 | Scenes from Scripture with Other Poems |  |
148
THE JUDGMENT DAY.
“And he spake a parable unto them, to this end; that men ought always to pray, and never to faint.
“And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night to
Him, though He bear long with them?
“I tell you, He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith upon the Earth.”—
Luke xviii.
Great God! how long shall man defy
Thy vengeance, but to taunt—and die!
How long his frantic lip blaspheme
Thy glorious Kingdom, as a dream!
How long the Atheist's sullen soul
Disdain the Prophet's burning scroll!
How long before the idol-shrine
Bow the lost hearts, that should be Thine?
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
When comes, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
Thy vengeance, but to taunt—and die!
How long his frantic lip blaspheme
Thy glorious Kingdom, as a dream!
How long the Atheist's sullen soul
Disdain the Prophet's burning scroll!
How long before the idol-shrine
Bow the lost hearts, that should be Thine?
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
When comes, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
149
Great God! how long Thy scattered sheep,
Thy Saints, shall only watch and weep!
Pour Thy high truths on thankless ears,
And cat the bread of toil and tears!
Walk through a scoffing world—alone;
The Serpent on Thy rightful throne!
Ye comets, light our more than gloom;
Ye thunders, burst our more than tomb.
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
When comes, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
Thy Saints, shall only watch and weep!
Pour Thy high truths on thankless ears,
And cat the bread of toil and tears!
Walk through a scoffing world—alone;
The Serpent on Thy rightful throne!
Ye comets, light our more than gloom;
Ye thunders, burst our more than tomb.
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
When comes, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
Great God! already fills the wine
The cup of wrath, the final Sign!
The foul and fierce Idolater,
Tyrant at once and tempter here!
Earth stamped with crimes, undared before,
Man, guilt-corrupted to the core,
The world in deepening evil still,
At last one great, consummate Ill!
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
When comes, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
The cup of wrath, the final Sign!
The foul and fierce Idolater,
Tyrant at once and tempter here!
Earth stamped with crimes, undared before,
Man, guilt-corrupted to the core,
The world in deepening evil still,
At last one great, consummate Ill!
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
When comes, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
150
Great God! I see Thy sickle sweep;
The harvest's ripe, 'tis time to reap!
At midnight shall the startled eye
Be fixed upon the flashing sky;
All hearts with sudden fear be wrung,
All knees in sudden prayer be flung:
Now taunt, thou haughty Infidel!
When the last thunders round thee swell.
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
Is this, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
The harvest's ripe, 'tis time to reap!
At midnight shall the startled eye
Be fixed upon the flashing sky;
All hearts with sudden fear be wrung,
All knees in sudden prayer be flung:
Now taunt, thou haughty Infidel!
When the last thunders round thee swell.
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
Is this, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
Great God! then all shall be revealed!
Guilt from all eyes, but Thine, concealed;
The tyrant-wrong, the traitor-art,
The whole dark history of the heart.
Mad avarice, and madder pride,
The hand in midnight murder dyed;
Secrets in stern oblivion flung,
Now trembling on the wretch's tongue.
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
Is this, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
Guilt from all eyes, but Thine, concealed;
The tyrant-wrong, the traitor-art,
The whole dark history of the heart.
Mad avarice, and madder pride,
The hand in midnight murder dyed;
Secrets in stern oblivion flung,
Now trembling on the wretch's tongue.
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
Is this, Great God! Thy Judgment Day?
151
Great God, I hear the trumpet sound!
It rings to Earth's remotest bound,
To Ocean's deepest depths it rings;
Death's sentence to all living things!
Life's summoner to all the dead!
Give up, thou old Unlimited;
Give up, dark Grave, thy countless spoil;
Rise all that ever trod Earth's soil!
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
This is, Great God! Thy Judgment Day!
It rings to Earth's remotest bound,
To Ocean's deepest depths it rings;
Death's sentence to all living things!
Life's summoner to all the dead!
Give up, thou old Unlimited;
Give up, dark Grave, thy countless spoil;
Rise all that ever trod Earth's soil!
Thou sinner's dread—thou sinner's stay,
This is, Great God! Thy Judgment Day!
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