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| THY dreadful power, Almighty God, | |
| Thy works to speak conspire; | |
| This earth declares thy fame abroad, | |
| With water, air, and fire. | |
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| At thy command, in glaring streaks, | 5 |
| The ruddy lightning flies, | |
| Loud thunder the creation shakes, | |
| And rapid tempests rise. | |
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| Now gathering glooms obscure the day, | |
| And shed a solemn night; | 10 |
| And now the heavenly engines play, | |
| And shoot devouring light. | |
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| The attending sea thy will performs, | |
| Waves tumble to the shore, | |
| And toss, and foam amidst the storms, | 15 |
| And dash, and rage, and roar. | |
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| The earth, and all her trembling hills, | |
| Thy marching footsteps own; | |
| A shuddering fear her entrails fills, | |
| Her hideous caverns groan. | 20 |
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| My God! when terrors thickest throng, | |
| Through all the mighty space, | |
| And rattling thunders roar along, | |
| And bloody lightnings blaze: | |
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| When wild confusion wrecks the air, | 25 |
| And tempests rend the skies, | |
| Whilst blended ruin, clouds and fire | |
| In harsh disorder rise: | |
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| Amid the hurricane I ’ll stand | |
| And strike a tuneful song; | 30 |
| My harp all trembling in my hand, | |
| And all inspired my tongue. | |
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| I ’ll shout aloud, “Ye thunders! roll, | |
| And shake the sullen sky; | |
| Your sounding voice from pole to pole | 35 |
| In angry murmurs try. | |
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| “Thou sun! retire, refuse thy light, | |
| And let thy beams decay; | |
| Ye lightnings, flash along the night, | |
| And dart a dreadful day. | 40 |
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| “Let the earth totter on her base, | |
| Clouds heaven’s wide arch deform; | |
| Blow, all ye winds, from every place, | |
| And breathe the final storm. | |
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| “O Jesus, haste the glorious day, | 45 |
| When thou shalt come in flame, | |
| And burn the earth, and waste the sea, | |
| And break all nature’s frame. | |
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| “Come quickly, blessed hope, appear, | |
| Bid thy swift chariot fly: | 50 |
| Let angels warn thy coming near, | |
| And snatch me to the sky. | |
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| “Around thy wheels, in the glad throng, | |
| I ’d bear a joyful part; | |
| All Hallelujah on my tongue, | 55 |
| All rapture in my heart.” | |
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