The New Gospel

When I behold this goodly frame, this world of heav’n and earth consisting, and compute, their magnitudes, this earth a spot, a grain, an atom, with the firmament compar’d and all her numbered stars, that seem to roll spaces incomprehensible … merely to officiate light round this opaque earth, this punctual spot, one day and night; in all their vast survey useless besides, reasoning I oft admire, how Nature wise and frugal could commit such disproportions, with superfluous hand …

They themselves decreed their own revolt, not I.  If I foreknew, foreknowledge had no influence on their fault which had no less prov’d certain unforeknown.

At once as far as angels kenn he views the dismal situation waste and wild, a dungeon horrible, on all sides round as one great furnace flam’d, yet from those flames no light, but rather darkness visible serv’d only to discover slights of woe, regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace and rest can never dwell, hope never comes that comes to all; but torture without end still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed with ever-burning sulfur unconsum’d.

Of man’s first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste brought death into the world, and all our woe, with loss of Eden, till one greater man restore us, and regain the blissful seat, sing heav’nly muse … 

That space the Evil One abstracted stood from his own evil, and for the time remaind stupidly good, of enmitie disarm’d, of guile, of hate, of envie, of revenge; but the hot Hell that always in him burnes, though in mid Heav’n, soon ended his delight, and tortures him now more, the more he sees of pleasure not for him ordain’d: then soon fierce hate, he recollects, and all his thoughts of mischief, gratulating, this excites.

He ended, and his words replete with guile into her heart too easie entrance won:  fixt on the Fruit she gaz’d, which to behold might tempt alone, and in her ears the sound yet rung of his perwasive words, impregn’d with reason, to her seeming, and with truth ... her rash hand in evil hour forth reaching to the Fruit, she pluck’d, she eat: Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat sighing through all her works gave signs of woe, that all was lost. 

She gave him of that fair enticing Fruit with liberal hand: he scrupl’d not to eat against his better knowledge, not deceav’d, but fondly overcome with Femal charm.  Earth trembl’d from her entrails, as again in pangs, and Nature gave a second groan.

They looking back, all th’ Eastern side beheld of Paradise, so late thir happy seat, wav’d over by that flaming brand, the gate with dreadful faces throng’d and fierie Armes: som natural tears they drop’d, but wiped them soon; the world was all before them, where to choose thir place of rest, and Providence thir guide; they hand in hand with wandring steps and slow, through Eden took their solitarie way.