Scripture Verse

The Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 1 Kings 19:11

Introduction

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns Oc­ca­sioned by the Earth­quake, March 8, 1750, sec­ond edi­tion (Lon­don: 1755), num­ber 5.

Music: St. Ca­the­rine (Wal­ton) ar­ranged by James G. Wal­ton in Crown of Je­sus Mu­sic, by Hen­ri F. He­my (Lon­don: 1864) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

From whence these dire portents around,
That strike us with unwonted fear?
Why do these earthquakes rock the ground,
And threaten our destruction near?
Ye prophets smooth, the cause explain,
And lull us to repose again.

Or water swelling for a vent,
Or air impatient to get free,
Or fire within earth’s entrails pent
;
Yet all are ordered, Lord, by Thee;
The elements obey Thy nod,
And nature vindicates her God.

The pillars of the earth are Thine,
And Thou hast set the world thereon;
They at Thy threatening look incline,
The center trembles at Thy frown;
The ev­er­last­ing mountains bow,
And God is in the earthquake now!

Now, Lord, to shake our guilty land,
Thou dost in indignation rise;
We see, we see Thy lifted hand
Made bare a nation to chastise,
Whom neither plagues nor mercies move
To fear Thy wrath or court Thy love.

Therefore the earth beneath us reels,
And staggers like our drunken men,
The earth the mournful cause reveals,
And groans our bur­den to sustain;
Ordained our evils to deplore,
And fall with us to rise no more.