Divine Wrath

Representative Text

1 Thus evermore the saints’ avenging God
With His dread fires hath scathed th’unholy ground;
Nor wants there, waiting round th’uplifted rod,
Watchers in Heaven and earth, ay faithful found.

2 God’s armies open-eyed His aim attend,
Wondering how oft these warning notes will peal,
Ere the great trump be blown, the Judge descend:
Man only wears cold look and heart of steel.

3 Age after age, where Antichrist hath reigned,
Some flame-tipped arrow of th’Almighty falls;
Imperial cities lie in heaps profaned,
Fire blazes round apostate council-halls.

4 And if the world sin on, yet here and there
Some proud soul cowers, some scorner learns to pray;
Some slumberer rouses at the beacon glare,
And trims his waning lamps, and waits for day.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #12805

Author: John Keble

Keble, John, M.A., was born at Fairford, in Gloucestershire, on St. Mark's Day, 1792. His father was Vicar of Coln St. Aldwin's, about three miles distant, but lived at Fairford in a house of his own, where he educated entirely his two sons, John and Thomas, up to the time of their entrance at Oxford. In 1806 John Keble won a Scholarship at Corpus Christi College, and in 1810 a Double First Class, a distinction which up to that time had been gained by no one except Sir Robert Peel. In 1811 he was elected a Fellow of Oriel, a very great honour, especially for a boy under 19 years of age; and in 1811 he won the University Prizes both for the English and Latin Essays. It is somewhat remarkable that amid this brilliantly successful career,… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Thus evermore the saints' avenging God
Title: Divine Wrath
Author: John Keble
Meter: 10.10.10.10
Copyright: Public Domain

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The Cyber Hymnal #12805

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