The planets in their station lift`ning stood, Open, ye everlasting gates, they fung, The glorious train afcending: He through Heaven, To God's eternal houfe direct the way, A broad and ample road, whose duft is gold 565 570 575 And pavement stars, as ftars to thee appear, Which nightly as a circling zone thou feest 580 Powder'd with ftars. And now on earth the feventh Evening arofe in Eden, for the fun Was fet, and twilight from the east came on, Of Heav'n's high seated top, th' imperial throne 585 Of Godhead, fix'd for ever firm and fure, The filial Pow'r arriv'd, and fat him down Hath Omniprefence) and the work ordain'd, Now refting, bless'd and hallow'd the sev'nth day, 590 As As refting on that day from all his work, 595 600 Fuming from golden cenfers hid the mount. Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite Thy pow'r; what thought can measure thee, or tongue Relate thee? greater now in thy return Than from the giant Angels; thee that day 605 Thy thunders magnify'd; but to create Is greater than created to destroy. Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound Of Spi'rits apoftate and their counsels vain 610 Thou haft repell'd, while impiously they thought Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw The number of thy worshipers. Who feeks 615 Thou ufeft, and from thence creat'ft more good. Q2 620 Their Their feafons: among these the feat of Men, Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men, And fons of Men, whom God hath thus advanc'd, Created in his image, there to dwell And worship him, and in reward to rule 630 So fung they, and the empyréan rung 635 And what before thy memory was done From the beginning, that pofterity Inform'd by thee might know; if elfe thou feek'st THE END OF THE SEVENTH BOOK. 640 THE ARGUMENT. Adam inquires concerning celeftial motions, is doubtfully anfwer'd, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam affents; and, ftill defirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remember'd fince his own creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning folitude and fit fociety, his firft meeting and nuptials with Eve, his difcourfe with the Angel thereupon; who after admonitions repeated departs. |