In hellish fury, rancorous ire display,**
But heavenly power arrests your fierce array;
You're made to feel Almighty force supreme,
Which bids your corses kiss the miry plain.
Now, hear an angel in the glorious sun,†
Freed from intruding cloud give this proclaim !
66 Come, draw ye near, ye hungry birds of prey,‡
"To the full banquet that's prepar'd for you!
"See, who were lately bounc'd by lordly pride
"All corpses on the green-clad clods are laid!
Come, eat the flesh of kings, and haughty men
They quiet lie there for your supper slain !”
Lo! now the Beast, and prophet false, obtain
The punishment due to rebellious crime;
Their pompous tribes, as worthless chaff are spread,
And earth rejoices that her plagues are fled.
A mighty angel, with a massy chain,
The devil binds with fetters wondrous strong,
* See Revelations xix. 19.
The appearance of this angel is to come, as the sun is here symbolical of the universal dominion of pure christianity, when the true church flourishes uncontaminated.
And hurls him to th' infernal dungeon where
His beast and prophet* mourning captives are.
Bright thrones are fix'd, just judges give pure laws,
Blest martyrs wake from death's confin'd repose,†
And cheer their Master's triumph, the grand cause
Now gracing earth, and, with transcendent blaze,
Transparent shining there a thousand years,
But these no one yet from the grave appears.
Blest Lamb of God, thy nuptial day is come,
Thy Bride‡ appears to true love's hand resign..
Array'd in linen of the purest white,§
As raiment fitting for the marriage suit,
Accepted and caress'd, with love and joy,
She courts embrace with holy ecstacy.
State polity and piety unite,
Their words, their works to holiness excite :
Empyreal thrones on happy earth preside,
But peace and love their sapient councils guide;
* Commentators differ about whom this false prophet represents, as the character is perfectly applicable to either the Pope, or Mahomet, no doubt but he is the one of them.
+ Compare this with Daniel's prophecies in 7th and 12th chapters, and mark the coincidence.
The true christian church.
§ See Revelations xix.
No imposts plague to feed the maw of war,
Nor tyrants' mandates to distress ensure ;
Nor poverty, in vain, relief to crave,
In field, in cot, hastes plenty to relieve;
Humility, all pleasing, woos the heart,
Employ'd but riches comfort to impart ;
Pure justice rules, no culprits to pursue,
Man, now thy acts are honest, just and true!
O, happy earth! thy miseries are fled,
On the supernal rules the reign of God!
Israel and Judah haste from lands remote,
And with Messiah's holy train unite;
Jerusalem cheers bright prosperity,
And Zion's harps string holy songs of joy.
"War's dreadful thunders shall no longer roar, "Nor earth the din of dire contention hear; "Not now shall nation against nation rise,* "Nor bloody warriors meet with hateful eyes, "Nor fields with gleaming steel be cover❜d o'er, "The brazen trumpet kindle rage no more; "But useless lances into scithes shall bend, "And the broad falchion in a ploughshare end.† "The land abundant shall its produce yield "And the same hand that sav'd shall reap the field:
* See Isaiah chap. xi. and lxv.
"Man shall with man in social comfort live, "And ev'ry one his neighbour's wants relieve; "No one attempt his brother to defraud,* "But strict observe the laws enjoin'd by God, "In every deed strict equity prevails, "All do to others as unto themselves. "A holy race God's courts on earth adorn, "And future sons and daughters yet unborn, "In crowded ranks, on ev'ry side arise, "Demanding life impatient for the skies, "Men vie with men their Maker to adore, "Messiah's praise resounds from shore to shore.Ӡ
But lo! the devil yet a stratagem,
Applies his lost dominion to obtain ;‡
And Gog, and Magog's fierce and murd'ring tribes
To savage combat spurs, and forward leads
To kill; they, burning with revenging ire,
As numerous as the sand on sea-beat shore,
Impetuous as the waves, when's broke the mound
A-breast their raving, roll the fruitful ground,
Rush furious, battl'd by the raving fiend,
The saints redeem'd with slaughter to surround;
* See Ezekiel xxxvi. and xxxvii.; also Jeremiah xxiii. and xxxiii.
+ Pope's Paraphrase of chap. xi. and lxv.
See Revelations chap. xx.
But piercing lightnings from the frowning cloud,
Heaven's flaming spears hurl'd by the hand of God,
With most destructive force unerring fly,
And in a moment sweep them all away.
Perpetual captive is the Dragon made,
And in his fiery den forc'd to abide,
There with the Beast and Prophet to remain,
Tormented in eternal glowing flame.
Jehovah now delares that time shall cease
And mankind see eternal pain or ease.
Lo, nature trembles !-See, her beauties fade!
Behold, o'er earth is spread death's final shade !
Convulsive throes speak dissolution near,
Foretel a mighty change shall soon appear.
See earth and heav'n's, impress'd with speedy flight,
At sight of Him whose high exalted seat
Is a celestial throne, fade and depart
As glowing morn dispels the cloudy night!
Now comes descending in emblazon'd clouds,
As Judge, the Saviour, 'midst attending crowds
Of saints and angels; heavenly cherubim*
Enrob'd in radiance grace His brilliant train;
And those who pierc'd Him rack'd with terror see
His mighty power and glorious Majesty.
* See Psalm 1., Matt. xxv., 1 Cor. xv., and 1 Thess. iv.
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