WHEN God of old came down from heaven, | |
| In power and wrath He came; | |
| Before His feet the clouds were riven, | |
| Half darkness and half flame: | |
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| Around the trembling mountain’s base | 5 |
| The prostrate people lay, | |
| Convinc’d of sin, but not of grace; | |
| It was a dreadful day. | |
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| But when He came the second time, | |
| He came in power and love, | 10 |
| Softer than gale at morning prime | |
| Hover’d His holy Dove. | |
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| The fires that rush’d on Sinai down | |
| In sudden torrents dread, | |
| Now gently light, a glorious crown, | 15 |
| On every sainted head. | |
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| Like arrows went those lightnings forth | |
| Wing’d with the sinner’s doom, | |
| But these like tongues, o’er all the earth | |
| Proclaiming life to come: | 20 |
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| And as on Israel’s awe-struck ear | |
| The voice exceeding loud, | |
| The trump, that Angels quake to hear, | |
| Thrill’d from the deep dark cloud, | |
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| So, when the Spirit of our God | 25 |
| Came down His flock to find, | |
| A voice from heaven was heard abroad, | |
| A rushing mighty wind. | |
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| Nor doth the outward ear alone | |
| At that high warning start; | 30 |
| Conscience gives back th’ appalling tone; | |
| ’Tis echoed in the heart. | |
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| It fills the Church of God; it fills | |
| The sinful world around; | |
| Only in stubborn hearts and wills | 35 |
| No place for it is found. | |
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| To other strains our souls are set: | |
| A giddy whirl of sin | |
| Fills ear and brain, and will not let | |
| Heaven’s harmonies come in. | 40 |
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| Come, Lord, come, Wisdom, Love, and Power, | |
| Open our ears to hear; | |
| Let us not miss th’ accepted hour; | |
| Save, Lord, by Love or Fear. | |
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