17

He said, and on his Son with Rayes direct

Shon full, he all his Father full exprest [ 720 ]

Ineffably into his face receivd,

And thus the filial Godhead answering spake.

O Father, O Supream of heavnly Thrones,

First, Highest, Holiest, Best, thou alwayes seekst

To glorifie thy Son, I alwayes thee, [ 725 ]

As is most just; this I my Glorie account,

My exaltation, and my whole delight,

That thou in me well pleasd, declarst thy will

Fulfilld, which to fulfil is all my bliss.

Scepter and Power, thy giving, I assume, [ 730 ]

And gladlier shall resign, when in the end

Thou shalt be All in All, and I in thee

For ever, and in mee all whom thou lovst:

But whom thou hatst, I hate, and can put on

Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on, [ 735 ]

Image of thee in all things; and shall soon,

Armd with thy might, rid heavn of these rebelld,

To thir prepard ill Mansion driven down

To chains of darkness, and th undying Worm,

That from thy just obedience could revolt, [ 740 ]

Whom to obey is happiness entire.

Then shall thy Saints unmixt, and from th impure

Farr separate, circling thy holy Mount

Unfeigned Halleluiahs to thee sing,

Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief. [ 745 ]

So said, he ore his Scepter bowing, rose

From the right hand of Glorie where he sate,

And the third sacred Morn began to shine

Dawning through Heavn: forth rushd with whirl-wind sound

The Chariot of Paternal Deitie, [ 750 ]

Flashing thick flames, Wheele within Wheele, undrawn,

It self instinct with Spirit, but convoyd

By four Cherubic shapes, four Faces each

Had wondrous, as with Starrs thir bodies all

And Wings were set with Eyes, with Eyes the wheels [ 755 ]

Of Beril, and careering Fires between;

Over thir heads a chrystal Firmament,

Whereon a Saphir Throne, inlaid with pure

Amber, and colours of the showrie Arch.

Hee in Celestial Panoplie all armd [ 760 ]

Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought,

Ascended, at his right hand Victorie

Sate Eagle-wingd, beside him hung his Bow

And Quiver with three-bolted Thunder stord,

And from about him fierce Effusion rowld [ 765 ]

Of smoak and bickering flame, and sparkles dire;

Attended with ten thousand thousand Saints,

He onward came, farr off his coming shon,

And twentie thousand (I thir number heard)

Chariots of God, half on each hand were seen: [ 770 ]

Hee on the wings of Cherub rode sublime

On the Chrystallin Skie, in Saphir Thrond.