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Book X. fpare heavenly Faces; yet, as it was mixed with Pity, it did not leffen this Blifs. The Angels crowded about those who were just arrived from Earth, to hear and know how every Thing befell: They made Haste towards the fupreme Throne, to give the Account, and make appear with juft Plea their utmoft Diligence, which was well approved of: when the most high eternal FATHER uttered his Voice thus in Thunder from amidft his fecret Cloud,

YE affembled Angels, and Powers returned from your unfuccefsful Charge! don't be difmayed nor troubled at these bad Tidings from the Earth, which could not be prevented by your fincereft Care, you being lately foretold what would come to pafs, when first SATAN Croffed the Gulph from Hell. I told ye then, that he fhould prevail, and fucceed in his bad Purpose that MAN fhould be feduced and flattered out of all, by reafon of his believing Lies against his MAKER; no Decree of mine concurring to neceffitate his Fall, or in the leaft having any Impulie upon his Free-will, which was left in even Balance to its own Inclination: But he is fallen; and now what remains, but that the mortal Sentence should pafs on his Tranfgreffion?DEATH was threatened to be inflicted on him the Day that he tranfgreffed which he already prefumes vain and void, because yet not inflicted (as he was afraid) by fome immediate Stroke; but he foon fhall find, before the Day finished, that Forbearance is no Acquittance: Juftice fhall not return fcorned, as Bounty has. But whom do I fend to judge them? Whom but Thee, my Son and Vicegerent? To Thee I have made over all Judgment, whether in Heaven, r Earth, or Hell. It may easily be feen, I intend Mercy to be Companion with Juftice, when I fend Thee, the Friend of MAN,

MAN, his Mediator (a), his defigned and voluntary Ranfom and Redeemer, who is to take upon himself the Nature of MAN) to judge fallen MAN.

So fpake the Almighty FATHER; and unfolding his bright Glory toward the Right Hand, fhone forth his whole Deity on his Son; in whom that Glory which in the FATHER was invifible, was exprefs and manifeft; and who divinely gave this mild Answer:

ETERNAL FATHER! It is Thou who art to make Decrees; it is my Part, both in Heaven and Earth, to obey thy fupreme Will; that Thou in me, thy beloved SoN, mayeft always be well pleased. I go to judge thofe, who have tranfgreffed thy Law on Earth; but Thou knoweft, whoever is judged, the worst muft light upon me, in the Fullness of Time; for fo I undertook before Thee, and now not repenting, obtain this of Right, that I may mitigate their Doom, which is to fall on me: Yet I fhall fo temper Justice with Mercy, as may fhew them both to be fully fatiffied, and appease Thee. There will be no Need of Attendance or Train, where none are to behold the Judgment, but those two who are to be judged: SATAN convicted by Flight, and Rebel to all Law, is beft condemned when abfent; for Conviction does not belong to the Serpent.

THUS faying, he rofe from his radiant Seat of Glory, high and equal to the FATHER: THRONES and POWERS, PRINCEDOMS and DOMINIONS mini

(a) Mediator; Fr. Ital. Sp. from the Lat. i. e. One that is in the Middle between two dif ferent Perfons; a Manager between Perfons at Variance; an Interceffor, a Peace-maker. Before

Sin, Adam had free Access to God; but it made him so abominable and odious to the infinite Happinefs of the Deity, that he could not be acceptable, without an Advocate and Interceffor.

ftering

ftering to him, accompanied him to the Gate of Heaven; from whence EDEN and all the Coafts lay in Profpect: Strait he defcended down: (The Speed of Gods cannot be meafured by Time, though it may be thought to move ever fo fwiftly.) Now the Sun was defcending towards the Weft after Noon, and gentle Breezes, at their due Hour, rofe to cool and refresh the Earth, and bring on the Evening; when he, his Wrath more affwaged, came both the mild Judge and Interceffor, to pafs Sentence upon MAN. ADAM and Eve heard the Voice of the Lord GoD, walking in the Garden in the Cool of the Day, brought to their Ears by foft Winds; they heard, and hid themfelves from his Prefence among the thickest Trees in the Garden, both Man and Wife, till GoD approaching, thus called aloud to ADAM:

ADAM! where art thou? thou wert used to meet my Coming with Joy, and fee me far off; I am not pleased that I mifs thee here, and am entertained with Solitude, where (as it was obviously thy Duty) thou ufed to appear before me uncalled for: Or do I come lefs confpicuous? Or what Change in thee caufes thy Abfence? Or what Chance detains thee? - Come forth!

Ar that Call he came forth, and Eve with him, more unwilling than he, though fhe had been the first to offend; they were both in a State of Difcompofure, and out of Countenance: There was no Love in their Looks, either to GoD or one another; but apparent Guilt, Shame, Perturbation, Despair, Anger, Obstinacy, Hate, and Guile; when ADAM, after faultering a grea, while, thus briefly anfwered:

I HEARD Thee in the Garden, and I was afraid, 'because I was naked, and hid myself. the gracious Judge, without Reproach,

To whom made Anfwer:

fwer:

Thou haft often heard my Voice and haft not been afraid, but always rejoiced; how is it become now fo dreadful to thee? Who hath told thee that thou art naked? Haft thou eaten of the Tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

To whom ADAM, forely befet, replied, O Heaven in fad Difficulty I ftand this Day before my Judge; either to undergo the total Punishment of the Crime myself, or elfe to accufe my other Self, fhe who is the Partner of my Life; whofe Failings, while the remains faithful to me, I fhould conceal, and not expofe to Blame by my Complaint. But ftrict Neceffity and calamitous Restraint overcome me, left both Sin and Punishment, however infupportable they may be, fall wholly upon my Head though fhould I be filent, thou wouldst easily discover what I concealed. This Woman, whom thou madeft to be my Help, and gaveft to me as thy perfect Gift, fo good, fo fit, fo acceptable, fo divine, that from her Hand I could not expect any Ill; and what he did, let it in itself be what it would, her very doing it seemed to justify the Deed; fhe gave me of the Tree, and I did eat!

To whom the fovereign Prefence of the Son of GOD made this Reply: Was the thy God? Or was fhe made thy Guide or Superior? Nay, was she made equal to thee? that thou shouldeft refign thy Manhood to her, and the Place where God had fet thee above her, who was made of thee and for thee: Thy Perfection far excelled her's in all real Dignity: She indeed was adorned with much Beauty, and amia ble to attract thy Love, not thy Subjection; and her Gifts were fuch as appeared well under Government, but unfeemly to bear Rule; which was thy Part, hadft thou known thyfelf as thou oughteft to have

done.

done. Having faid thus, he spoke to EvE in few Words, Say, Woman, what is this which thou haft done? To whom fad EvE, almost overwhelmed with Shame, foon confeffing, yet not bold or talkative before her Judge, thus replied with downcast Looks: The Serpent beguiled me,- and I

did eat!

WHICH When the Lord GOD heard, he proceeded without Delay to give Judgment on the accufed Serpent, who for Want of Understanding and Speech, was not able to transfer the Blame from himself to SATAN, who had made an Inftrument for Mifchief, and polluted him from the End of his Creation; who was then justly accurfed, as being vitiated in Nature. To know more did not concern MAN, nor alter his Offence; yet GOD at laft applied his Doom to SATAN, though in myfterious Terms as he then judged beft, and thus let his Curfe fall upon the Serpent:

BECAUSE thou haft done this thou art accurfed above all Cattle, and above every Beast of the Field: Upon thy Belly fhalt thou go, and Duft fhalt thou eat all the Days of thy Life: I will put Enmity between thee and the WOMAN, and between thy Seed and her Seed; it fhall bruise thy Head, and thou fhalt bruife his Heel.

So fpoke this Oracle (b), which was verified and

(b) Oracle; Fr. Ital. Span. Dut. Brit. Lat. i. e. An Anfwer from the Mouth; an Anfwer or Counsel concerning Things to come, given by God to his People of old, by Pro. mife, Inspiration, an audible

Voice, Dreams, Vifions, Urim and Thummim, &c. which were imitated in the Answers made in the Oracles of Delphi, Dodona, &c. making the blind Heathens believe that they were spoke by the Mouth of God.

accomplished:

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