Season 4 Podcast 1 Milton’s Paradise Lost Bk X, Pt XXIX, “The Fall Pt I”
Season 4 Podcast 1 Milton’s Paradise Lost Bk X, Pt XXIX, “The Fall Pt I”
In the prologue to Book X, Milton writes.
“Man’s transgression known, the guardian angels forsake paradise, and return up to heaven to approve their vigilance, and are approved; God declaring that the entrance of Satan could. Not be by them prevented. He sends His Son to judge the transgressors, who descends, and gives sentence accordingly.”
Heaven, which knows all, watched the entire scene unfold in the Garden of Eden, but because of freewill did nothing to interfere. In Book I Milton states his purpose.
“What is in me dark, illumine; what is low, raise and support; That, to the height of this great argument, I may assert eternal providence, And justify the ways of God to man.”
We often want God to intervene. We want him to stop tragedy before it happens. We want him to thwart nature and take away freewill. Often when things are going well, we want God to stay out of our way. When they are going poorly, we want God to step in and save us from ourselves. That leaves the great question: when should God intervene and when should God remain aloof and silent? Many have lost their faith because they blame God for the evil in the world. Some who reject God depend entirely upon their own genius and assign the rest to fate. Others, however, like Jacob, often wrestle with God. Like Milton we all must strive to understand the ways of God to man.
The paradox of the Garden of Eden is that before Satan appeared, there was no opposition. One day was just like the day before and would have continued so forever if Satan had not entered the Garden. For agency we must be enticed both by God and by Satan and be left to choose for ourselves as was Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was necessary for Adam and Eve to leave the Garden to have freewill, agency, freedom, and liberty. One must know sorrow to appreciate joy. We are all Adam and Eve, and we all as we grow up are required to leave the Garden of Eden.
The grand question then is how do we persuade God to intervene in our lives? That is why faith is the first principle of the gospel. Faith precedes all miracles because agency must be preserved. Our invitation allows God to intervene without violating our agency. The question is will he intervene even when invited. That is the second paradox. The greatest power on earth is faith in God. Faith also precedes hope and requires patience and trust. When we invite God into our lives, we also agree to “Trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding.” In other words, we allow God to answer our prayers his way even if it is contrary to our wishes. Without the wisdom of God, often we would condemn ourselves with blessings.
Meanwhile the heinous and despiteful act
Of Satan done in Paradise, and how
He in the Serpent had perverted Eve,
Her Husband she, to taste the fatal fruit,
Was known in Heav’n; for what can scape the Eye
Of God All-seeing, or deceive his Heart
Omniscient, who in all things wise and just,
Hindered not Satan to attempt the mind
Of Man, with strength entire, and free Will armed,
Complete to have discovered and repulst
Whatever wiles of Foe or seeming Friend.
For still they knew, and ought to have still remembered
The high Injunction not to taste that Fruit,
Whoever tempted; which they not obeying,
Incurred, what could they less, the penalty,
And manifold in sin, deserved to fall.
Raphael, Ariel, and the other angels hasten to heaven for fear they will be blamed for Satan’s actions.
Up into Heav’n from Paradise in hast
Th’ Angelic Guards ascended, mute and sad
For Man, for of his state by this they knew,
Much wondering how the suttle Fiend had stolen
Entrance unseen.
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