Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung Shall perfect, and for these my death shall pay. The smell of peace tow'ard mankind; let him live Number'd, though sad, till death, his doom, (which I 40 rious themes Before the Judge. T. Warton. 33. -me his advocate 38. The smell of peace toward mankind;] The peace offering is frequently called an offering of a sweet savour unto the Lord. So The construction of the whole Levit. iii. 5. Heylin. And propitiation ;] To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse,) To whom the Father, without cloud, serene. Tried in sharp tribulation, and refin'd 45 50 55 60 Gross is to be joined in construction with him and not with distemper; and therefore the comma after distemper should be carefully preserved, as in Milton's own editions, and not be placed after distemper gross, as in Dr. Bentley's edition. Wak'd in the renovation of the just, Resigns him up with heav'n and earth renew'd. But let us call to synod all the blest 65 Through heav'n's wide bounds; from them I will not hide My judgments, how with mankind I proceed, As how with peccant angels late they saw, 70 And in their state, though firm, stood more confirm'd. He ended, and the Son gave signal high When God descended, and perhaps once more By the waters of life, where'er they sat And took their seats; till from his throne supreme 75 80 presented to be standing, or falling down before the throne of God; because they are generally employed there in acts of praise and adoration. But here they are introduced in another character, called to synod, like a grand council, or to be as it were assessors with the Almighty, when he was to pronounce his decree on fallen man: and therefore the poet very properly says, they took their seats. And thus our Saviour tells the Apostles, they shall sit upon twelve thrones as his assessors, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matt. xix. 28. Greenwood. Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his sovran will. And send him from the garden forth to till 84. O sons, &c.] The assembling of all the angels of heaven, to hear the solemn decree passed upon Man, is represented in very lively ideas. The AlThe Almighty is here described as remembering mercy in the midst of judgment, and commanding Michael to deliver his message in the mildest terms, lest the spirit of Man, which was already broken with the sense of his guilt and misery, should fail before him. Addison. This whole speech is founded upon the following passage in Genesis iii. 22, 23, 24. And the Lord God said, Behold the Man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: And now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the 8.5 90 95 tree of life, and eat and live for ever; Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the Man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword, which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 86. Of that defended fruit;] Forbidden fruit, from defendre (French) to forbid; so used by Chaucer, Where can you say in any manner age That ever God defended marriage? Hume and Richardson. 99. Michael, this my behest have thou in charge,] Our au Take to thee from among the Cherubim Thy choice of flaming warriors, lest the Fiend, Vacant possession, some new trouble raise: For I behold them soften'd and with tears thor has with great judgment singled out Michael to receive this charge. It would not have been so proper for the sociable spirit Raphael to have executed this order: but as Michael was the principal angel employed in driving the rebel angels out of heaven, so he was the most proper to expel our first parents too out of Paradise. 111. Bewailing their excess,] God is here represented as pity 100 105 110 in peace : 115 120 ing our first parents, and even while he is ordering Michael to drive them out of Paradise, orders him at the same time to hide all terror; and for the same reason he chooses to speak of their offence in the softest manner, calling it only an excess, a going beyond the bounds of their duty, by the same metaphor as sin is often called transgression. |