Terrible God, That Reign’st on High

lyricist: Isaac Watts, 1707–09
Composer: Griffith Jones, 1890

Terrible God

that reign’st on high

How awful is Thy thun­der­ing hand!

Thy fie­ry bolts

how fierce they fly!

Nor can all earth or hell with­stand.

This the old re­bel an­gels knew

And Sa­tan fell be­neath Thy frown;

Thine ar­rows struck the trai­tor through

And weigh­ty ven­geance sunk him down.

This So­dom felt

and feels it still

And roars be­neath th’eter­nal load:

With end­less burn­ings who can dwell

Or bear the fu­ry of a God!

Tremble ye sin­ners

and sub­mit

Throw down your arms be­fore His throne;

Bend your heads low be­neath His feet

Or His strong hand shall crush you down.

And ye

blest saints

that love Him too

With rev­er­ence bow be­fore His name;

Thus all His heav’n­ly serv­ants do:

God is a bright and burn­ing flame.

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