HEAVEN

Is as the Book of God before thee set, Wherein to read his wondrous works, and learn His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years: This to attain, whether Heaven move or Earth Imports not, if thou reckon right; the rest From Man or Angel the great Architect Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge His secrets, to be scann'd by them who ought Rather admire. Or if they list to try Conjecture, he his fabric of the heavens Hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move His laughter at their quaint opinions wide Hereafter, when they come to model Heaven, And calculate the stars; how they will wield The mighty frame; how build, unbuild, contrive, To save appearances; how gird the sphere With centric and eccentric scribbled o'er, Cycle and epicycle, orb in orb.

Raphael to Adam, PARADISE LOST, BOOK VIII.

How

OW first began this heaven which we behold
Distant so high, with moving fires adorn'd
Innumerable; and this which yields or fills
All space, the ambient air wide interfused,
Embracing round this florid Earth; what cause
Moved the Creator, in his holy rest
Through all eternity, so late to build

In Chaos; and the work begun how soon
Absolved; if unforbid thou may'st unfold
What we not to explore the secrets ask
Of his eternal empire, but the more
To magnify his works the more we know.
And the great light of day yet wants to run

Much of his race, though steep; suspense in heaven
Held by thy voice, thy potent voice he hears,
And longer will delay to hear thee tell
His generation, and the rising birth
Of Nature from the unapparent Deep;
Or if the star of evening and the moon
Haste to thy audience, Night with her will bring
Silence, and Sleep listening to thee will watch;
Or we can bid his absence till thy song

End, and dismiss thee ere the morning shine.

Adam to Raphael, PARADISE LOST, Book VII.

I

in a moment will create

Another world, out of one man a race

Of men innumerable, there to dwell,

Not here, till, by degrees of merit raised,
They open to themselves at length the way

Up hither, under long obedience tried,

And Earth be changed to Heaven, and Heaven to
Earth,

One kingdom, joy and union without end.
Meanwhile inhabit lax, ye Powers of Heaven;
And thou, my Word, begotten Son, by thee
This I perform; speak thou, and be it done!
My overshadowing Spirit and might with thee
I send along; ride forth, and bid the Deep
With appointed bounds be Heaven and Earth;
Boundless the Deep, because I am who fill
Infinitude; nor vacuous the space,
Though I uncircumscribed myself retire,
And put not forth my goodness, which is free
To act or not: Necessity and Chance
Approach not me, and what I will is Fate.

PARADISE Lost, Book VII.

GRE

`REAT triumph and rejoicing was in Heaven, When such was heard declared the Almighty's will;

Glory they sung to the Most High, goodwill
To future men, and in their dwellings peace;
Glory to Him whose just avenging ire
Had driven out the ungodly from his sight
And the habitations of the just; to Him
Glory and praise whose wisdom had ordain'd
Good out of evil to create; instead

Of Spirits malign, a better race to bring
Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse
His good to worlds and ages infinite.

PARADISE LOST, Book VII.

HIS malice served but to bring forth

Infinite goodness.

PARADISE LOST, Book I.

HE Almighty Father from above,

THE

From the pure Empyrean where he sits

High throned above all highth, bent down his eye, His own works and their works at once to view : About him all the Sanctities of Heaven

Stood thick as stars, and from his sight received Beatitude past utterance; on his right

The radiant image of his glory sat,

His only Son.

PARADISE LOST, Book III.

BEYOND compare the Son of God was seen Most glorious; in him all his Father shone

Substantially express'd; and in his face

Divine compassion visibly appear'd,

Love without end, and without measure grace.

PARADISE LOST, Book III.