on, which we imagin'd was meant by DEATH THAT DAY: When, Lo! to thee were only foretold Pains. in bearing and bringing forth Children; which will be foon recompenc'd with Joy, the Fruit of thy Womb. The Curfe not fo directly pronounc'd on me, glanc'd on the Ground; I must earn my Bread with Labour: What Harm is that? Idlenefs had been worfe; my Labour will fuftain me: And left Cold or Heat fhould do us Injury, he has, without being fought to, with timely Care provided us Cloaths, (unworthy as we are) with his own Hands; pitying, even while he judg'd us. How much more then, if we pray to him, will his Ear be open, and his Heart inclin’d to pity us? And teach us further, how to fhun the Inclemency of the Seafons, Rain, Ice, Hail, and Snow; which now the Sky begins to fhow us in this Mountain; while the Winds blow moift and keen; fhatte ring the Leaves of these fair spreading Trees: Which bids us feek fome better Covering, to cherish our numb'd Limbs; before the Sun leave the Night cold, how we may foment his Beams, gather'd together by fome warm or combuftible Matter; or by ftriking two hard Bodies together, move the heated Air into Fire, as lately the Clouds, juftling or forced with Winds, in their rude Shock flash'd the flant Lightning, the Flame of which driven down, kindles the gummy Part of Fir or Pine, and fends out from a Distance a comfortable Heat, which might fupply the Want of that of the Sun. He will inftruct us, if we pray to him, and befeech Grace of him, to ufe fuch Fire, and what elfe may be a Cure to thefe Evils, which our own Mifdeeds have brought on us: So as we need not fear to pafs this Life commodioufly, fuftain'd by him with many Comforts; 'till fuch Time as we end in Duft, our final Reft and native Home! What can we do better, than repair to the Place where he judg'd us? Fall reverently proftrate before him, and there humbly confefs our Faults, and beg Pardon;

A a 4

Pardon; watering the Ground with our Tears, and filling the Air with our Sighs, fent from contrite Hearts, in Sign of unfeign'd Sorrow and meek Humiliation? He will undoubtedly relent, and turn away from his Displeasure; in whofe ferene Look, when he feem'd moft angry and moft fevere, what else shone but Favour, Grace, and Mercy?

So fpoke our first Father, in true Penitence: nor did Eve feel lefs Remorfe: They forthwith repair'd to the Place where GOD judg'd them, fell reverently proftrate before him; and there humbly confefs'd their Faults, and begg'd Pardon; watering the Ground with their Tears, and filling the Air with their Sighs, fent from contrite Hearts, in Sign of unfeign'd Sorrow and meek Humiliation.

The End of the TENTH BOOK.

CHAP.

4

THE

ELEVENTH BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

T

The ARGUMENT.

1

HE Son of GOD prefents to his Father the Prayers of our firft Parents, now repenting, and interceeds for them: GOD accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide in Paradife: Sends Michael, with a Band of Cherubim, to difpoffefs them; but first to reveal to Adam future Things: Michael's coming down.

CHA P.

CHA P. I.

The Son of GoD prefents to his Father the Prayers of Adam and Eve. Michael is fent to put them out of Paradife, and reveal future Things to Adam.

HUS proftrate in the lowest State of Humility, they remain'd penitent and praying; for, even before that, Grace defcending from the Mercy-Seat (a) above, had foften'd the Stonynefs of their

Hearts, and in the Room made new Flefh to grow; fo that they breath'd unutterable Sighs and Groans; which were infpir'd with the Spirit of Prayer, and could fooner find the Way to Heaven than the loudeft Oratory: Yet were they not mean Supplicants, nor did their Petition feem lefs important, than when the antient Pair, according to the Fables of old, DEUCALION (b) and chafte PYR

It was a

(a) Mercy-Seat. Covering of pure folid Gold, made exactly to fit the Dimenfions of the Ark, to which the two Cherubims of Gold alfo were fixed, and spread their Wings over it; placed in the Tabernacle and in Solomon's Temple under the two Cherubim. It was two Cubits and an half in Length, and a Cubit and an half in Breadth, Exod. 25.17. 18. 21." And thou fhalt make

a Mercy-feat of pure Gold : "Two Cubits and a half fhall "be the Length thereof, and a "Cubit and a half the Breadth "thereof. And thou fhalt make "two Cherubim of Gold: Of

RHA,

"beaten Work fhalt thou make "them in the two Ends of the

66

Mercy-feat. And thou shalt "put the Mercy-feat above up66 on the Ark, and in the Ark "thou shalt put the Teftimony "that I fhall give thee." It was called Propitiatory or Covering Mercy-feat. Therefore God is faid to fit between the Cherubim. Thither the pious Jews did always turn their Faces, in what Part of the World they were, when they prayed, 1 Kings 8. 48. Pf. 99. 1. Dan. 6. Jon. 2. 5. Heb. 4. 16. (b) Deucalion; Lat. Gr. i. e. Calling upon God. An antient King of Theffaly the Son of

Pro

RHA, (c) ftood before the Shrine of THE MIS, (d) to restore the Race of MANKIND, deftroy'd by the Deluge. Their Prayers afcended up to Heaven without Obstruction, and there found eafy Entrance; then clad with Incenfe, came in Sight before the FATHER'S Throne, where the golden Altar fmoak'd, close by their great Interceffor; and the SON gladly prefenting them, thus began to intercede:

BEHOLD, O FATHER! what are the first Fruits, which on Earth are fprung up in MAN, from thy Grace implanted in him! they are thefe Sighs and Prayers, which I thy Priest bring before thee, mix'd with Incenfe in this golden Cenfor: These are Fruits of more pleafing Savour, produc'd from thy Seed, fown with Contrition in his Heart, than those which all the Trees in PARADISE could have produc'd, manur'd by his Hand before he was fallen from Innocence. Now, therefore, incline thine Ear to his Supplication; hear his Sighs, though his Tongue be mute! He knows not with what Words to pray, let me interpret for him, who am his Advocate and Propitiation; impute all his Deeds good or evil to me; my Merit shall make the good perfect, and for the

Prometheus, cotemporary with Cecrops King of Athens, about A. M. 2437. in whofe Reign a great Inundation happened in Greece. He with his Wife only were faved in a little Boat upon Mount Parnaffus, till the Waters abated.

(c) Pyrrha; Lat. Gr. i. e. Fire: Because of her fingular Piety, Zeal for the Gods. and Chastity. She was the Wife of Deucalion. Thefe Names were very fuitable to the Character given to Noah and his Wife. Deucalion, they fay, was the fr that erected a Temple to

evil

the Worship of the Gods; fo Noah built the first Altar, we read of in the World, Gen. 8. 20. 21.-And Berofus calls Pyrrha Tytea and Vefta. Heb. i. e. Earth-born.

(d) Themis; Lat. Gr. i, e. Juft or Right: Because she taught Men to petition the Gods for thofe Things that were right and fit; or Heb. from Tham or Thummim, i. e. Perfect, upright. A Goddefs, that had an Oracle upon Mount Parnafus; thither thofe two addreffed themfelves for Counfel, how the loft Race of Mankind might be restored.