Where, promise, thy fulfillment, pledged of yore?
'Twas time—full time—the far-seen ensign waved,
Hailing the morn on heights of holiness,
Proclaiming peace and freedom to the world. 2620
'Twas time disorder fled, time justice reigned,
And rightfully were held dominion's keys;
Time pure religion's sceptre should return,
By poesy extolled, by art adorned,
With science and with reason reconciled;
Time feeble earth her panacea found,
Time health gave life its old longevity,
Time pride should bend, time lust to love should yield,
And self confess the joy of sacrifice.
'Twas time an Enoch came[17], a Zion rose. 2630
Sound, trump of God! as when old Jordan's wave
Shook with the thunder-tread of Joshua's host,
Shook with the shouting and the trumpet blasts,
Heard the loud roar of crumbling Jericho,
And in mad haste ran shuddering to the sea!
Speak now the doom foreshadowed by that fall—
The mightier doom of Modern Babylon:
Bow down thy head, proud mistress of the world!
Humble thy haughty crest, degenerate queen!
Lift but thine eyes to where God's finger glows 2640
In fiery warning on thy festal wall,
Drowning in dread the voice of revelry,
Thy saturnalia's ribald shout and song.
Ended thine empire, Weighed-and-Wanting-Found!
Down to the dust in all thy worldliness,
Thou thing of brass, of iron, and of clay!
Sound, trumpet, sound! The looked-for signal looms!
The fateful stone upon the image rolls!
"On you, my fellow servants, I confer
The priestly power of Aaron, with the keys 2650
Of angel ministries, of penitence,
Of water-birth that washes free from sin.
And greater things than these shall yet be given—
The holier powers of high Melchizedek,
Which Mightier by three shall minister."
And on each head was laid a holy hand[18];
Time making good the promise plighted there,
Welding another link in wonder's chain,
Writing new chapters of a story strange,
Confounding human learning, fools and wise. 2660
—-
So came once more the panoply of power[19].
So rose the ensign o'er a waiting world.
Armed thus with knowledge and authority,
Armed and equipt, with staff, and stone in sling,
Fares forth a champion for Israel,
To grapple with Philistia and prevail.
Guide unto God, repointer of the path,
Untrodden through a thousand years nigh twained,
The while men roamed, as once o'er trackless wild,
The savage, by the untaught trapper trained; 2670
Blind leading blind through thick and thorny wold.
Light 'mid the darkness, beam from heaven's full blaze,
Driving the mists, that comprehended not
His brightness nor their own obscurity;
Holding him blind who saw as few have seen.
He, blind, forsooth, who more than all beheld!