The Day, the Solemn Day Shall Come

The day

the so­lemn day shall come

The long de­lay­éd day of doom;

The hour when God shall aw­ful rise

And fears a guil­ty world sur­prise.

Heaven’s great­est light

the glo­ri­ous sun

No more his wont­ed course shall run;

No more di­vide the va­ried year

Obliged to quit his lof­ty sphere.

The moon

and stars ex­ting­uished quite

No more shall rule the si­lent night;

Nor sil­ver pla­nets long­er run

In dance har­mo­ni­ous round the sun.

No soon­er shall th’Al­migh­ty call

But flames shall seize this earth­ly ball;

And heav’n’s high frame with­out delay

With hi­deous crash shall pass away.

Their seats the fright­ed mount­ains quit

The shrink­ing seas their shores for­get;

In ra­pid streams of min­gled fire

The shift­ing el­ements ex­pire.

These awf­ul scenes my soul bring near

For this tre­men­dous day pre­pare;

How just

how ho­ly must thou be

If thou with joy this day wouldst see?