The God Of Tempest. Poem by Mather Byles

I.
Thy dreadful Pow'r, Almighty GOD,
Thy Works to speak conspire;
This Earth declares thy Fame abroad,
With Water, Air, and Fire.

II.
At thy Command, in glaring Streaks,
The ruddy Light'ning flies;
Loud Thunder the Creation shakes,
And rapid Tempests rise.

III.
Now gathering Glooms obscure the Day,
And shed a solemn Night;
And now the heav'nly Engines play,
And shoot devouring Light.

IV.
Th' attending Sea thy Will performs,
Waves tumble to the Shore,
And toss, and foam amidst the Storms,
And dash, and rage, and roar.

V.
The Earth, and all her trembling Hills,
Thy marching Footsteps own;
A shudd'ring Fear her Entrails fills,
Her hideous Caverns groan.

VI.
My GOD, when Terrors thickest Throng
Thro' all the mighty Space,
And ratt'ling Thunders roar along,
And bloody Lightnings blaze:

VII.
When wild Confusion wrecks the Air,
And Tempests rend the Skies,
Whilst blended Ruin, Clouds and Fire
In harsh Disorder rise:

VII.
Amid the Hurricane I'll stand,
And strike a tuneful Song;
My Harp all-trembling in my Hand,
And all inspir'd my Tongue.

VIII.
I'll shout aloud, 'Ye Thunders! roll,
'And shake the sullen Sky;
'Your sounding Voice from Pole to Pole
'In angry Murmurs try.

IX.
'Thou Sun! retire, refuse thy Light,
'And let thy Beams decay;
'Ye Lightnings, flash along the Night,
'And dart a dreadful Day.

X.
'Let the Earth totter on her Base,
'Clouds Heav'ns wide Arch deform:
'Blow, all ye Winds, from ev'ry Place,
'And breath the final Storm.

XI.
'O Jesus, haste the glorious Day,
'When thou shalt come in Flame,
'And burn the Earth, and waste the Sea,
'And break all Nature's Frame.

XII.
'Come quickly, Blessed Hope! appear,
'Bid thy swift Chariot fly:
'Let Angels tell thy coming near,
'And snatch me to the Sky.

XIII.
'Around thy Wheels, in the glad Throng
'I'd bear a joyful Part;
'All Hallelujah on my Tongue,
'All Rapture in my Heart.