"Come near, ye blessed,
See the kingdom I bestow ! You for ever
From the Ancient DIES IRE. (Abridged.)
Copyright: by permission of Mr. MASTERS.
AY of Wrath! O day of mourning!
ᎠᏎ See fulfilled the prophets' warning
Heaven and earth in ashes burning! Oh what fear man's bosom rendeth, When from Heaven the Judge descendeth, On whose sentence all dependeth!
2 Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth, Through earth's sepulchres it ringeth, All before the throne it bringeth. Lo, the Book, exactly worded, Wherein all hath been recorded !— Thence shall judgment be awarded. 3 What shall I, frail man, be pleading? Who for me be interceding,
When the just are mercy needing? Faint and weary, Thou hast sought me, On the Cross of suffering bought me ;- Shall such grace be vainly brought me? 4 Guilty, now, I pour my moaning, All my shame with anguish owning; Spare, O God, Thy suppliant groaning. Thou the sinful woman savedst,- Thou the dying thief forgavest,- And to me a hope vouchsafest. 5 Worthless are my prayers and sighing, Yet, good Lord, in grace complying, Rescue me from fires undying! With Thy favoured sheep, O place me, Nor among the goats abase me, But to Thy right hand upraise me.
6 While the wicked are confounded, Doomed to flames of woe unbounded, Call me! with Thy saints surrounded. Ah! that Day of tears and mourning! From the dust of earth returning, Man for judgment must prepare him.
AND will the Judge descend?
must dead arise?
And not a single soul escape His all-discerning eyes? And from His righteous lips
Shall the dread sentence sound,
And through the numerous guilty throng Spread black despair around?
3 How will my heart endure The terrors of that day,
When earth and heaven, before His face, Astonished, shrink away ?
4 But ere that trumpet shakes The mansions of the dead, Hark! from the gospel's cheering sound, What joyful tidings spread!
5 Ye sinners, seek His grace Whose wrath ye cannot bear : Fly to the shelter of His cross, And find salvation there.
So shall that curse remove By which the Saviour bled,
And the last awful day shall pour His blessings on your head.
HEN thy mortal life is fled,
WHE When the death-shades o'er thee spread,
When is finished thy career, Sinner, where wilt thou appear
2 When the world has passed away, When draws near the judgment-day, When the awful trump shall sound, Say, O, where wilt thou be found? 3 When the Judge descends in light, Clothed in majesty and might, When the wicked quail with fear, Where, O where, wilt thou appear? 4 What shall soothe thy bursting heart, When the saints and thou must part? When the good with joy are crowned, Sinner, where wilt thou be found? 5 While the Holy Ghost is nigh, Quickly to the Saviour fly;
Then shall peace thy spirit cheer; Then in heaven shalt thou appear.
C. WESLEY. 1756. OE to the men on earth who dwell, Nor dread the' Almighty's frown; When God doth all His wrath reveal, And shower His judgments down! 2 Sinners, expect those heaviest showers: To meet your God prepare!
For, lo! the seventh angel pours
His vial in the air.
3 Lo! from their seats the mountains leap, The mountains are not found,
Transported far into the deep,
And in the ocean drowned.
4 Who then shall live, and face the throne, And face the Judge severe ? When heaven and earth are fled and gone, Oh! where shall I appear?
5 Now, only now, against that hour We may a place provide;
Beyond the grave, beyond the power Of hell, our spirits hide :
6 Firm in the all-destroying shock, May view the final scene; For, lo! the everlasting Rock Is cleft to take us in.
Y faith we find the place above, The Rock that rent in twain; Beneath the shade of dying love, And in the cleft remain.
2 Jesus, to Thy dear wounds we flee, We sink into Thy side;
Assured that all who trust in Thee Shall evermore abide.
3 Then let the thundering trumpet sound; The latest lightning glare; The mountains melt; the solid ground Dissolve as liquid air :
4 The huge celestial bodies roll, Amidst that general fire,
And shrivel as a parchment scroll, And all in smoke expire!
5 Yet still the Lord, the Saviour reigns, When nature is destroyed, And no created thing remains Throughout the flaming void. 6 Sublime upon His azure throne, He speaks the' Almighty word: His fiat is obeyed! 'tis done; And Paradise restored.
7 So be it let this system end, This ruinous earth and skies; The New Jerusalem descend, The New Creation rise.
8 Thy power omnipotent assume; Thy brightest majesty!
And when Thou dost in glory come, My Lord, remember me !
O! He comes with clouds descending, Once for favoured sinners slain; Thousand, thousand saints attending, Swell the triumph of His train ; Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign. 2 Every eye shall now behold Him Robed in dreadful majesty ; Those who set at nought and sold Him, Pierced and nailed Him to the tree, Deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.
3 The dear tokens of His passion Still His dazzling body bears; Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers : With what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars! 4 Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee, High on Thy eternal throne; Saviour, take the power and glory; Claim the kingdom for Thine own! Jah! Jehovah!
Everlasting God! come down.
E virgin souls arise, With all the dead awake!
Unto salvation wise,
Oil in your vessels take; Upstarting at the midnight cry,
"Behold the heavenly Bridegroom nigh!"
He comes, He comes, to call
The nations to His bar,
And raise to glory all
Who fit for glory are:
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