Scripture Verse

I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12

Introduction

portrait
John A. Lloyd, Sr.
1815–1874

Words: John Need­ham, Hymns De­vo­tion­al and Mo­ral on Va­ri­ous Sub­jects (Bris­tol, Eng­land: S. Far­ley, 1768), num­ber 235.

Music: Bryn­teg John A. Lloyd, Sr. (1815–1874) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Effingham The Sac­red Harp or Ec­lec­tic Har­mo­ny, 1859 (🔊 pdf nwc)

Lyrics

Methinks the last great day is come,
I seem to hear the trum­pet sound
Which shakes the earth, rends ev­ery tomb,
And wakes the prisoners under ground.

The mighty deep gives up her trust,
Awed by the Judge’s high com­mand,
The small and great now quit their dust,
And round the dread tribunal stand.

In vain the wicked strive to shun
The Judge’s quick and piercing eye;
In vain to hills and mountains run,
And to the rocks for shelter cry.

This bar impartial will not know
Nor birth, nor rank, nor royal state;
Nor kings are high, nor beggars low,
The good are here, the only great.

Behold the awful books dis­played,
Big with th’important fates of men,
Each deed and word now public made,
As wrote by Hea­ven’s unerring pen.

To every work the books assign
The joyous or the sad reward:
Sinners in vain lament and pine;
No pleas the Judge will here re­gard.

Lord, when these aw­ful leaves un­fold,
May life’s fair book my works ap­prove:
There may I read my name en­rolled,
And triumph in redeeming love.