Whence Come Those Loud and Mournful Cries?

Whence come those loud and mourn­ful cries

That speak a mind be­reft of joy?

They come from him who yon­der lies

Where flames de­vour

but can’t de­stroy.

I won­der not that he should fill

The world with loud in­ces­sant cries;

He feels no joy

nor ev­er will;

His foe the worm that nev­er dies.

One drop of wa­ter! one! he cries:

Unhappy wretch! what woe is thine?

While Jus­tice with a frown re­plies

It can­not be—the pris­on­er’s mine!

Beholding such a sight as this

Let things eter­nal be my care

And nev­er may my case be his

Whom God aban­dons to des­pair.

I’ll keep in view the sinn­er’s friend

Whose arms I see ex­tende­d wide:

At sight of Him

my ter­rors end;

His mer­it all my guilt will hide.