Yet not of will in him, but grace in me Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand By me upheld, that he may know how frail Elect above the reft; fo is my will: 175 180 The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd 185 To pray, repent, and bring obedience due. 180. By me upheld,] It was before, ver. 178. Upheld by me. The turn of the words is remarkable. And we have the oftner taken notice of these turns of the words, because it has been objected by Dryden and others, that there were no turns of the words in Milton. 183. Some I have chofen of peculiar grace &c.] Our author 190 To fpells this word, and it is most endevor'd] So Milton agreeable to our pronunciation of To pray'r, repentance, and obedience due, This my long fufferance and my day of it, as well as to its derivation from the French en and devoir. 197. And to the end perfifting, safe arrive.] He that indureth to the end fhall be faved, Mat. X. 22. 198. This my long fufferance and my day of grace They who neglect and fcorn, fhall never tafte;] It is a great pity that our author fhould have thus debafed the dignity of the VOL. I. 196 200 205 But But to deftruction facred and devote, 210 The rigid fatisfaction, death for death. Say heav'nly Pow'rs, where fhall we find fuch love? Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjust to fave? He afk'd, but all the heav'nly quire ftood mute, Patron or interceffor none appear'd, 215 Much less that durft upon his own head draw 220 The deadly forfeiture, and ranfome fet. And now without redemption all mankind 215-and juft th' unjust to fave?] That is, Which of ye will be fo juft as to fave the unjuft? Which of ye will be righteous enough to fupply the defects of others righ, teoufnefs? It is plainly an allufion to 1 Pet. III. 18. For Chrift alfo hath once fuffer'd for fins, the juft for the unjuft. Muft Addifon. a filence in Heaven. This beautiful circumftance is raifed upon Rev. VIII. 1. where upon a certain occafion it is faid, There was filence in Heaven. And fo, as there was filence in Hell, when it was propos'd who fhould be fent on the dangerous expedition to deftroy mankind, there is likewife 217.-flood mute,] I need not filence in Heaven, when it is afk'd point out the beauty of that cir- who would be willing to pay the cumftance, wherein the whole hoft price of their redemption. Satan of Angels are reprefented as ftand-alone was fit to undertake the one, ing mute, nor fhow how proper as the Son of God the other. But the occafion was to produce fuch tho' the filence is the fame in both places, Must have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell 225 Father, thy word is past, Man fhall find grace; And shall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speedieft of thy winged meffengers, To vifit all thy creatures, and to all 239 Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfought? Happy for Man, fo coming; he her aid Can never feek, once dead in fins and loft; Indebted and undone, hath none to bring: anger fall; places, the difference of the expreffion is remarkable. In Hell it is faid all fat mute, II. 420, as there the infernal peers were fitting in council; but here it is faid they flood mute, as the good Angels were ftanding round about the throne of God. 231. Comes unprevented,] Prevent from prævenire to come before. This grace is not preceded by mcrit or fupplication; itself prevents or goes before; 'tis a free gift, as XI. 3. Prevenient grace defcending, &c. 2 Tim. I. 9. Not according to 235 Account 236. Behold me then; me for him, life for life I offer; on me let thine anger fall; Account me Man:] The frequent and vehement repetition of me here Account me Man; I for his fake will leave Under his gloomy pow'r I shall not long rage; Lie vanquish'd; thou haft giv'n me to poffefs 240 Though now to Death I yield, and am his due 245 All that of me can die; yet that debt paid, Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsome grave His prey, nor fuffer my unspotted foul For ever with corruption there to dwell; 250 My vanquisher, fpoil'd of his vaunted spoil; Inglorious, 249.with corruption there to dwell;] According to the Pfalmift, For thou wilt not leave my foul in Hell, neither fuffer thine Holy One to fee corruption, Pfal. XVI. 10. applied to our Saviour's refurrection by St. Peter, Acts II. 20, 21, &c. 252. Death his death's wound fball then receive,] I am very forry to obferve, that the quaint conceit in this line is very inconfiftent with the character of the fpeaker, and unworthy of the majefty of the reft of the fpeech. Milton might perhaps be led into |