When the Fierce North Wind

When the fierce north wind

With his airy forc­es

Rears up the Bal­tic

To a foam­ing fu­ry;

And flame of light­ning

With a storm of hail comes

Rushing amain down.

How the poor sail­ors

Stand am­azed and trem­ble!

While the hoarse thun­der

Like a bloody trum­pet

Roars a loud on­set

To the gap­ing wa­ter

Quick to de­vour them.

Such shall the noise be

And the wild dis­or­der

If things eter­nal

May be like these earth­ly;

Such the dire ter­ror

When the great arch­an­gel

Shakes all cre­ation.

Tears the strong pil­lars

Of the vault of Heav­en

Breaks up old mar­ble

The re­pose of princ­es;

See the graves op­en

And the bones aris­ing

Flames all around them!

Hark

the shrill out­cries

Of the guil­ty wretch­es!

Lively bright hor­ror

And am­az­ing ang­uish;

Stare through their eye­lids

While the liv­ing worm lies

Gnawing with­in them.

Thoughts

like old vul­tures

Prey up­on their heart strings

And the smart twing­es

When their eye be­holds the

Lofty Judge frown­ing

And a flood of ven­geance

Rolling afore Him.

Hopeless im­mor­tals!

How they scream and shi­ver

While de­vils push them

To the pit wide yawn­ing

Hideous and gloomy

To re­ceive them head­long

Down to the cen­ter.

Stop here

my fan­cy:

All away

ye hor­rid

Doleful ideas

come

Now arise to Je­sus;

How he sits Godl­ike!

And the saints around Him

Throned

yet ad­or­ing!

O may I sit there

When He comes tri­umph­ant

Dooming the na­tions!

Then as­cend to glo­ry

While our ho­san­nas

All along the pas­sage

Shout the Re­deem­er.