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DAY of wrath! oh, day of mourning!

See fulfilled the prophets' warning,
Heaven and earth in ashes burning!

2 Oh, what fear man's bosom rendeth, When from heaven the Judge descendeth, On Whose sentence all dependeth.

3 Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth; Through earth's sepulchres it ringeth; All before the throne it bringeth.

4 Death is struck, and nature quaking, All creation is awaking,

To its Judge an answer making.

5 Lo! the Book exactly worded, Wherein all hath been recorded: Thence shall judgment be awarded.

6 When the Judge His seat attaineth,
And each hidden deed arraigneth,
Nothing unavenged remaineth.

7 What shall I, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding,
When the just are mercy needing?

8 King of majesty tremendous,
Who dost free salvation send us,
Fount of pity, then befriend us!

9 Think, good Jesu, my salvation Cost Thy wondrous Incarnation; Leave me not to reprobation!

8s.

10 Faint and weary Thou hast sought me, On the cross of suffering bought me. Shall such grace be vainly brought me?

11 Righteous Judge! for sin's pollution
Grant Thy gift of absolution,
Ere that day of retribution.

12 Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
All my shame with anguish owning;
Spare, O God, Thy suppliant groaning!

13 Thou the sinful woman saved'st; Thou the dying thief forgavest; And to me a hope vouchsafest.

14 Worthless are my prayers and sighing, Yet, good Lord, in grace complying, Rescue me from fires undying!

15 With Thy favored sheep; oh! place me; Nor among the goats abase me; But to Thy right hand upraise me.

16 While the wicked are confounded,
Doomed to flames of woe unbounded,
Call me, with Thy saints surrounded.

17 Low I kneel, with heart-submission,
See, like ashes, my contrition:
Help me in my last condition.

18 Ah! that day of tears and mourning!
From the dust of earth returning
Man for judgment must prepare him;
Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!

19 Lord, all pitying, Jesu blest,
Grant us Thine eternal rest.

37

GR

8.7.8.7.8.8.7.

REAT God, what do I see and hear!
The end of things created!

The Judge of mankind doth appear

On clouds of glory seated!

The trumpet sounds; the graves restore
The dead which they contained before;
Prepare, my soul, to meet Him!

2 The dead in Christ shall first arise
At the last trumpet's sounding,
Caught up to meet Him in the skies,
With joy their Lord surrounding:
No gloomy fears their souls dismay,
His presence sheds eternal day

On those prepared to meet Him.

3 But sinners, filled with guilty fears,
Behold His wrath prevailing;
For they shall rise and find their tears
And sighs are unavailing:
The day of grace is past and gone;
Trembling, they stand before the throne,
All unprepared to meet Him.

4 Great God, to Thee my spirit clings,
Thy boundless love declaring;
One wondrous sight my comfort brings,
The Judge my nature wearing.
Beneath His cross I view the day
When heaven and earth shall pass away,
And thus prepare to meet Him.

38

D. C. M.

NCE more, O Lord, Thy sign shall be
Upon the heavens displayed,

And earth and its inhabitants

Be terribly afraid :

For, not in weakness clad, Thou com'st,
Our woes, our sins to bear,

But girt with all Thy Father's might,
His judgment to declare.

2 The terrors of that awful day
Oh, who can understand?

Or who abide, when Thou in wrath
Shalt lift Thy holy hand?

The earth shall quake, the sea shall roar,
The sun in heaven grow pale;

But Thou hast sworn, and wilt not change,
Thy faithful shall not fail.

3 Then grant us, Saviour, so to pass
Our time in trembling here,

That when upon the clouds of heaven
Thy glory shall appear,
Uplifting high our joyful heads,

In triumph we may rise,

And enter, with Thine angel train,
Thy palace in the skies.

39

8.7.8.7.4.7.

LO, He comes with clouds descending,

Once for our salvation slain ;

Thousand angel-hosts attending

Swell the triumph of His train :
Alleluia!

Christ, the Lord, returns to reign.

40

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 Now redemption, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear:
All His saints, by men rejected,
Now shall meet Him in the air:
Alleluia !

See the day of God appear.

4 Yea, Amen; let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory;
Claim the kingdoms for Thine own :
Alleluia !

Thou shalt reign, and Thou alone.

P.M.

AKE, awake, for night is flying:

The watchmen on the heights are crying, Awake, Jerusalem, arise!

Midnight's solemn hour is tolling,

His chariot wheels are nearer rolling ;

He comes; prepare, ye Virgins wise.

Rise up; with willing feet

Go forth, the Bridegroom meet:

Alleluia !

Bear through the night your well-trimmed light,
Speed forth to join the marriage rite.

2 Sion hears the watchmen singing,
Her heart with deep delight is springing,

She wakes, she rises from her gloom :