Elijah’s Interview with God

On Horeb’s rock the pro­phet stood:

The Lord be­fore him passed:

A hur­ri­cane in an­gry mood

Swept by him strong and fast.

The for­ests fell be­fore its force;

The rocks were shi­vered in its course:

God rode not in the blast!

’Twas but the whirl­wind of His breath

Announcing danger

wreck

and death.

It ceased. The air grew mute—a cloud

Came muf­fling up the sun:

When through the mount­ains deep and loud

An earth­quake thun­dered on.

The fright­ed eagle sprang in air;

The wolf ran howl­ing from his lair:

God was not in the stun!

’Twas but the roll­ing of His car

The tramp­ling of His steeds from far.

’Twas still again; and Na­ture stood

And calmed her ruf­fled frame:

When swift from Heav’n a fie­ry flood

To earth de­vour­ing came.

Down to his depths the ocean fled

The sick­en­ing sun looked wan and dead.

Yet God filled not the flame!

’Twas but the ter­rors of His eye

That light­ened through the trou­bled sky.

At last a voice all still and small

Rose sweet­ly on the ear;

Yet rose so calm and clear

that all

In Heav’n and earth might hear.

It spoke of hope

it spoke of love

It spoke as spir­its speak above;

And God Him­self was here.

For

oh

it was a Fa­ther’s voice

That bade His trem­bling world re­joice.

Speak

gra­cious Lord

speak ev­er thus;

And let Thy ter­rors prove

The har­bin­gers of peace to us

The her­alds of Thy love!

Shine through the earth­quake

fire

and storm.

Shine in Thy mild­er

bet­ter form

And all our fears re­move!

One word of Thine is all we claim;

’Tis par­don through a Sav­ior’s name.