And worship God supreme, who made him chief Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent
Eternal Father (for where is not he
Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake,
""Let us make now Man in our image, Man
In our similitude, and let them rule
Over the fish and fowl of sea and air,
Beast of the field, and over all the Earth,
And every creeping thing that creeps the ground." This said, he form'd thee, Adam, thee O Man! Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath'd The breath of life; in his own image he Created thee, in the image of God Express, and thou becam'st a living soul, Male he created thee, but thy consort
Female for race; then bless'd mankind, and said, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth, Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold Over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air,
And every living thing that moves on the earth. Wherever thus created, (for no place
Is yet distinct by name) thence, as thou know'st, He brought thee into this delicious grove,
This garden, planted with the trees of God, Delectable both to behold and taste;
And freely all their pleasant fruit for food
Gave thee, all sorts are here that all th' Earth yields,
Variety without end; but of the tree,
Which tasted works knowledge of good and evil,
Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st, thou di'st;
Death is the penalty impos'd, beware,
And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin
Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death.
'Here finish'd he, and all that he had made View'd, and behold all was entirely good; So ev❜n and morn accomplish'd the sixth day: Yet not till the Creator from his work Desisting, though unwearied, up return'd
Up to the Heav'n of Heav'ns, his high abode, Thence to behold this new-created World
Th' addition of his empire, how it shew'd
In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair, Answering his great idea. Up he rode Follow'd with acclamation and the sound Symphonious of ten thousand harps that tun'd Angelic harmonies: the Earth, the air
Resounded (thou remember'st, for thou heardst) The heav'ns and all the constellations rung, The planets in their station list'ning stood, While the bright pomp ascended jubilant. "Open, ye everlasting gates," they sung, "Open, ye Heav'ns, your living doors; let in The great Creator from his work return'd Magnificent, his six day's work, a world; Open and henceforth oft; for God will deign To visit oft the dwellings of just men, Delighted; and with frequent intercourse Thither will send his winged messengers, On errands of supernal grace." So sung
The glorious train ascending: he through Heav'n, That open'd wide her blazing portals, led To God's eternal house direct the way,
A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold
And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear, Seen in the galaxy, that milky way
Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest
Powder'd with stars. And now on Earth the seventh Ev'ning arose in Eden, for the sun
Was set, and twilight from the east came on, Forerunning night; when at the holy mount
Of Heav'ns high-seated top, th' imperial throne Of Godhead, fixt for ever firm and sure, The Filial Power arriv'd, and sate him down With his great Father; for he also went Invisible, yet stay'd (such privilege
Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordain'd,
Author and end of all things, and from work
Now resting, bless'd and hallow'd the sev'nth day, As resting on that day from all his work, But not in silence holy kept; the harp Had work and rested not, the solemn pipe, And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop, All sounds on fret by string or golden wire Temper'd soft tunings, intermixt with voice Choral or unison: of incense clouds Fuming from golden censers hid the mount. Creation and the six days' acts they sung:
""Great are thy works, Jehovah! infinite
Thy power; what thought can measure thee or tongue
Relate thee? greater now in thy return
Than from the giant angels; thee that day
Thy thunders magnifi'd; but to create
Is greater than created to destroy.
Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound Thy empire? easily the proud attempt Of spirits apostate and their counsels vain
Thou hast repell'd, while impiously they thought Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks To lessen thee, against his purpose serves To manifest the more thy might his evil Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more good. Witness this new-made World, another Heav'n From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view
On the clear hyaline, the glassy sea;
Of amplitude almost immense, with stars Numerous, and every star perhaps a world Of destined habitation; but thou know'st Their seasons: among these the seat of men, Earth with her nether ocean circumfus'd,
Their pleasant dwelling-place.
And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanc't,
Created in his image, there to dwell
And worship him, and in reward to rule
Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air, And multiply a race of worshippers Holy and just: thrice happy if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright." 'So sung they, and the empyrean rung, With hallelujahs: thus was sabbath kept.
And thy request think now fulfill'd, that ask'd How first this world and face of things began,
And what before thy memory was done
From the beginning, that posterity
Inform'd by thee might know; if else thou seek'st Aught, not surpassing human measure, say.'
Adam enquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam assents; and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation; his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society, his first meeting and nuptials with Eve; his discourse with the angel thereupon; who, after admonitions repeated departs.
THE angel ended; and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he awhile
Thought him still speaking, still stood fixt to hear; Then, as new-wak't, thus gratefully replï'd. 'What thanks sufficient, or what recompense
Equal have I to render thee, divine Historian? who thus largely hast allay'd The thirst I had of knowledge, and voutsaf't This friendly condescension to relate
Things else by me unsearchable, now heard With wonder, but delight, and, as is due, With glory attributed to the high Creator; something yet of doubt remains, Which only thy solution can resolve.
When I behold this goodly frame, this World Of heav'n and Earth consisting, and compute Their magnitudes, this Earth, a spot, a grain, An atom, with the firmament compar'd, And all her number'd stars, that seem to roll Spaces incomprehensible (for such
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