THE DAY OF JUDGMENT : A POETICAL ESSAY . BY DR. GLYNN . THY justice , heavenly King ! and that great day , When Virtue , long abandon'd and forlorn , Shall raise her pensive head ; and Vice , that erst Rang'd unreprov'd and free , shall sink appall'd , I sing adventurous . — But what eye can pierce The vast immeasurable realms of space O'er which Messiah drives his flaming car To that bright region , where enthron'd he sits First-born of heaven , to judge assembled worlds , Cloath'd in celestial radiance ! Can the Muse , Her feeble wing all damp with earthly dew , Soar to that bright empyreal , where around , Myriads of angels , God's perpetual choir , Hymn Halelujah's ; and in concert loud Chaunt songs of triumph to their Maker's praise ? — Yet will I strive to sing , albeit unus'd To tread poetic soil . What tho' the wiles Of Fancy me enchanted ne'er could lure To rove o'er fairy lands ; to swim the streams That thro' her vallies weave their mazy way ; Or climb her mountain tops ; yet will I raise My feeble voice to tell what harmony ( Sweet as the music of the rolling spheres ) Attunes the moral world : that Virtue still May hope her promis'd crown ; that Vice may dread Vengeance , tho' late ; that reasoning Pride may own Just tho' unsearchable the ways of heaven . Sceptic ! whoe'er thou art , who say'st the soul , That divine particle , which God's own breath Inspir'd into the mortal mass , shall rest Annihilate , 'till Duration has unroll'd Her never-ending line ; tell , if thou know'st , Why every nation , every clime , tho' all In laws , in rites , in manners disagree , With one consent expect another world , Where wickedness shall weep ? Why Paynim bards , Fabled Elysian plains , Tartarean lakes , Styx and Cocytus ? Tell , why Hali's sons Have feign'd a paradise of mirth and love , Banquets , and blooming nymphs ? Or rather tell , Why , on the brink of Orellana's stream , Where never Science rear'd her sacred torch , Th' untutor'd Indian dreams of happier worlds Behind the cloud-topt hill ? why in each breast Is plac'd a friendly monitor , that prompts , Informs , directs , encourages , forbids ? Tell , why on unknown evil grief attends , Or joy on secret good ? Why conscience acts With tenfold force , when sickness , age , or pain , Stands tottering on the precipice of Death ? Or why such horror gnaws the guilty soul Of dying sinners ; while the good man sleeps Peaceful and calm , and with a smile expires ? Look round the world , with what a partial hand The scale of bliss and misery is sustain'd ! Beneath the shade of cold obscurity Pale Virtue lies ! no arm supports her head , No friendly voice speaks comfort to her soul , Nor soft-ey'd Pity drops a melting tear ; But , in their stead , Contempt and rude Disdain Insult the banish'd wanderer : on she goes Neglected and forlorn : Disease , and Cold , And Famine , worst of ills , her steps attend : Yet patient , and to heaven's just will resign'd , She ne'er is seen to weep , or heard to sigh . Now turn your eyes to yon sweet-smelling bower , Where flush'd with all the insolence of wealth Sits pamper'd Vice ! For him th' Arabian gale Breathes forth delicious odours ! Gallia's hills For him pour nectar from the purple vine ; Nor think for these he pays the tribute due To heaven : of heaven he never names the name , Save when with imprecations dark and dire He points his jest obscene . Yet buxom Health Sits on his rosy cheek ; yet Honour gilds His high exploits ; and downy pinion'd Sleep Sheds a soft epiate o'er his peaceful couch . See'st thou this , righteous Father ! See'st thou this , And wilt thou ne'er repay ? Shall good and ill Be carried undistinguish'd to the land Where all things are forgot ? — Ah ! no ; the day Will come , when Virtue from the cloud shall burst That long obscur'd her beams ; when Sin shall fly Back to her native hell ; there sink eclips'd In penal darkness ; where nor star shall rise , Nor ever sunshine pierce th' impervious gloom . On that great day the solemn trump shall sound , ( That trump which once in heaven on man's revolt Convok'd the astonish'd seraphs ) at whose voice Th' unpeopled graves shall pour forth all their dead . Then shall th' assembled nations of the earth From every quarter , at the judgment-seat Unite ; Egyptians , Babylonians , Greeks , Parthians , and they who dwelt on Tyber's banks , Names fam'd of old : or who of later age , Chinese and Russian , Mexican and Turk , Tenant the wide Terrene ; and they who pitch Their tents on Niger's banks ; or where the sun Pours on Golconda's spires his early light , Drink Ganges' sacred stream . At once shall rise , Whom distant ages to each other's sight Had long denied ; before the throne shall kneel Some great progenitor , while at his side Stands his descendant thro' a thousand lines . Whate'er their nation , and whate'er their rank , Heroes and patriarchs , slaves and scepter'd kings , With equal eye the God of all shall see ; And judge with equal love . What tho' the great With costly pomp and aromatic sweets Embalm'd his poor remains ; or thro' the dome A thousand tapers shed their gloomy light , While solemn organs to his parting soul Chaunted slow orisons ? Say , by what mark Dost thou discern him from that lowly swain Whose mouldering bones beneath the thorn bound turf Long lay neglected ? — All at once shall rise ; But not to equal glory : for , alas ! With howlings dire and execrations loud Some wail their fatal birth . — First among these Behold the mighty murtherers of mankind ; They who in sport whole kingdoms slew ; or they Who to the tottering pinnacle of power Waded thro' seas of blood ! How will they curse The madness of ambition ; how lament Their dear-bought laurels ; when the widow'd wife And childless mother at the judgment-seat Plead trumpet-tongu'd against them ! — Here are they Who sunk an aged father to the grave : Or with unkindness hard and cold disdain Slighted a brother's sufferings : — Here are they Whom fraud and skilful treachery long secur'd ; Who from the infant virgin tore her dower , And eat the orphan's bread : — who spent their stores In selfish luxury ; or o'er their gold Prostrate and pale ador'd the useless heap . — Here too who stain'd the chaste connubial bed ; — Who mix'd the poisonous bowl ; — or broke the ties Of hospitable friendship : — and the wretch Whose listless soul sick with the cares of life Unsummon'd to the presence of his God Rush'd in with insult rude . How would they joy Once more to visit earth ; and , tho' oppress'd With all that Pain and Famine can inflict , Pant up the hill of life ? Vain wish ! the Judge Pronounces doom eternal on their heads , Perpetual punishment . Seek not to know What punishment ! for that th' Almighty Will Has hid from mortal eyes : and shall vain man With curious search refin'd presume to pry Into thy secrets , Father ! No : let him With humble patience all thy works adore , And walk in all thy paths : so shall his meed Be great in heaven , so haply shall he 'scape The immortal worm and never-ceasing fire . But who are they , who bound in ten-fold chains Stand horribly aghast ? This is the crew Who strove to pull Jehovah from his throne , And in the place of heaven's Eternal King Set up the phantom Chance . For them in vain Alternate seasons chear'd the rolling year ; In vain the sun o'er herb , tree , fruit , and flower Shed genial influence , mild ; and the pale moon Repair'd her waning orb . — Next these is plac'd The vile blasphemer , he , whose impious wit Profan'd the sacred mysteries of faith , And 'gainst the impenetrable walls of heaven Planted his feeble battery . By these stands The arch Apostate : he with many a wile Exhorts them still to foul revolt . Alas ! No hope have they from black despair , no ray Shines thro' the gloom to chear their sinking souls : In agonies of grief they curse the hour When first they left Religion's onward way . These on the left are rang'd : but on the right A chosen band appears , who fought beneath The banner of Jehovah , and defy'd Satan's united legions . Some , unmov'd At the grim tyrant's frown , o'er barbarous climes Diffus'd the gospel's light ; some , long immur'd ( Sad servitude ! ) in chains and dungeons pin'd ; Or rack'd with all the agonies of pain Breath'd out their faithful lives . Thrice happy they Whom heaven elected to that glorious strife ! — Here are they plac'd , whose kind munificence Made heaven-born Science raise her drooping head ; And on the labours of a future race Entail'd their just reward . Thou amongst these Good SEATON ! whose well-judg'd benevolence Fostering fair Genius bad the Poet's hand Bring annual offerings to his Maker's shrine , Shalt find the generous care was not in vain . — Here is that favourite band , whom mercy mild , God's best lov'd attribute , adorn'd ; whose gate Stood ever open to the stranger's call ; Who fed the hungry , to the thirsty lip Reach'd out the friendly cup ; whose care benign From the rude blast secur'd the pilgrim's side ; Who heard the widow's tender tale ; and shook The galling shackle from the prisoner's feet ; Who each endearing tye , each office knew Of meek-ey'd heaven-descended Charity . — O Charity , thou nymph divinely fair ! Sweeter than those whom antient Poets bound In amity's indissoluble chain , The Graces ! How shall I essay to paint Thy charms , celestial maid ; and in rude verse Blazon those deeds thyself didst ne'er reveal ? For thee nor rankling envy can infect , Nor rage transport , nor high o'erweening pride Puff up with vain conceit ; ne'er didst thou smile To see the sinner as a verdant tree Spread his luxuriant branches o'er the stream ; While like some blasted trunk the righteous fall , Prostrate , forlorn . When prophesies shall fail , When tongues shall cease , when knowledge is no more , And this great day is come ; thou by the throne Shalt sit triumphant . Thither , lovely maid , Bear me , O bear me on thy soaring wing , And thro' the adamantine gates of heaven Conduct my steps , safe from the fiery gulph And dark abyss where Sin and Satan reign ! But , can the Muse , her numbers all too weak , Tell how that restless element of fire Shall wage with seas and earth intestine war , And deluge all creation ? Whether ( so Some think ) the comet , as thro' fields of air Lawless he wanders , shall rush headlong on Thwarting th' Ecliptic where th' unconscious earth Rolls in her wonted course ; whether the sun With force centripetal into his orb Attract her long reluctant ; or the caves , Those dread Vulcanos where engendering lye Sulphureous minerals , from their dark abyss Pour streams of liquid fire ; while from above , As erst on Sodom , heaven's avenging hand Rains fierce combustion . — Where are now the works Of art , the toil of ages ? Where are now Th' imperial cities , sepulchres and domes , Trophies and pillars ? — Where is Egypt's boast , Those lofty pyramids , which high in air Rear'd their aspiring heads , to distant times Of Memphian pride a lasting monument ? — Tell me where Athens rais'd her towers ? — Where Thebes Open'd her hundred portals ? — Tell me where Stood sea-girt Albion ? — Where imperial Rome Propt by seven hills sat like a sceptred Queen , And aw'd the tributary world to peace ? — Shew me the rampart , which o'er many a hill , Thro' many a valley stretch'd its wide extent , Rais'd by that mighty monarch , to repel The roving Tartar , when with insult rude 'Gainst Pekin's towers he bent th'unerring bow . But what is mimic Art ? Even Nature's works , Seas , meadows , pastures , the meandering streams , And everlasting hills shall be no more . No more shall Teneriff cloud-piercing height O'er-hang th' Atlantic Surge . — Nor that fam'd cliff , Thro' which the Persian steer'd with many a sail , Throw to the Lemnian Isle its evening shade O'er half the wide Aegean . — Where are now The Alps that confin'd with unnumber'd realms , And from the Black Sea to the Ocean stream Stretch'd their extended arms ? — Where's Ararat , That hill on which the faithful Patriarch's Ark Which seven long months had voyaged o'er its top First rested , when the Earth with all her sons , As now by streaming cataracts of fire , Was whelm'd by mighty waters ? — All at once Are vanish'd and dissolv'd ; no trace remains , No mark of vain distinction : heaven itself That azure vault with all those radiant orbs Sinks in the universal ruin lost . — No more shall planets round their central sun Move in harmonious dance ; no more the moon Hang out her silver lamp ; and those fix'd stars Spangling the golden canopy of night , Which oft the Tuscan with his optic glass Call'd from their wonderous height , to read their names And magnitude , some winged minister Shall quench ; and ( surest sign that all on earth Is lost ) shall rend from heaven the mystic bow . Such is that awful , that tremendous day , Whose coming who shall tell ? for as a thief Unheard , unseen , it steals with silent pace Thro' night's dark gloom . — Perhaps as here I sit And rudely carol these incondite lays , Soon shall the hand be check'd , and dumb the mouth That lisps the faultering strain . — O ! may it ne'er Intrude unwelcome on an ill-spent hour ; But find me wrapt in meditations high , Hymning my great Creator ! " Power supreme ! " O Everlasting King ! to thee I kneel , " To thee I lift my voice . With fervent heat " Melt all ye elements ? And thou , high heaven , " Shrink , like a shrivell'd scroll ? But think , O Lord , " Think on the best , the noblest of thy works ; " Think on thine own bright Image ! Think on him , " Who died to save us from thy righteous wrath ; " And 'midst the wreck of worlds remember man ! "