I could not see for all the smoke ascending,
nor make out a peculiar voice.
No beloved known. No one new befriending.
All that has now ended.
Death.
Awful, black, curdling death…
is around me,
is above me,
is below me,
is in me.
What can I even say? Only this forevermore,
“Ahhhhhhhh!”
“Ah, that I had long ago repented!”
“Ah, that I had the faith of God’s elect- even the smallest measure!”
“Ah, I have a share in Christ never!”
Death shall swallow me whole, and hell consume me.
Holiness and all its influences has fled from me. How far has it gone from me!
As far as I chased it away, so far has glory turned it’s heels against me,
to outer darkness.
A fit punishment. ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn,
wound for wound, stripe for stripe.’
“Ah!”
Death.
Awful, black, curdling death…
is around me,
is above me,
is below me,
is in me.
I heard the trumpet, the call of souls past to awake
and put new garments on.
I heard when the Lord shouted to rise the reprobate,
to stand before Him and the sons of Zion.
Truly blessed. Rightly cursed.
Eternal life. Eternal fire…
is around me,
is above me,
is below me,
is in me.
