Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Isaac Watts. 16741748434. The Day of Judgement
WHEN the fierce North-wind with his airy forces | |
Rears up the Baltic to a foaming fury; | |
And the red lightning with a storm of hail comes | |
Rushing amain down; | |
How the poor sailors stand amazed and tremble, | 5 |
While the hoarse thunder, like a bloody trumpet, | |
Roars a loud onset to the gaping waters | |
Quick to devour them. | |
Such shall the noise be, and the wild disorder | |
(If things eternal may be like these earthly), | 10 |
Such the dire terror when the great Archangel | |
Shakes the creation; | |
Tears the strong pillars of the vault of Heaven, | |
Breaks up old marble, the repose of princes, | |
Sees the graves open, and the bones arising, | 15 |
Flames all around them. | |
Hark, the shrill outcries of the guilty wretches! | |
Lively bright horror and amazing anguish | |
Stare thro’ their eyelids, while the living worm lies | |
Gnawing within them. | 20 |
Thoughts, like old vultures, prey upon their heart-strings, | |
And the smart twinges, when the eye beholds the | |
Lofty Judge frowning, and a flood of vengeance | |
Rolling afore him. | |
Hopeless immortals! how they scream and shiver, | 25 |
While devils push them to the pit wide-yawning | |
Hideous and gloomy, to receive them headlong | |
Down to the centre! | |
Stop here, my fancy: (all away, ye horrid | |
Doleful ideas!) come, arise to Jesus, | 30 |
How He sits God-like! 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 | 35 |
Shout the Redeemer. |