John in Vision Saw the Day

John in vi­sion saw the day

When the Judge will hast­en down;

Heav’n and earth shall flee away

From the ter­ror of His frown:

Dead and liv­ing

small and great

Raised from the earth and sea;

At His bar shall hear their fate

What will then be­come of me?

Can I bear His aw­ful looks?

Shall I stand in judg­ment then

When I see the op­ened books

Written by th’Al­migh­ty’s pen?

If He to re­mem­brance bring

And ex­pose to pub­lic view

Every work and secr­et thing

Ah

my soul

what canst thou do?

When the list shall be pro­duced

Of the tal­ents I en­joyed;

Means and mer­cies

how ab­used!

Time and strength

how mis­em­ployed!

Conscience then

com­pelled to read

Must al­low the charge is true;

Say

my soul

what canst thou plead

In that hour

what wilt thou do?

But the book of life I see

May my name be writ­ten there!

Then from guilt and dan­ger free

Glad I’ll meet Him in the air:

That’s the book I hope to plead

’Tis the Gos­pel op­ened wide;

Lord

I am a wretch in­deed!

I have sinned

but Thou hast died.

Now my soul knows what to do;

Thus I shall with bold­ness stand

Numbered with the faith­ful few

Owned and saved

at Thy right hand:

If Thou help a fool­ish worm

To be­lieve Thy pro­mise now;

Justice will at last con­firm

What Thy mer­cy wrought be­low.