From Whence These Dire Portents Around? (Samuel)

From whence these dire por­tents around

That earth and Heav’n amaze?

Wherefore do earth­quakes cleave the ground?

Why hides the sun his rays?

Not thus did Sinai’s trem­bling head

With sac­red hor­ror nod

Beneath the dark pa­vil­ion spread

Of le­gis­lative God!

Thou earth

thy low­est cen­ter shake

With Je­su sym­pa­thize!

Thou sun

as hell’s deep gloom be black

’Tis thy cre­at­or dies!

What tongue the tor­tures can des­cribe

Of this vin­dic­tive hour?

Wrath He alone had will to share

As He alone had pow­er!

See stream­ing from th’ac­curs­èd tree

His all-aton­ing blood!

Is this the In­fi­nite? ’Tis He!

My Sav­ior and my God!

For me these pangs His soul as­sail

For me the death is born!

My sin gave sharp­ness to the nail

And point­ed ev­ery thorn.

Let sin no more my soul en­slave

Break

Lord

the ty­rant’s chain;

Oh

save me whom Thou cam’st to save

Nor bleed nor die in vain!