Only that Adam blames Himself, or rather Supposes he may poffibly have been in the Wrong in having Over-valu'd her. 1179. but Eve has no Fault When She was Determin'd to Eat the Apple She provided her Self with an Excufe in which the Crime, if any, was to Terminate upon God. 773. Now Adam is Blam'd for not making Ufe of his Preheminence, and when Sentence is pronounc'd it will be Seen She Dares not Charge God, Will not Accuse Adam, but 'twas the Serpent that Beguil❜d her.

A more Juft and Lively Picture of Corrupted Nature was Never Painted. Pride and Self-Love, the Predominant Paffions of All Mankind; Paffions however not Ill in Themselves, they are of Admirable Use Wisely Regulated, but moft Pernicious, Otherwife. These are the Principal Figures in This Picture, and Moft Confpicuous. These very Lately fo Happy, are Now Exceedingly Wretched, and by their Own Faults; Yet inftead of Applying their Minds to Remedy their Evils, without Confidering Whom they had Both Offended, of Infinitely the Greater Confequence, they Reproach One Another as the Occafion, where Neither were Really to Blame, though they Were in the Progress of the Quarrel; There Both gave Just Provocation; and Thence came Bitter Enmity, and in Appearance Irreconcileable. Is there a Man Living who cannot feel This is Nature Ff4

from

from his Own Experience, or Obfervation at leaft? Such Minds are not Yet ready for the Still, Soft, Salutary Voice of the Divine Spirit. These are the Perverfe Workings of Fallen Humane Nature, which has not yet purged off its New Contracted Uncleanness in Thefe First Tranfgreffors, and a True Copy of That, We their Defcendants Continually Exhibit. Whereas in All Publick or Private Calamities, Inftead of fuch Vain Contests, and which only Increase the Evil, Every Man fhould Apply to the Remedy. I will lift up mine Eyes to the Hills from Whence cometh my Help. Pf. cxxi. 1. Take a Cenfer, and put Fire therein from off the Altar, and put on Incenfe, and go Quickly unto the Congregation and make an Atonement for them: For there is Wrath gone cut from the Lord, the Plague is begun, Numb. xvi. 46.

Воок

I Mean while

Воок Х.

while the Unhappy Pair Senfible Already of their Mifery and Alienation from God, While They instead of Humbling Themselves before him whom they had Ungratefully Offended, and Flying to his Throne of Mercy, were Unprofitably Lamenting their Mifery, and Mutually Un-forgiving One Another, with Rancorous Minds, their Sin was known in Heaven, and God's Paternal Goodness was Bufied in their Behalf. God, and his Son Jesus Christ, the Same Yesterday, and to Day, and for ever. Heb. xiii. 8. See Ephef. ii. 1.

14 Whoever Tempted;

Foe or Seeming Friend, v. 11. Alluding also to the Excufe of Eve. IX. 1150. Not Unknown to God.

16 And Manifold in Sin,

not Any Tranfgreffion against God or Man, but is Complicated in Some Degree. with Relation to This, See v. 113. and IX. 6.

23

Dim Sadness did not pare

That

That time Celestial Visages, yet mixt with Pitie, Violated not their Bliss. That Lovely Sentiment Pity felt in the Heart gives a Consciousness of a God-like Difpofition which makes Amends for what Uneafy Thoughts Occafion'd That Pity. the Brightnefs which the Face looses for the Prefent Shines Within in more Pleafing Beams.

Here is a New and Delightful Picture. We ⚫ have feen Angelic Faces in Wrath Flaming; not before Dim'd with Sadness. 'tis Diffi⚫cult to Conceive, but More to Express this

Image; though We have One Fine Inftance of it by Leonardo da Vinci, the Head of an Angel as prefent at the Paffion. We have feen many Attempts, but not with Success Equal to This.

against his Maker;

believing Lies

Sathan had perfuaded Eve that the Fruit was kept from her Only out of Envy. IX. 805.

45 or touch with Lightest Moment of Impulse the leaft Weight to Incline the Scale. See the Note on VI. 239. or the leaft Touch, as in this paffage of Livy, Ejus Sylva Galli Arbores ita inciderant ut immota ftarent, momento levi impulfa occiderent.

50

which he Prefumes already Vain and Void, it must be Suppos'd God knew he did fo Prefume, but it does not appear. He flatter'd Himself with Such Hopes, IX. 928, &c. but was far from Trufting to them, as v. 1167. of that Book, though by v. 798. of This it will be feen Those Hopes were not Extinguish'd. What has been faid Clears This Paffage if the Word Prefume be understood, as it frequently is; but as Milton ufually Means what the Words import in their Proper and Original Sence, 'tis moft Likely he Intended Here to say Only that Adam Suppos'd, or Imagin'd.

65 Blaz'd forth Unclouded Deitie; He full Refplendent

Clouded to the Angels. See v. 32. but not to his Son. the Syntax of the Whole Sublime Paffage is This. Unfolding his Glory, Blaz'd forth his Whole Deitie on his Son, He Shining back (Refplendent) Full. Light of Light conceiving (Parad. Reg. IV. 594) Exprefs'd all his Father Manifeft. That Glory which in the Father was Invisible, is in the Son Express and Manifeft. This is his Mediation. See III. 385.