Behold, That Great and Awful Day

Behold that great and aw­ful day

Of part­ing soon will come

When sin­ners must be hurled away;

And Christ­ians ga­thered home!

They one with Di­ves for wa­ter cry

And gnaw their tongues in pain

They gnash their teeth and crisp and fry

And ring their hands in vain.

Now hail! all hail! ye fright­ful ghosts

With whom I once did dwell

And spent my days in fran­tic mirth

And danced my soul to hell!

You me about the floor did drag

And caused my soul to sin;

And de­vils now your mouth shall gag

And force the fuel in.

Perhaps the par­ent sees the child

Sink down to end­less flames

With shrieks

and howls

and bit­ter cries

Never to rise again.

O father! see my blaz­ing hands

And mo­ther! see your child!

Against you now

a wit­ness stands

Amidst the flames con­fined!

The child

per­haps

the par­ents view

Go head­long down to hell:

Gone with the rest of Sa­tan’s crew

And bid the child fare­well!

The hus­band sees his pi­teo­us wife

With whom he once did dwell

Depart with groans and bit­ter cries

My hus­band! fare you well!

But O

per­haps

the wife may see

The man she once did love

Sink down to end­less mi­se­ry

While she is crowned ab­ove!

Then shall the saints through grace com­bined

Drink in eter­nal love:

In Je­sus’ im­age there to shine

And reign with Him above.

O how it lifts my soul to think

Of meet­ing round the throne

Eternal joys there for to drink

Where sor­rows nev­er come.