If this isn't good literature, what is?

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As I read through books three and four, I could not get over not only the beautiful way Milton writes, but the excellent plot and discourse he includes. In book three when we get to sit in on the conversation between God and Jesus as God explains humans' desperate need for grace, to which Jesus volunteers Himself as a sacrifice, I was simply awestruck. Haven't we all imagined the conversations God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have? (Maybe that's just me?) I love Milton's attempt to put this unimaginable love into words; Jesus says "Atonement for himself or offering meet, / Indebted and undone, hath none to bring. / Behold me then, me for him, life for life / I offer. On Me let thy anger fall" (234-237). Jesus' love is so much bigger than our finite minds can even begin to fathom and reading this seriously gets me teared up a bit. Yes, these are the words of one man, not God-breathed and inspired as the Bible is, but that doesn't mean it's not a really good fanfiction.

Book four was also impressive to me. Milton presents the newly-made Earth, God's handcrafted Eden, and man before sin. I've always wondered what it was like to live in the garden, without sin, exactly how God had designed for us. When describing Adam and Eve for the first time, Milton says "And worthy seemed for in their looks divine / The image of their glorious Maker shone" (291-292). Satan can't even look at Adam and Eve without seeing God in them. What I love about Paradise Lost is that, even though it's Milton's vast elaboration on a true story, there is a lot of truth and wisdom embedded into it. We are image bearers of our maker, Christ did and does and continues to love us so much He died for us and would probably do it again.

p.s.- I commented on Darby and Carmen's posts

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