Now behold! The Day is nearing
Of His sudden reappearing:
Christ, in Whom our hearts delight,
Things yet unseen will bare to sight.
Who can stand at His appearing,
His swift judgment duly fearing?
For as gold His fire will try
His own, whom He would purify.
To repentance He has called us,
As with caustic soap to scald us,
Casting off the film of sin
That coats us as a second skin.
His keen judgment will bear witness
Of our deep, inherent sickness;
Nor will it escape His eye
How oft we conjure, cheat and lie;
How we misuse those who labor,
Disregard our needy neighbor,
Whom if God we truly feared
We had from our great bounty cheered.
Yet take heart! Christ is unchanging,
Satan's counsels still deranging.
Us His fire will not consume:
His blood is pledged against our doom.
In His gospel now partaking,
Satan and his works forsaking,
Trust salvation's Architect:
What He began, He will perfect.
Let our love, the more abounding
As in Him our hope is grounding,
Render ample, pleasing fruit
With Jesus' righteousness at root.
Likewise, in pure knowledge growing,
What is excellent approving,
May our hearts be found sincere
And blameless when His Day appears.
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