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22
MAN'S DESTINY.
“Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little
thereof. In thoughts, from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men.”
—Job.
“And I looked and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death.”
—Revelations.
I slept, and lo! an awful vision past,
In solemn shadowness before my sight:
I saw a mighty city, wide and vast,
Spread out before me in the realms of night,
And earth's inhabitants were busy there,
And swarm'd about the gates of many a palace fair.
In solemn shadowness before my sight:
I saw a mighty city, wide and vast,
Spread out before me in the realms of night,
And earth's inhabitants were busy there,
And swarm'd about the gates of many a palace fair.
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Anon, methought I heard a trumpet blast,
Ring thro' the regions of the concave sky,
And then impetuous, a pale steed rush'd past,
Who bore a grim and gristly form on high.
Fierce was his look, and wild his gleaming hair,
And stern his outstretched arm with bony fingers bare.
Ring thro' the regions of the concave sky,
And then impetuous, a pale steed rush'd past,
Who bore a grim and gristly form on high.
Fierce was his look, and wild his gleaming hair,
And stern his outstretched arm with bony fingers bare.
And whereso'er he rode, that countless host
Of human forms was scatter'd in his way;
Those, with whom grace and beauty were a boast,
And those o'er whom sad pain and age held sway;
Still onward, as he urged his ruthless course,
Earth's sons and daughters fell before that dread pale horse.
Of human forms was scatter'd in his way;
Those, with whom grace and beauty were a boast,
And those o'er whom sad pain and age held sway;
Still onward, as he urged his ruthless course,
Earth's sons and daughters fell before that dread pale horse.
Some met their certain fate with wild despair,
And curs'd the mighty one who gave them life;
And some strove patiently their doom to bear,
And some resisted with a futile strife;
And some bow'd down submissive in the storm,
And some died smiling sweetly on the gloomy form.
And curs'd the mighty one who gave them life;
And some strove patiently their doom to bear,
And some resisted with a futile strife;
And some bow'd down submissive in the storm,
And some died smiling sweetly on the gloomy form.
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And now methought that city, erst so fair,
Was lone and desolate; the phantom shape
Had vanish'd, but those hosts were lying there
As in a charnel house, where none escape
Corruption's festering touch; the young and old
Lay in one mouldering mass, all ghastly to behold.
Was lone and desolate; the phantom shape
Had vanish'd, but those hosts were lying there
As in a charnel house, where none escape
Corruption's festering touch; the young and old
Lay in one mouldering mass, all ghastly to behold.
Anon, I saw a black and murky cloud
From the far distant heaven's topmost height
Descending, wrap the earth as in a shroud,
And hide those loathsome objects from my sight,
And silence held o'er all things solemn sway,
And age on age seem'd passing as in sleep I lay.
From the far distant heaven's topmost height
Descending, wrap the earth as in a shroud,
And hide those loathsome objects from my sight,
And silence held o'er all things solemn sway,
And age on age seem'd passing as in sleep I lay.
But on a sudden, lo! a glorious light
Shone round me, and the dark mist roll'd away,
And once again I saw that city bright,
But a far richer splendour on it lay;
Its palaces were bath'd in glorious gleams,
And sweet the chiming music of its fountain streams.
Shone round me, and the dark mist roll'd away,
And once again I saw that city bright,
But a far richer splendour on it lay;
Its palaces were bath'd in glorious gleams,
And sweet the chiming music of its fountain streams.
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And as I gazed upon this wondrous scene,
I heard a second trumpet peal around,
Far louder than the first loud blast had been,
And piercing as a silver clarion's sound;
When, sudden, in the twinkling of an eye,
Each buried form arose from its dark cemet'ry.
I heard a second trumpet peal around,
Far louder than the first loud blast had been,
And piercing as a silver clarion's sound;
When, sudden, in the twinkling of an eye,
Each buried form arose from its dark cemet'ry.
They were the same, yet changed; their flashing eyes
Beam'd with the fires of immortality;
And some wore looks as calm as summer skies,
And some seem'd mov'd by thoughts and feelings high,
And some seem'd tortur'd by an inward fear,
E'en as a traveller who dreads the tempest near.
Beam'd with the fires of immortality;
And some wore looks as calm as summer skies,
And some seem'd mov'd by thoughts and feelings high,
And some seem'd tortur'd by an inward fear,
E'en as a traveller who dreads the tempest near.
Anon, I heard a voice “Thou mortal man
Behold yon emblem of thy wondrous fate!
Thus shalt thou yield to death, and thus again
Shalt rise, with immortality elate;
And even thus, thy race shall one day stand
Around their Maker's throne, one mighty spirit band.
Behold yon emblem of thy wondrous fate!
Thus shalt thou yield to death, and thus again
Shalt rise, with immortality elate;
And even thus, thy race shall one day stand
Around their Maker's throne, one mighty spirit band.
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I woke! the voice was hush'd, the vision gone;
The day was peering from the darkness forth;
And soon, the rising sun o'er all things shone,
Awakening the inhabitants of earth.
While as I mused upon God's power divine,
Each new awakening seem'd, a token and a sign.
The day was peering from the darkness forth;
And soon, the rising sun o'er all things shone,
Awakening the inhabitants of earth.
While as I mused upon God's power divine,
Each new awakening seem'd, a token and a sign.
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