Son of Heav'n and Earth,<br />Attend: That thou art happy, owe to God,<br />That thou continu'st such, owe to thyself,<br />That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.<br />This was that caution giv'n thee; be advis'd.<br />God made thee perfect, not immutable;<br />And good he made thee, but to persevere<br />He left it in thy power, ordain'd thy will<br />By nature free, not overrul'd by Fate<br />Inextricable, or strict necessity;<br />Our voluntary service he requires,<br />Not our necessitated, such with him<br />Finds no acceptance, nor can find, for how<br />Can hearts, not free, be tri'd whether they serve<br />Willing or no, who will but what they must<br />By Destiny, and can no other choose?<br />Myself and all th'Angelic Host that stand<br />In sight of God enthron'd, our happy state<br />Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds;<br />On other surety none; freely we serve,<br />Because wee freely love, as in our will<br />To love or not; in this we stand or fall:<br />And some are fall'n, to disobedience fall'n,<br />And so from Heav'n to deepest Hell; O fall<br />From what high state of bliss into what woe!<br />--Archangel Raphael to Adam, Paradise Lost Book V