▁a ▁best - s elling ▁classic ▁in ▁Pur itan ▁New ▁England ▁for ▁a ▁century ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 2 ▁by ▁Samuel ▁Green ▁and ▁Mar m adu ke ▁Johnson . ▁The ▁poem ▁describes ▁the ▁Day ▁of ▁Jud gment , ▁on ▁which ▁a ▁ven ge ful ▁God ▁jud ges ▁and ▁sentences ▁all ▁men , ▁going ▁into ▁detail ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁various ▁categories ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁think ▁themselves ▁exc usable ▁who ▁will ▁non eth eless ▁end ▁up ▁in ▁Hell . ▁ ▁The ▁poem ▁was ▁so ▁popular ▁that ▁the ▁early ▁ed itions ▁were ▁th um bed ▁to ▁sh red s . ▁ ▁Only ▁one ▁fragment ary ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁edition ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁exist , ▁and ▁second ▁ed itions ▁are ▁exception ally ▁rare . ▁ ▁The ▁poem ▁is ▁a ▁" dog ger el ▁ep it ome ▁of ▁Cal vin istic ▁the ology ", ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁anth ology , ▁Col onial ▁Pro se ▁and ▁Po etry ▁( 1 9 0 3 ). ▁It ▁" att ained ▁immediately ▁a ▁phenomen al ▁popular ity . ▁E igh teen ▁hundred ▁copies ▁were ▁sold ▁within ▁a ▁year , ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁century ▁it ▁held ▁a ▁secure ▁place ▁in ▁New ▁England ▁Pur itan ▁households ". ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁N orton ▁Anth ology ▁of ▁American ▁Liter ature ▁( Volume ▁ 1 ), ▁" about ▁one ▁out ▁of ▁every ▁twenty ▁persons ▁in ▁New ▁England ▁bought ▁it ". ▁ ▁As ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 8 2 8 ▁it ▁was ▁stated ▁that ▁many ▁aged ▁persons ▁were ▁still ▁alive ▁who