inftituens mecum, & ftabilivi fœdere certo.
Non cadet omne Hominum genus: eripietur ab orco
Qui volet: at non Velle fuum fervabit: Amore
Ultro etiam oblato & noftrâ Bonitate refurget.
Illi Ego rurfus opes prifcas lapfumque vigorem
Reftituam; quanquam Vitium & malefana Libido
Vicerunt; lethalem iterum par ibit in Hoftem
Noftrâ fretus ope; ut rerum fortuna fuarum
Quam fit jam fragilis, videat; mihi gratus ut uni
Quotquot habet referat dona acceptamque falutem.
Eft, quæ dona mei lectiffima Turba favoris
By him corrupted? Or wilt thou thy felf
Abolish thy Creation, and unmake
For Him, what for thy Glory thou haft made?
So fhould thy goodness, and thy greatness both
Be queftion'd, and blafphem'd without defence.
To whom the great Creator thus reply'd.
O SON, in whom my foul hath chief delight,
SON of my bofom, Son who art alone
My Word, my Wisdom, and effectual Might,
All haft thou spoken as My thoughts are; all
As My Eternal purpose hath decreed.
Man fhall not quite be loft; but fav'd who will;
Yet not of Will in him, but Grace in Me
Freely vouchfaf'd. Once more I will renew
His lapfed pow'rs, though forfeit, and inthrall'd
By fin to foul exorbitant defires,
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 owe
(Sic placitum) uberiora feret: Pars cætera facros
Sæpius accipient monitus, ut crimina tandem
Amoveant, placentque offenfi Numinis iras,
Dum Pax alma vocat. Nebulas Ego protinus omnes
Senfibus eripiam cæcis, ac ferrea corda
Voce vocare DEUM flectam, commiffa dolere
Crimina, & obfequium fummo præftare Parenti.
Quod fi vota ferant, doleant commiffa, pioque,
Quod potis, adnifi ftudio mea juffa faceffant,
Nec furdas adhibebo aures, nec lumina claudam.
Quinetiam fida accedet fub pectore Judex,
Confcia Mens; noftram Illa vicem geret, Arbitra Recti.
Quam servent si ritè ducem & data ritè sequantur
Lumina, tum majora ferent: ita tramite recto
Progreffi, tandem optato se littore fiftent.
At fpernent mea dona alii, fpretifque carebunt;
Cordaque durati magis & caligine cæcas
Denfius obducti mentes, graviore prementur
All his deliv'rance, and to none but Me.
Some I have chofen of peculiar grace
Elect above the reft: fo is My Will:
The rest shall hear Me call, and oft be warn'd
Their finful state; and to appease betimes
Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace
Invites. For I will clear their senses dark,
What may fuffice; and foften ftony hearts
'To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.
To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due,
(Though but endeavour'd with fincere intent)
Mine ear shall not be flow, Mine eye not shut.
And I will place within them as a guide
My Umpire Confcience; whom if they will hear,
Light after light well us'd they fhall attain,
And to the end perfifting, fafe arrive.
This My long fuff'rance, and My day of grace,
They who neglect and scorn, shall never taste;
But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more;
That they may stumble on, and deeper fall:
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