ARGUMENT. The Millennium ended.-Satan unbound.-Violence and crime prevail over all the earth, now ripe for final doom.—The Bard foretells the descent of the Almighty, and the dissolution of Nature and the elements. -Apostrophe to holy bards of the latter time.-Wretchedness and terrors of the wicked.-The daughters of men and all Nature called to lament.-The Bard again reverts to the sinful state of the world after the Millennial rest.—The ambition of priests.-The corrupt union of Church and State.-Profanation of the Sabbath.-The frothy orator admired above the faithful preacher.-The workings of the opposing principles of sloth and the love of approbation in the human heart:Both principles alike dangerous.-The love of praise exemplified in a variety of characters.-Pernicious effects of sloth in the literary man.— Maturity of every species of crime in the latter days.-The Theatre.Excess of ceremonial and treacherous politeness.—Symptoms of the approaching catastrophe:-The sun reeling in the heavens:-Unearthly portents.-Men alarmed but not reformed:-Their false notions and explanations of the warning prodigies.—Deceitful calm succeeds.—Men return to their former courses.-In heaven the elders round the Throne gaze on the Dial by which Time is measured.-Mercy pleads that Vengeance may be stayed; gleams of love still mingle with the terrors of Omnipotence.-The Earth increasing in wickedness, Satan, Death, and Sin, have full sway:-Every species of crime abounds.—The last hour come-The number of the elect complete-Mercy withdraws, and Justice bares his sword.-The trumpet of heaven summoning to evening worship, the Bard suspends his narrative.—The heavenly worshippers.— The various employments of the inhabitants of heaven.-God and the Lamb the centre and object of all the blessed spirits.—None unemployed in heaven.-The songs of heaven ever new. -Anthem sung before the Throne.-The Bard of Judah leads the strain, which redeemed and angel harps repeat.-The Amen repeated by all the hosts of heavenechoed through Eternity.-The New-arrived accepted and welcomed.— Evening landscape of Paradise. THE COURSE OF TIME. RE BOOK VI. ESUME thy tone of woe, immortal harp! Is ended, and the sun begins to fade! Soon past, for Happiness counts not the hours: Your loins about with truth; add righteousness, Whence comes that darkness? whence those yells of woe? What thunderings are these that shake the world? Of night, near and more near, angels of death The thunder, long and loud, utters his voice, Night comes, last night-the long, dark, dark, dark night, That has no morn beyond it, and no star. No eye of man hath seen a night like this. Heaven's trampled justice girds itself for fight; And all thy glory mourns. The vintage mourns; And wanton with thy golden locks, to wait And with the turtle spread the wave of woe: Ye holy bards! if yet a holy bard Remain, what chord shall serve ye now? what harp? What harp shall sing the dying sun asleep, And mourn behind the funeral of the moon? |