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ADAM and Eve heard the Story of RAPHAEL with great Attention, and were fill'd with the highest Admiration, to hear of Things fo high and fo ftrange, Things as had never enter'd into their Thought or Imagination, that there fhould be Hate in Heaven, and War with fuch Confufion fo near the Peace of GOD in Happiness; but the Evil being foon driven back, fell upon those from whom it fprung, it being impoffible for it to mix with Bleffednefs: So that ADAM foon recall'd the Doubts that rofe in his Heart, and was led on, though without Sin, with a Defire to know Things that nearer might concern him, how this World, Heaven, and the visible Earth first began, when and of what it was created, and for what Caufe; what was done within or without EDEN, before his Memory, about which he proceeded to ask his heavenly Gueft:

GREAT Things, faid he to the Angel, and full of Wonder, far differing from this World, thou haft reveal'd to us, thou divine Interpreter! by Favour fent down from Heaven, to forewarn us in Time of what, if it had been unknown, might have prov'd our Lofs; it being what human Knowledge could not reach; for which we owe immortal Thanks to GOD, and receive his admonishing, with a folemn Purpose to obferve his fovereign Will unchangeably, to which End it is that we are. But fince thou haft condefcended, gently to impart to us the Knowledge of Things above earthly Thoughts, which yet were fuch Things as feem'd to GOD to concern our knowing, vouchfate now to defcend lower, and relate to us (what perhaps may no lefs avail us to know) how this Heaven, which we behold fo high diftant, firft began, adorn'd with innumerable moving Stars and the ambient Air flowing and floating between all Bodies, yielding to them or filling up all Space, and embracing the Earth round:

round: What Caufe mov'd the CREATOR, who exifted in his holy Reft through all Eternity, to begin fo late to create the World, and yet once begun, to finish it fo foon; unfold this to us, if it is not forbidden thee, which we enquire after, not to pry into the Secrets of his eternal Power, but that the more we know, the more we may magnify his Works; and the Sun yet wants a confiderable Time of his Setting, though he be declining, and could he hear thy powerful Voice, he would stand still to hear thee tell of his Creation, and the rifing Birth of Nature, from Darknefs and Confufion; or if the Moon and the Stars rife upon thy Difcourfe, Night will bring Silence, and we can gladly keep waking all the Night 'till thy Story be finish'd, and thou may'ft depart yet beforeMorning..

THUS ADAM requested his Angelical Gueft, and thus mildly the Angel anfwered: This Requeft of thine, which thou haft cautiously ask'd, obtain also; though what Words or Tongue of Seraph is capable of fpeaking, or what Heart of Man of comprehending the Works of the ALMIGHTY? Yet what thou canft attain to, and which may beft ferve to glorify thy MAKER, and make thee happier, fhall not be withheld from thy hearing: Such Commiffion I have receiv'd from above, to answer all thy Defires of Knowledge, that are within Bounds; beyond those forbear to afk, nor hope that thy Inventions or Conjectures will discover Things which are not reveal'd, and which GOD, who alone knoweth all Things,. hath hid, fo that they may not be communicated either in Earth or Heaven; there is enough befides to search after and to learn: But Knowledge is like Food, and needs no lefs Temperance to govern the Appetite, to know in what Measure the Mind can well contain and digeft, which intemperately taken oppreffes with Surfeit; and Wifdom turns Folly, as too much Nourishment turns to Wind..

KNOW

KNOW then, that after LUCIFER (call him by that Name, for he was once brighter amidst the Hoft of Angels, than that bright Star is among the Stars) fell from Heaven with his flaming Legions through the Deep, into the Place prepar'd for him, and the great SON of GOD return'd victorious with his Saints, the Almighty and Eternal FATHER beheld their Multitude from his Throne, and thus fpake to his So N.

AT leaft our envious Foe hath fail'd of his Purpofe, who thought all rebellious like himself, by whofe Aid he trufted to have difpoffefs'd us, and to have feiz'd this inacceffible high Strength, the Seat of fupreme Deity, and into the fame bad State drew many, who have no more Place in Heaven; yet I fee the far greater Part have kept their Stations, and Heaven yet retains a fufficient Number to poffefs her Realms, and frequent this high Temple with due Services and folemn Rites; but left he fhould be lifted up in his Heart for the Mischief he has already done in difpeopling Heaven, (which he vainly imagin'd a Damage done to me) I can repair that, and in a Moment will create another World, and out of one MAN an innumerable Race of MEN, to dwell there and not here; 'till at length rais'd by Degrees of Merit, they open to themselves the Way up hither, try'd under long Obedience; and Earth be chang'd to Heaven, and Heaven to Earth, becoming one Kingdom in Joy and Union without End. Mean while ye Powers of Heaven! poffefs the whole, and Thou my Word and my begotten SoN! this I perform by Thee; do Thou fpeak and let it be done. I fend along with Thee my overshadowing Spirit and my Power; ride forth, and bid the Deep within its appointed Bounds be Heaven and Earth: The Deep be boundless, because I myself fill Infinity, nor is the Space empty any where; and though I cannot be circumfcrib'd, yet I can retire,

and

and do not put forth my Goodness by Constraint, which is free to act or not; I am not compell'd by Neceffity or Chance, for what I will that is Fate.

THUS the ALMIGHTY fpoke, and what he faid, his Word, the filial Godhead, inftantly perform'd. The Actions of GoD are immediate, fwifter than Time or Motion, but cannot be told to human Ears, fo as earthly Motion may receive any Idea without Process of Speech. When the Almighty Will was heard in fuch a Declaration, there was great Triumph and Rejoicing in Heaven: They fung Glory to the moft HIGH! Good-will to future MEN! and Peace in their Dwellings! Glory to him, whofe juft avenging Wrath had driven out the Wicked from before his Sight, and from the Habitations of the Juft: Glory be to him and Praife! whofe Wisdom had ordain'd to create Good out of Evil; inftead of malignant Spirits, to bring a better Race into their Room, and thence diffufe his Goodness to infinite Worlds and infinite Ages. Such Songs as these the bleffed Angels fung to the Glory of GoD.

CHA P. II.

GOD fends his Son to perform the Work of Creation; which the Angels celebrate: His Re-afcen fion into Heaven.

EAN while the SON of GOD appear'd on

his great Expedition, having Almighty Power, and being crown'd with divine Majefty, Wisdom, and infinite Love, and all his FaTHER fhone in him: About his Chariot there throng'd innumerable Cherubim and Seraphim, Potentates, and Thrones, and Virtues; wing'd Spirits,

and

and Chariots from the Armory of GoD with Wings, where Thousands ftand lodg'd between two brazen Mountains, heavenly Equipage, and always ready harness'd against a folemn Day, and now came forth attendant upon their LORD of their own Accord, for Spirit liv'd within them; Heaven open'd her everlasting Gates wide, moving upon golden Hinges, to let forth the King of Glory, in his powerful Word and Spirit coming to create new Worlds. They ftood upon the Ground of Heaven, and view'd from the Shore the vaft and immeafurable Abyfs, which was as outragious as a Sea turn'd up from the Bottom by furious Winds; raifing up the furging Waves like Mountains, which would feem wildly to affault the Height of Heaven, and mix the Centre with the Pole.

the

THE WORD, by whom all Things were made, call'd out and faid: Ye troubled Waves be filent, and be at Peace Thou great Deep! be no longer at Strife. -----This faying, he ftaid not, but lifted up upon Wings of Cherubim in the Glory of his FATHER, rode far into CHAOS, and the unmade World; for the CHAOS had obey'd his Voice. All his Train.follow'd him in bright Proceffion, to behold the Creation and the Wonders of his Power. Then ftay'd the Motion of his Chariot Wheels, and took the golden Compaffes into his Hand, which are prepar'd in the everlasting Stores of GoD, to circumfcribe this Univerfe, and all Things that are created. One Foot of the Compaffes he fix'd in the Centre, and turn'd the other round in the vaft dark Depth, and faid O World! let this be thy juft Circumference, and thus far extend thy Bounds!

THUS GOD created the Heaven and the Earth, and the firft Matter was without Form and void, and Darkness cover'd the Deep; but the Spirit of GoD

mov'd

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