My Thoughts on Awful Subjects Roll

My thoughts on aw­ful sub­jects roll

Damnation and the dead;

What hor­rors seize the guil­ty soul

Upon a dy­ing bed!

Lingering about these mor­tal shores

She makes a long de­lay

Till

like a flood

with ra­pid force

Death sweeps the wretch away.

Then swift and dread­ful she des­cends

Down to the fie­ry coast

Amongst abom­in­able fiends

Herself a fright­ful ghost.

There end­less crowds of sin­ners lie

And dark­ness makes their chains;

Tortured with keen des­pair they cry

Yet wait for fierc­er pains.

Not all their ang­uish and their blood

For their old guilt atones

Nor the com­pas­sion of a God

Shall heark­en to their groans.

Amazing grace! that kept my breath

Nor bid my soul re­move

Till I had learned my Sav­ior’s death

And well in­sured His love.