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Camp in numberlefs Pavilions by living Streams that run among the Trees of Life; and fuddenly rais'd up celeftial Tabernacles where they flept, refresh'd with the cool Wind, except thofe, who in their Turh fung melodious Hymns all Night long before the Throne of GOD. But SATAN (call him fo now for his former Name is no more heard in Heaven) did not wake to any fuch Purpofe; he, one of the firft if not the very first Arch-Angel, very great in Power, in Favour, and Preeminence; yet being fill'd with Envy against the Son of GOD, (who was that Day honour'd by his great Father, proclaim'd MESSIAH (r) and anointed King) could not bear through Pride to fee that Sight, and thought himself leffen'd and impair'd, conceiving thence Difdain and deep Malice, he refolv'd as foon as it was Midnight, and all were in Sleep, and Silence, to defert with all his Legions, and contemptuoufly to leave the fupreme Throne unworship'd and unobey'd, and to him who was next in Degree under him, thus fpoke in fecret:

My dear Companion! doft thou sleep now? what Sleep can close thy Eyes, doft thou not remember the -Decree of Yesterday, which hath pafs'd the Lips of the Almighty KING of Heaven? Thou waft us'd to impart thy Thoughts to me,I mine to thee, waking we had but one Mind, how then is it, that thy Sleep makes us differ, thou fee'ft there are new Laws impos'd! New Laws made by him who reigns, may raife new Minds in us who ferve, and new Counfels to debate what may hereafter happen: It is not fafe to utter more in this Place.-Do thou affemble all thofe Angels of whom we lead the Chief; tell them that by Command before Morning, I, and all those who are unO 2 der

(r) Meffiah; Heb. Meffias, and Chriftos in Greek, i. e. The Anointed. Chriftians believe that Jefus born in Bethlehem, about

A. M. 4000, in the Reign of
Auguftus, is the true Meias or
Chrift.

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 spoke 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 Counfel, and to this Hazard draw up with Speed all the Power that is left us, and employ it in our Defence, leaft unawares, we should loofe 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 justly 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 Cause of Glory, whom their Hate fhows 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 weakest 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 pafs'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

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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 Com mand:

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 Hafté 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 yourfelves 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 lets 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 Abufe of our imperial Titles,

which ffert 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 feverely oppos'd the Current of his Fury:

Oн proud, falfe, and blafphemous Argument! Words! which no Ear ever expected to hear in Heaven, and leaft 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 thyself, or think all the angelical Nature 0 4 join'd

(i) Abdiel, Hb. i. e. The Servant of God, the fame as Obadiah.

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