176 REDEMPTION.
And judge how vast their loss must be ; who yield
Such homage, due to heaven's King, to fiend
So foul as thee. But give to earth its praise,
Value at most, its cumulative stores,
What nearer art thou to thy base design ?
Thou did'st not make, nor was it giv'n to thee.
Hell only is thy portion and desert.
The earth's the Lord's, the plenitude thereof;
His are the cattle on a thousand hills,
And all its cumulated stores beside,
The whole round world, and they that dwell therein.
He rules its kingdoms, gives to whom he will,
Whose empire everlasting stands secure;
And if the while his wrath abstains to crush,
And bind thee to the penalty deserved,
Or leave permissive o'er wide space to roam,
'Tis but to hold man's free will as intact,
As first he made it, not from fear of thee,
Who future, in his time, shall fast be bound,
Held under chains in darkness evermore.
Nor are thy proffers less than thou thyself,
Mendacious, arrogant, pretended, false;
Vain promises to dupe, who thee adore.
Since, having not, thou can'st not gifts bestow,
And e'en though having, mean'st not to confer,
But only hopest, by sleight, to lead to sin.
Let these suffice to ward thy wretched aims,
Though needless giv'n, since thou well know'st 'tis writ-
(Nor want I other word to curb thy pride,)
The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and Him
Alone shalt serve. Hence then ! avoid thee ! quit
My sight; lest light'nings of fierce wrath transfix
�� �
