der my Command are to haften homeward with fpeedy March, where we poffefs the Quarters of the North; there to prepare a fit Entertainment to receive our KING, the great MESSIAH, and his new Commands, for that he intends very foon to pass triumphantly through all their Hierarchies, and give them Laws.

THUS fpoke the falfe Arch-Angel and into the Breaft of his unwary Affociate infus'd bad Sentiments; who call'd together, or feverally one by one, the regent Powers that govern'd under him, and told them as he was taught, that it was the Command of GOD. Now, before the Morning that the great hierarchal Standard was to move, tells the fuggefted Caufe; throws in ambiguous Words between and Jealoufies, either to found or taint Integrity: But all obey'd the ufual Signal and the fuperior Voice of their great Potentate (for high indeed was his Degree and very great his Name in Heaven:) his Countenance that was like the Morning Star, allur'd them, and with Lies, he drew after him the third Part of the Hoft of Heaven.

MEAN while the Eye of GOD, (who difcerns the most hidden Thoughts) from forth his holy Mountain, and from within the golden Lamps that burn all Night before him, faw, (without Help from their Light) Rebellion rifing, faw in whom, how fpread among the Sons of the Morning, and what Multitudes were leagued to oppofe his high Decree; when to his only he faid fmiling:

SoN, thou in whom I behold my own Glory in full Splendor, the Heir of all my Power! It nearly concerns us now to be fure of our Omnipotence; and with what Arms we mean to hold what we have claim'd from all Eternity of Godhead, or of Empire: for fuch

a Foe is rifing as intends to erect his Throne equal to our's, all through the fpacious North; and not contented with this he has it in his Thoughts to try in Battle what our Power, or our Right is: Let us take Counsel, and to this Hazard draw up with Speed all the Power that is left us, and employ it in our Defence, leaft unawares, we fhould loose this our high Place, our Hill, and Sanctuary. To whom the Son with a calm and clear Countenance, that fhone with Brightness unfpeakable and divine, made Answer:

ALMIGHTY Father! Thou juftly haft thy Foes in Derifion, and in thy own Power fecure, laugh'ft at their vain Designs, and vain Tumults: Which to me is the Caufe of Glory, whom their Hate shows more to Advantage, when they fhall fee all Power given me to quell their Pride; and find by the Event whether I am able to fubdue those who rebel against thee, or be found the weakeft in Heaven. Thus fpoke the Son: But SATAN with great Speed was far advanc'd with his Powers, a Hoftas innumerable as the Stars, of Night or Drops of Dew in the Morning. They pass'd many Regions, and mightyRegencies of Seraphim, Potentates and Thrones, in their feveral Degrees: (Regions to which, all thy Dominion ADAM is no more to be compar'd, than this Garden is to all the Earth, and all the Sea) which having pafs'd, at length, they came into the Limits of the North, and SATAN to his Royal Seat high upon a Hill like a Mountain upon a Mountain with Pyramids and Towers hewn from Quarries of Diamonds and Rocks of Gold, the Palace of great LUCIFER, (s) (fo call'd that Structure interpreted in the Dialect of MEN) which he not long after call'd the MOUNTAIN OF THE CONGREGATION in IImitation

(s) Lucifer; Fr. Ital. Lat. i. e. A Bearer of Light. The firft Name of this Arch-An

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gel before his Fall: Because of his most excellent Light and, Glory.

Imitation of that Mountain whereon the MESSIAH was declar'd the only begotten Son in the Sight of Heaven; fo that he affected all Equality with GOD: And thither affembled all his Train; pretending that he was commanded fo to do, to confult about the great Reception of their King MESSIAH, who was to come thither: And with calumnious Art and counterfeited Truth thus addrefs'd the Angels under his Command:

THRONES! Dominations! Princedoms! Virtues! and Powers! If thefe high Titles yet remain, or are not meerly titular, fince another now has by Decree ingrofs'd all Power to himself, and eclips'd us under· the Name of the ANOINTED KING; for whom we make all this Hafte of Midnight March, and meet thus hurrying here, only to confult how we may best receive him, with what new Honours can be devis'd, he coming to receive from us a Knee-Tribute which we never yet paid: A vile Proftration! Too much to fhow to one, but double, how can it be endured! To one first, and now another, which he proclaims to be his Image. But what if betterCounfels might influence our Minds, and teach how to caft off this Yoke? Will you fubmit your Necks? And do you chufe to bend your humble Knee? You will not, if I know or judge right of ye; or if ye know yourselves to be what ye are; the Natives, and Sons of Heaven; poffefs'd by none before ye; and if all are not equal yet all are free, equally free: For Orders and Degrees do not jar but confift well with Liberty. Who can then either in Reason, or Right pretend to affume Monarchy over fuch as by Right live his Equals, and if lefs in Power and Splendor are yet equal in Freedom? Or who can introduce a Law and Decree upon us, who being without Law cannot err? much lefs impofe this anointed King upon us to be our LORD, and look for Adoration, to the Abuse of our imperial Titles,

which fert that we were ordained to govern, and not to serve.

THUS far his bold Difcourfe had Audience without any Controul, when ABDIEL, (t) one among the Seraphim, than whom there was none obey'd divine Commands more, or ador'd the Deity with more Ardency, ftood up, and in a Flame of Zeal thus fe verely oppos'd the Current of his Fury:

Он

OH proud, falfe, and blafphemous Argument! Words! which no Ear ever expected to hear in Heaven, and least of all thou ungrateful Wretch from thee, who art thyfelf plac'd fo high above others! Canft thou condemn with wicked Reproach the juft Decree of GOD, which was pronounc'd and fworn; that to his only Son, by Right honour'd with the Royal Sceptre, every Soul in Heaven fhall bow the Knee, and in that due Honour confefs him to be. rightful King? Thou fay'ft it is unjuft, pofitively unjuft, to bind those who are free with Laws, and to let Equal reign over Equals, and one over all, to whom none is to fucceed.----Shalt thou give Laws to GOD? Shalt thou difpute the Points of Liberty with him, who made thee what thou now art, and form'd and circumfcrib'd the Being of all the Powers of Heaven, juft as he pleas'd? Yet taught by Experience, we know how good he is, and how careful of our Good and Dignity; how far from any Thought of making us lefs; rather bent, uniting us more near himself under one Head, to exalt our happy State. ----But fuppofe I were to grant thee, that it were unjuft, that any Equal fhould reign as King over his Equals; thou (though very great and glorious) doft thou reckon thyfelf, or think all the angelical Nature join'd

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(1) Abdiel, Heb. i. e, The Servant of God, the fame as Obadiab.

join'd in one, equal with him who is the begotten SON? by whom (for he was the Word) the Almigh ty FATHER made all Things, even thee and all the other Spirits of Heaven, who were by him created in their bright Orders, crown'd with Glory, and given glorious Names, THRONES, DOMINATIONS, PRINCEDOMS, VIRTUES, and POWERS, real and effential POWERS, which are not obfcur'd by his Reign, but made more illuftrious; fince he becoming our Head, becomes one of our Number, his Laws become our Laws, and all Honour done to him returns back again to us.------Then ceafe this impious Fury, and tempt not thefe Angels to fin; but haften to appease the Wrath of the incens'd FATHER, and the Wrath of the incens'd SON, and repent in Time while Pardon may be found.

THUS fpoke ABDIEL, the faithful and fervent Seraph, but none feconded his Zeal, as judg'd rash and fingular, and out of Seafon, at which SATAN rejoiced, and grown more haughty thus reply'd:

SAY'ST thou that we were made then? and the Work of fecondary Hands, by a Task transferr'd from the FATHER to the SON? A ftrange and new Point of Doctrine! which we would know whence was learn'd: Who is it that faw when this Creation was? Doft thou remember any Thing about thy being made, while the Maker was giving thee Being? We know no Time when we were not, as we are now; we know of none before us, but were produc'd by a natural Course of Things, felf-rais'd by our own quick'ning Power, the ripe Birth of this our native Heaven, of which we are the natural Sons: Our Power and Strength is our own, which fhall teach us Deeds of the higheft Importance, to try by Proof who is our Equal: Then thou shalt behold, whether we intend to addrefs and furround the Almighty

Throne