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continues to drive them from the garden—Adam obeys-Eve laments, but soon comforts Adam— he at length departs, animating himself with the idea, that to an intrepid heart, every region is a home.

Scene 5. A cherub moralizing on the creation and fall of Adam, concludes the third and last act."

But, notwithstanding the various speculations that have been made on the sources to which Milton has been indebted for the subject of his Poem, his name will stand unperishable on the scroll of fame, until the great globe itself shall perish.

Bromley, Middlesex,
September, 1828.

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BOOK I.

Of Man's First Disobedience.

In the first place we read that man was created "in the image of God after his likeness," but little lower than the Angels, and crowned with glory and honor.-One sole command seems to have been given as the test of obedience. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen. ii. 17. 4 With Loss of Eden.

The Garden of Eden is itself alluded to by the Prophets, as a place of spiritual knowledge, joy, and happiness. Isa. li. 3. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. Ezek. xxviii. 13. Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created, xxxvi. 35. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the

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Garden of Eden; and the waste, and desolate, and ruined cities, are become fenced, and are inhabited. "What is requisite," exclaims that great and original genius, Dr. Young, “to make a man wise and happy, but reflection and peace;" "And both," continues the pious Horne, “are the natural growth of a garden: a garden to the virtuous, is a paradise still extant—a paradise unlost."

'Till one greater Man.

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. v. 21. The character of Christ, is the only perfect standard of moral virtue; It has this advantage over every other example, however excellent, that it is excellence without the admixture of any contrary principle. In him there is the marvellous union of majesty and meekness, of greatness and condescension: his humility was always tempered by grandeur, and his grandeur was always softened by humility.

And regain the blissful seat.

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke xxiii. 43. A voice from heaven hath said, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them.

Oreb and Sinai.

Mountains in Asia.

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That shepherd.

Moses kept the flock of his father-in-law, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. Exod. iii. 1. Jehovah came down upon mount Sinia, and called Moses up to the top of the mount. Exod. xvii. 20.

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And the Lord said unto Abraham, in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. In the beginning.

When it pleased God to begin his work of creation, all things were made by him, even by his Almighty word, and without him was not any thing made, that was made. That fulness of power, wisdom, and benignity, which was in him, was the fountain of life to the whole creation.

10 Rose out of Chaos.

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A rude and shapeless mass of matter, and confused assemblage of inactive elements.

or if Sion hill.

Sion was the city of God. In the temple which stood there, cherubim were the ornaments of the walls, both in the holy and most holy place, to signify the presence of angels; there was a general assembly and congregation of the priests, which were substituted instead of the first-born; there was God, as the supreme judge of controversies, giving forth his oracles.

and Siloa's brook that flow'd.

A spring of water sent from God, at the prayer of Isaiah, a little before his death, when the city was besieged; herein a blind man washed his eyes

at Christ's command, and received his sight.

15 Above th' Aonian mount.

The supposed abode of the muses. 16 And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer, Before all temples th’upright heart and pure.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John iv. 24.

34 Th'infernal Serpent.

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Satan, the adversary; the great and avowed enemy of God and man.

him the Almighty Power, Hurl'd headlong flaming from th'ethereal sky.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. Rev. xii. 7, 9.

but rather darkness visible.

There arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Rev. ix. 2.

81 Beelzebub.

Beelzebub, the prince of the Devils. Matt.

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129 Seraphim.

In scripture denotes an Angel of the first order. 157 Cherub.

An Angel of the second order.

197 As whom the fables name of monstrous size, Titanian, or Earth-born.

And it came to pass, when men began to mul

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