Vested; and shining all with perfect bliss, Released. Nor long shall groan. The hour of
The wages that his faithful servants win.

grace,
Thus stood they numberless around the mount The final hour of grace, is fully passed;
Of presence; and, adoring, waited, hushed The time accepted for repentance, faith,
In deepest silence, for the voice of God. And pardon, is irrevocably passed ;
That moment, all the Sacred Hill on high And Justice, unaccompanied, as wont,
Burned, terrible with glory, and, behind With Mercy, now goes forth, to give to all
The uncreated lustre, hid the Lamb,

According to their deeds. Justice alone,-
Invisible; when, from the radiant cloud, For why should Mercy any more be joined ?
This voice, addressing all the hosts of heaven, What hath not mercy, mixed with judgment, done,
Proceeded, not in words as we converse, That mercy, mixed with judgment and reproof,
Each with his fellow, but in language such Could do? Did I not revelation make,
As God doth use, imparting, without phrase Plainly and clearly, of my will entire ?
Successive, what, in speech of creatures, seems Before them set my holy law, and gave
Long narrative, though long, yet losing much Them knowledge, wisdom, prowess to obey,
In feeble symbols of the thought Divine. And, win, by self-wrought works, eternal life?

My servants long approved, my faithful sons, Rebelled, did I not send them terms of peace, Angels of glory, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Which, not my justice, but my mercy asked ? Well pleased, this morning, I have seen the speed Terms, costly to my well-beloved Son; Of your obedience, gathering round my throne, To them, gratuitous, exacting faith In order due, and well-becoming garb;

Alone for pardon, works evincing faith ? Illustrious, as I see, beyond your wont, Have I not early risen, and sent my seers, As was my wish to glorify this day:

Prophets, apostles, teachers, ministers, And now, what your assembling means, attend. With signs and wonders, working in my name?

This day concludes the destiny of man. Have I not still, from age to age, raised up
The hour, appointed from eternity,

As I sow needful, great, religious men,
To judge the earth in righteousness, is come; Gifted by me with large capacity,
To end the war of Sin, that long has fought,. And by my arm omnipotent upheld,
Permitted, against the sword of Holiness; To pour the numbers of my mercy forth,
To give to men and devils, as their works, And roll my judgments on the ear of man?
Recorded in my all-remembering book,

And lastly, when the promised hour was come,I find; good to the good, and great reward What more could most abundant mercy do ?Of everlasting honour, joy, and peace,

Did I not send Immanuel forth, my Son, Before my presence here for evermore;

Only begotten, to purchase, by his blood, And to the evil, as their sins provoke,

As many as believed upon his name? Eternal recompense of shame and wo,

Did he not die to give repentance, such Cast out beyond the bounds of light and love.

As I accept, and pardon of all sins ? Long have I stood, as ye, my sons, well know, Has he not taught, beseeched, and shed abroad Between the cherubim, and stretched my arms The Spirit unconfined, and given at times Of mercy out, inviting all to come

Example fierce of wrath and judgment, poured To me, and live; my bowels long have moved Vindictively on nations guilty long? With great compassion; and my justice passed What means of reformation, that my Son Transgression by, and not imputed sin. Has left behind, untried ? what plainer words, Long here, upon my everlasting throne, What arguments more strong, as yet remain ? I have beheld my love and mercy scorned; Did he not tell them, with his lips of truth, Have seen my laws despised, my name blas- The righteous should be saved, the wicked damned? phemed,

And has he not, awake both day and night, My providence accused, my gracious plans Here interceded with prevailing voice, Opposed; and long, too long, have I beheld At my right hand, pleading his precious blood The wicked triumph, and my saints reproached Which magnified my holy law, and bought, Maliciously, while on my altars lie,

For all who wished, perpetual righteousness? Unanswered still, their prayers and their tears, And have not you, my faithful servants, all That seek my coming, wearied with delay; Been frequent forth, obedient to my will, And long, Disorder in my moral reign

With messages of mercy and of love, Has waked rebelliously, disturbed the peace Administering my gifts to sinful man ? Of my eternal government, and wrought And have not all my mercy, all my love, Confusion, spreading far and wide, among Been sealed and stamped with signature of heaven? My works inferior, which groan to be

By proof of wonders, miracles, and signs

Attested, and attested more by truth

And I, the Omnipresent, with thee go: Divine, inherent in the tidings sent ?

And with thee all the glory of my throne. This day declares the consequence of all.

Thus said the Father; and the Son beloved, Some have believed, are sanctified, and saved, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Fellow God, Prepared for dwelling in this holy place, Arose, resplendent with Divinity; In these their mansions, built before my face; And He the book of God's remembrance took; And now, beneath a crown of golden light, And took the seven last thunders ruinous; Beyond our wall, at place of judgment, they, And took the crowns of life, due to the saints; Expecting, wait the promised, due reward. His armour took ; girt on his sword, his sword The others stand with Satan bound in chains, Of justice ultimate, reserved, till now, The others, who refused to be redeemed: Unsheathed, in the eternal armoury; They stand, unsanctified, unpardoned, sad, And up the living chariot of God Waiting the sentence that shall fix their wo. Ascended, signifying all complete. The others, who refused to be redeemed;

And now the Trump, of wondrous melody, For all had grace sufficient to believe,

By man or angel never heard before, All who my gospel heard; and none, who heard Sounded with thunder, and the march began. It not, shall by its law, this day, be tried. Not swift, as cavalcade, on battle bent Necessity of sinning, my decrees

But, as became procession of a judge, Imposed on none; but rather, all inclined Solemn, magnificent, majestic, slow; To holiness; and grace was bountiful,

Moving sublime with glory infinite, Abundant, overflowing with my word;

And numbers infinite, and awful song, My word of life and peace, which to all men, They passed the gate of heaven, which, many a Who shall or stand or fall, by law revealed,

league, Was offered freely, as 'twas freely sent, Opened either way, to let the glory forth Without all money, and without all price. Of this great march. And now, the sons of men Thus they have all, by willing act, despised Beheld their coming, which, before, they heard Me, and my Son, and sanctifying Spirit. Beheld the glorious countenance of God! But now, no longer shall they mock or scorn. All light was swallowed up, all objects seen The day of grace and mercy is complete, Faded; and the Incarnate, visible And Godhead from their misery absolved. Alone, held every eye upon him fixed; So saying, He, the Father infinite,

The wicked saw his majesty severe; Turning, addressed Messiah, where he sat, And those who pierced Him saw his face with Exalted gloriously, at his right hand.

clouds This day belongs to justice and to thee, Of glory circled round, essential bright! Eternal Son, thy right for service done,

And to the rocks and mountains called in vain, Abundantly fulfilling all my will;

To hide them from the fierceness of his wrath: By promise thine, from all eternity,

Almighty power their flight restrained, and held Made in the ancient Covenant of Grace; Them bound immoveable before the bar. And thine, as most befitting, since in thee The righteous, undismayed and bold-best Divine and human meet, impartial Judge,

proof, Consulting thus the interest of both.

This day, of fortitude sincere,—sustained Go then, my Son, divine similitude,

By inward faith, with acclamations loud, Image express of Deity unseen,

Received the coming of the Son of Man; The book of my remembrance take; and take And, drawn by love, inclined to his approach, The golden crowns of life, due to the saints; Moving to meet the brightness of his face. And take the seven last thunders ruinous;

Meantime, 'tween good and bad, the Judge his Thy armour take; gird on thy sword, thy sword wheels Of justice ultimate, reserved, till now, Stayed, and, ascending, sat upon the great Unsheathed, in the eternal armoury;

White Throne, that morning founded there by And mount the living chariot of God.

power Thou goest not now, as once, to Calvary, Omnipotent, and built on righteousness To be insulted, buffeted, and slain;

And truth. Behind, before, on every side, Thou goest not now, with battle and the voice In native and reflected blaze of bright, Of war, as once against the rebel hosts. Celestial equipage, the myriads stood, Thou goest a Judge, and findst the guilty bound; That with his marching came; rank above rank, Thou goest to prove, condemn, acquit, reward. Rank above rank, with shield and tiaming sword. Not unaccompanied; all these, my saints, 'Twas silence all ! and quick, on right and left, Go with thee, glorious retinue, to sing

A mighty angel spread the book of God's T'hy triumpb, and participate thy joy;

Remembrance; and, with conscience now sincere,

All men compared the record, written there And scorched with the avenging fires, begun
By finger of Omniscience; and received Burning within them,—they upon the verge
Their sentence, in themselves, of joy or wo; Of Erebus, a moment, pausing stood,
Condemned or justified, while yet the Judge And saw, below, the unfathomable lake,
Waited, as if to let them prove themselves. Tossing with tides of dark, tempestuous wrath;
The righteous, in the book of life displayed, And would have looked behind; but greater wrath,
Rejoicing, read their names; rejoicing, read Behind, forbade, which now no respite gave
Their faith for righteousness received, and deeds To final misery. God, in the grasp
Of holiness, as proof of faith complete.

Of his Almighty strength, took them upraised,
The wicked, in the book of endless death, And threw them down, into the yawning pit
Spread out to left, bewailing, read their names; Of bottomless perdition, ruined, damned,
And read beneath them, Unbelief, and fruit Fast bound in chains of darkness evermore;
Of unbelief, vile, unrepented deeds,

And Second Death, and the Undying Worm, Now unrepentable for evermore;

Opening their horrid jaws, with hideous yell, And gave approval of the wo affixed.

Falling, received their everlasting prey. This done, the Omnipotent, Omniscient Judge, A groan returned, as down they sunk, and sunk, Rose infinite, the sentence to pronounce, And ever sunk, among the utter dark ! The sentence of eternal wo or bliss !

A groan returned! the righteous heard the groan, Al glory heretofore seen or conceived,

The groan of all the reprobate, when first All majesty, annihilated, dropped,

They felt damnation sure ! and heard Hell close ! That moment, from remembrance, and was lost; And heard Jehovah, and his love retire ! And silence, deepest hitherto esteemed,

A groan returned! the righteous heard the groan, Seemed noisy to the stillness of this hour. As if all misery, all sorrow, grief, Comparisons I seek not, nor should find, All pain, all anguish, all despair, which all If sought. That silence, which all being held, Have suffered, or shall feel, from first to last When God's Almighty Son, from off the walls Eternity, had gathered to one pang, Of heaven the rebel angels threw, accursed, And issued in one groan of boundless wo! So still, that all creation heard their fall

And now the wall of hell, the outer wall, Distinctly, in the lake of burning fire,

First gateless then, closed round them; that which Was now forgotten, and every silence else.

thou All being rational, created then,

Hast seen, of fiery adamant, emblazed Around the judgment seat, intensely listened. With hideous imagery, above all hope, No creature breathed. Man, angel, devil, stood Above all flight of fancy, burning high; And listened; the spheres stood still, and every star And guarded evermore, by Justice, turned Stood still, and listened; and every particle, To Wrath, that hears, unmoved, the endless groan Remotest in the womb of matter, stood,

Of those wasting within; and sees, unmoved, Bending to hear, devotional and still.

The endless tear of vain repentance fall. And thus upon the wicked, first, the Judge Nor ask if these shall ever be redeemed. Pronounced the sentence, written before of old : They never shall ! Not God, but their own sin, " Depart from me, ye cursed, into the fire, Condemns them. What could be done, as thou Prepared eternal in the Gulf of Hell,

hast heard, Where ye shall weep and wail for evermore, Has been already done; all has been tried Reaping the harvest which your sins have sown." That wisdom infinite, and boundless grace,

So saying, God grew dark with utter wrath; Working together, could devise; and all And, drawing now the sword, undrawn before, Has failed. Why now succeed? Though God Which through the range of infinite, all around,

should stoop, A gleam of fiery indignation threw,

Inviting still, and send his Only Son He lifted up his hand omnipotent,

To offer grace in hell, the pride, that first And down among the damned the burning edge Refused, would still refuse; the unbelief, Plunged; and from forth his arrowy quiver sent, Still unbelieving, would deride and mock; Emptied, the seven last thunders ruinous, Nay more, refuse, deride, and mock; for sin, Which, entering, withered all their souls with fire. Increasing still, and growing, day and night, Then first was vengeance,

first was ruin geen! Into the essence of the soul, become Red, unrestrained, vindictive, final, fierce ! All sin, makes what in time seemed probable, They, howling, fled to west among the dark; Seemed probable, since God invited then,But fled not these the terrors of the Lord. For ever now impossible. Thus they, Pursued, and driven beyond the Gulf, which frowns According to the eternal laws which bind Impassable, between the good and bad,

All creatures, bind the Uncreated One, And downward far remote to left, oppressed Though we name not the sentence of the Judge,-

Must daily grow in sin and punishment, And touching her from his Almighty hand,
Made by themselves their necessary lot, With force centrifugal, she onward ran,
Unchangeable to all eternity.

Coursing her wonted path, to stop no more.
What lot! what choice! I sing not, can not sing. Delightful scene of new inhabitants !
Here, highest seraphs tremble on the lyre, As thou, this morn, in passing hither, sawst.
And made a sudden pause !—but thou hast seen. Thus done, the glorious Judge, turning to right,
And here, the bard, a moment, held his hand, With countenance of love unspeakable,
As one who saw more of that horrid wo Beheld the righteous, and approved them thus:
Than words could utter; and again resumed. “ Ye blessed of my Father, come, ye just,

Nor yet had vengeance done. The guilty Earth, Enter the joy eternal of your Lord;
Inanimate, debased, and stained by sin, Receive your crowns, ascend, and sit with me,
Seat of rebellion, of corruption, long,

At God's right hand, in glory evermore!"
And tainted with mortality throughout, -

Thus said the Omnipotent, Incarnate God
God sentenced next; and sent the final fires And waited not the homage of the crowns,
Of ruin forth, to burn and to destroy.

Already thrown before him; nor the loud
The saints its burning saw, and thou mayst see. Amen, of universal, holy praise ;
Look yonder, round the lofty golden walls But turned the living chariot of fire,
And galleries of New Jerusalem,

And swifter now,-as joyful to declare
Among the imagery of wonders passed; This day's proceedings in his Father's court,
Look near the southern gate; look, and behold— And to present the number of his sons
On spacious canvas, touched with living hues- Before the Throne,-ascended up to heaven
The Conflagration of the ancient earth, And all his saints, and all his angel bands,
The handywork of high archangel, drawn As, glorious, they on high ascended, sung
From memory of what he saw, that day. Glory to God and to the Lamb!—they sung
See! how the mountains, how the valleys burn; Messiah, fairer than the sons of men,
The Andes burn, the Alps, the Appenines, And altogether lovely. Grace is poured
Taurus and Atlas; all the islands burn; Into thy lips, above all measure poured;
The Ocean burns, and rolls his waves of flame. And therefore God hath blessed thee evermore.
See how the lightnings, barbed, red with wrath, Gird, gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou
Sent from the quiver of Omnipotence,

Most Mighty! with thy glory ride; with all
Cross and recross the fiery gloom, and burn Thy majesty, ride prosperously, because
Into the centre !-burn without, within, Of meekness, truth, and righteousness. Thy
And help the native fires, which God awoke, throne,
And kindled with the fury of his wrath.

O God, for ever and for ever stands;
As inly troubled, now she seems to shake; The sceptre of thy kingdom still is right;
The flames, dividing, now a moment, fall; Therefore hath God, thy God, anointed thee,
And now, in one conglomerated mass,

With oil of gladness and perfumes of myrrh,
Rising, they glow on high, prodigious blaze ! Out of the ivory palaces, above
Then fall and sink again, as if, within,

Thy fellows, crowned the Prince of endless peace!
The fuel, burned to ashes, was consumed. Thus sung they God, their Saviour: and them-
So burned the Earth upon that dreadful day,

selves Yet not to full annihilation burned.

Prepared complete to enter now, with Christ,
The essential particles of dust remained, Their living Head, into the Holy Place.
Purged by the final, sanctifying fires,

Behold! the daughter of the King, the bride,
From all corruption; from all stain of sin, All glorious within the bride adorned,
Done there by man or devil, purified.

Comely in broidery of gold ! behold,
The essential particles remained, of which She comes, appareled royally, in robes
God built the world again, renewed, improved, Of perfect righteousness, fair as the sun,
With fertile vale, and wood of fertile bough; With all her virgins, her companions fairgom
And streams of milk and honey, flowing song; Into the Palace of the King she comes,
And mountains cinctured with perpetual green; She comes to dwell for evermore! Awake,
In clime and season fruitful, as at first,

Eternal harps ! awake, awake, and sing !-
When Adam woke, unfallen, in Paradise. The Lord, the Lord, our God Almighty, reigns!
And God, from out the fount of native light, Thus the Messiah, with the hosts of bliss,
A handful took of beams, and clad the sun Entered the gates of heaven, unquestioned now,
Again in glory; and sent forth the moon Which closed behind them, to go out no more;
Tc borrow thence her wonted rays, and lead And stood, accepted, in his Father's sight;
Her stars, the virgin daughters of the sky. Before the glorious, everlasting Throne,
And God revived the winds, revived the tides; Presenting all his saints; not one was lost,

Of all that he in Covenant received;

Rolling my numbers o'er the track of man, And, having given the kingdom up, he sat, The world at dawn, at mid-day, and decline; Where now he sits and reigns, on the right hand Time gone, the righteous saved, the wicked damnOf glory; and our God is all in all !

ed, Thus have I sung beyond thy first request, And God's eternal government approved.