O you that now sing care and fear away, Think often of the formidable Day, Wherein the Heavens with a mighty noise. And with a hideous, heart-confounding voice Shall pass away, together being roll’d, As men are wont their garments up to fold; When th’ Elements with fervent heat shall melt, And living Creatures in the same shall swelt. And altogether in those flames expire, Which set the Earth’s Foundati-ons on fire. Oh! what amazements will your hearts be in, And how will you to curse yourselves begin. For all your damned sloth and negligence. And unbelief and gross Impenitence, When you shall hear that dreadful Sentence pass’d. That all the wicked into Hell be cast! What horrors will your Consciences surprise. When you shall hear the fruitless, doleful cries Of such as are compelled to depart Unto the place of everlasting smart! What! when you see the sparks fly out of Hell, And view the Dungeon where you are to dwell. Wherein you must eternally remain In anguish and intolerable pain! What! when your hands and feet are bound together, And you are cast into the Lake forever! Then shall you feel the truth of what you hear, That Hellish pains are more than you can bear, And that those Torments are an hundred fold More terrible than ever you were told. Nor speak I this, good Reader, to torment thee Before the time, but rather to prevent thee From running headlong to thine own decay, In such a perilous and deadly way. We who have known and felt Jehovah’s terrors, Persuade men to repent them of their errors. And turn to God in time ere his Decree Bring forth, and then there be no Remedy. If in the night, when thou art fast asleep, Some friend of thine that better watch doth keep, Should see thy house all on a burning flame. And thee almost inclosed with the same: If such a friend should break thy door and wake thee, Or else by force out of the peril take thee, What! wouldst thou take his kindness in ill part, Or frown upon him for his good desert? Such, my friend, such is thy present state And danger, being unregenerate. Awake, awake, and then thou shalt perceive Thy peril greater than thou wilt believe. Lift up thine eyes, and see God’s wrathful ire Preparing unextinguishable fire For all that live and die impenitent. Awake, awake, Sinner, and repent. And quarrel not because I thus alarm Thy Soul, to save it from eternal harm.