Mortals, Give Ear

Mortals

give ear

the aw­ful day

The last

the great as­size

Advances swift as min­utes fly

The guil­ty to sur­prise.

That eye which sees thro’ dark­est shades

Of se­cre­cy and night;

That ear which ev­ery whis­per hears

Shall bring each deed to light.

How will the guil­ty trem­bling stand

To see their sins re­vealed?

And all their thoughts made pub­lic then

Which lay before con­cealed.

Horror and ang­uish seize their souls

Despoiled of each dis­guise:

Despair now racks their guil­ty breasts

And hope for ev­er dies.

Not so the right­eous—they shall stand

Nor ven­geance them af­fright:

The Judge who good­ness loves will bring

Their sec­ret good to light.

Blushing with joy

the saint shall hear

Each pi­ous deed pro­claimed;

And see his name with hon­or shine

By ma­lice once de­famed.

Thus by an in­ter­pos­ing sphere

The sun is veiled in night

But soon he shows his face with all

The ma­jes­ty of light.