TAUGHT by Thee, (for the highest Heaven nor lowest Hell hide nothing from Thee) let me relate what was the Cause that mov'd our first Parents, when they were plac'd in fo happy an Estate, and favour'd fo highly of Heaven, to lofe Obedience to their Creator, and tranfgrefs his Command, when he had laid on them but one Restraint, and given themPower over the whole World befides; and who it was that first feduc'd them to that foul Rebellion: It was the chief of the fallen Angels (e) conceal'd in the Form of a Serpent, whofe Fraud, ftirr'd up with Revenge, and Envy, deceiv'd the first Mother of Mankind: Before which his Pride had occafion'd him to be caft out from Heaven, with all the rest of the rebellious Angels, by whofe Affiftance he afpir'd firft to fet himfelf up in Glory above what he was, and imagin'd that he might equal himself to the Almighty, and Moft High GoD, if he did but ftrive, and oppofe him; and with this ambitious Aim made War in Heaven, and fought against his Government, absolute Power and Dominion, with proud Battle, but the Attempt was in vain, for the Power of the ALMIGHTY caft him down from the Heavens, with most dreadful Ruin, and Burning, down to the botB 5 tomlefs

(e) Angels; All the Modern Languages of Europe borrow this Word Angel from the Greek, i. e. A Meffenger; and the Hebrew Malachi fignifies the fame, because thefe Celestial Beings are the Messengers of God. It denotes their Office rather than their Nature. In other Words they are called Spirits, Minifters, Gods, Sons of God, Thrones, &c. Angels are pure, Intellectual, Spiritual Beings, more noble by far than Man, the Glory and Perfection of the Creation; of all

Creatures they come nearest to
the Eternal Father of Spirits, in
their Spiritual Nature and vaft
Perfections; which the Almighty
makes ufe of as his Servants, to
execute his Orders through the
whole Creation, altho' he stands
in no Need of their Services.
Angels of the Prefence: And fo
they are called Shinan, i. e. Se-
cond: Because they are Second
or next to God, Pfal. 68. 17.
Here, Satan who had once been
an Holy, but is now an Apoftate
and Rebellious Angel.

tomless Pit, and everlasting Destruction, where he was doom'd to live, in fuch Pains and Bondage, as are beft exprefs'd by Chains and Fire; who had the Prefumption to defy, and fet himself against the omnipotent Creator of all Things.

As long as would feem many Days and Nights to mortal Men, he lay with his horrid Companions, totally fubdu'd, and restlefs, as if they had been rolling in a fiery Gulph; for though they were immortal Spirits, yet were they confounded: But his Doom was to be referv'd to more Wrath, for now the Thought of the Happiness he had loft, and the lafting Pain which had feiz'd, tormented him, and fpeaking after the Manner of Men, he caft his forrowful Eyes around, which fhew'd that he was dismay'd, and very much afflicted; but not fo, but that he retain❜d ftedfast Hate, and inflexible Pride. At once, as far as it was in the Power of an Angel, to difcern, he perceiv'd the dismal Situation, that it was waste, and wild, and his Idea reprefented to him a horrible Dungeon, that flam'd round on all Sides, like a great Furnace, and yet there feem'd to be no Light, but only perceptible Darknefs; in which terrible Sights of Woe might be difcover'd; Regions of Sorrow, Shades of Hell, where Peace and Reft could never have Habitation, where Hope the only Comforter never comes, but endless Tortures urge continually, and a fiery Deluge, fed with what always burns, and never confumes: This Place eternal Juftice had prepar'd for thofe rebellious Angels, and here given them their Portion, farther remov'd from the Light of Heaven, and from GOD, than it is from the Center (f) three times to the farthest Pole,

(f) Center; Fr. Ital. Span. Lat. from the Gr. i. e. A Point, An Afronomical T. The Middle

Point of a Circle. Here, the
Middle Point of the Earth, i. e.
Three Times as far from Hea-

Pole, (g) but oh! how unlike was this Place from that he fell from! There he foon difcern'd the Companions of his Fall overwhelm'd as with Floods and Whirlwinds of tempeftous Fire; and weltering by his Side, one that was next himself in Power, and next in Wickednefs, who a great while afterwards was worshipp'd in PALESTINE, (b) and call'd BEELZEBUB, (i) to whom the Arch-Enemy (who thenceforward in Heaven, was call'd (k) ŠATAN,) breaking

B 4

ven, as the two Poles are diftant from the Equator, which is a vaft Distance indeed.

(g) Pole; Fr. Lat. Gr. i. e. Turning round. An Aftron. T. The two Ends of an imaginary Circle, on which Aftronomers fay the World turns round from Eaft to Weft daily. The Poles are two, the Artic or North Pole; and the Antartic or South Pole.

(b) Palatine; Heb. i. e. Sprinkled with Duft and Sand; because it is a very dry Land. A Country of Afia upon the Mediterranean Sea. It was call'd, 1. Canaan, from Canaan the Son of Ham; 2. Philiftaa or Palestine, from a mighty People defcended from Mizraim, another of his Sons, Gen. 10. 14. who inhabited fome Part of it. 3. The Land of Promife; because God promifed to give it to Abraham and his Pofterity, for an Inheritance. 4. Judæa; from Judah, whofe Offspring had it long in Poffeffion. And 5. the Holy Land; because it was honoured with God's extraordinary Prefence, Worship, Mercies, Bleffings, Miracles above all Countries upon Earth; and with the Nativity, Life, Aions, and

(i) Beel-zebub, Baal-zebub, or Bel-zebub; Heb. i. e. The Lord of Flies; either because the People believed, that he drove away and deftroyed Flies, which very much infefted them; or because Multitudes of thefe Vermin swarmed about the Blood of the Sacrifices offered to him. He was worshipped firft at Babylon, and then every where; but chiefly by the People of Ekron, 2 Kings, 1. 2. Here it is the Name of one Grand Prince of the Devils, and next to Satan; our Saviour calls him the Prince of the Devils, Mat. 12. 24.

(k) Satan; Heb. i. e. The Adversary. The very Prince of all Devils. As there are diffe

reni

ing the horrid Silence with bold Words thus began to speak:

IF thou art he, who in the happy Kingdoms of Light, cloath'd with exceffive Brightness, didft outfhine Millions of the other Angels, though they were bright! If Mifery hath now join'd with me in the fame Ruin, him whofe united Thoughts, and Counfels, whofe equal Hope, and Hazard with mutual League, join'd with me once in the glorious Enterprize: How art thou fallen and chang'd! Thou seeft into what Pit, and from what Height we are thrown down; fo much stronger HE prov'd with his Thunders, and till then who had ever known the Force of thofe fatal Arms? And yet not on the Account of those, or what the powerful Conqueror in his greatest Anger can inflict elfe, do I either change, or repent of that fix'd Mind, (tho' my outward Luftre may feem diminish'd) nor of that high Difdain which arose in me from a Sense of injur'd Merit, that rais'd me to contend with him who is call'd MIGHTIEST, and brought along to the fierce Contention, a numberlefs Force of arm'd Spirits, who durft difapprove of his Government; and preferring me, with adverse Power oppos'd his utmoft Power, in a doubtful Battle fought in Heaven, in fuch a Manner as fhook his Throne. What though we have fuffer'd some Lofs? We have not loft all, our Will ftill remains unconquer'd; immortal Hate, and Study of Revenge yet remain, and a couragious Refolution never to yield . or fubmit, that Glory his greatest Wrath or Power shall never extort from me, (what other Proof needs there, that we are not overcome?) To bow and petition

rent Orders and Degrees of the For as every good Angel is not a Holy Angels, fo there are still a- Michael or a Gabriel; fo every mong the wicked ones: Their Devil is not a Satan, a Lucifer, Chief Prince is called Satan, &c. And a Kingdom is afcribed Bel zebub, the Old Serpent, &c. to him, Mat. 12. 26, Eph. 2. 2.

tition for Grace, and with Supplications and bended Knees, acknowledge a Power to be infinite, and divine, who fo lately had Reason from the Terror of my Power to doubt the Continuance of his Dominion: That would be low indeed, that would be worfe Difgrace, worse Shame and Ignominy than this Downfall. Since we have (as well as He) by Fate (2) the Strength of Gods, and the Subftance of which we are, is immortal and cannot fail; fince by this laft great Event we have gain'd much Experience and Forefight, and for Oppofition ftill are not worse, we may now make a Refolution, (and hope well for Succefs,) to make either by Force or Fraud eternal and irreconcileable War upon our great Enemy; who now indeed triumphs in the Excefs of Joy, and having no Competitor arbitrarily holds the Tyranny of Heaven.

THUS vaunting aloud fpoke the apoftate Angel, tho' he was in great Pain, and ftung with Tortures of the deepest Despair; and his intrepid Companion BEELZEBUB foon replied.

GREAT Prince! Chief of the many throned Powers, (m) that lead the Seraphim (n) to War in Order of Battle under thy Conduct, and fearlefs, brought

(1) Fate; Fr. Lat. i. e. The Speech or Decree of God. A Word much used by the Stoicks, and other Heathen Philosophers for the Providence of God; the eternal and unchangeableCourse of Things, the unalterable Law of Nature, Destiny.

(m) Powers; Fr. from the Lat. Such Angels as have Ability, Authority, Might and Force in Heaven. Here, fuch Princes among the Fallen Angels, who

fill retained that high Order among themselves, which they had before their Fall.

(n) Seraphim and Seraph; Heb. i. e. Burning and Flaming like Fire, to fhew the vaft Love and Zeal of those bleffed Spirits to God. In Scripture this Word denotes holy Angels of the first Order of the Celestial Hierarchy. Here, Satan, who had been one of that high and happy Order.