Although on mas­sy pil­lars built,
The earth has late­ly shook;
It trem­bled un­der all our guilt
[originally, Bri­tain’s guilt]
Before its mak­er’s look.

Swift as the shock amaze­ment spreads,
And sin­ners trem­ble too;
What flight can screen their guil­ty heads,
If earth it­self pur­sue.

But mer­cy spared us while it warned,
The shock is felt no more;
And mer­cy, now, al­as! is scorned
By sin­ners, as be­fore.

But if these warn­ings prove in vain,
Say, sin­ner, canst thou tell,
How soon the earth may quake again,
And op­en wide to hell.

Repent be­fore the Judge draws nigh;
Or else when He comes down,
Thou wilt in vain for earth­quakes cry,
To hide thee from His frown.

But hap­py they who love the Lord
And His sal­va­tion know;
The hope that’s found­ed on His Word,
No change can ov­er­throw.

Should the deep-root­ed hills be hurled,
And plunged be­neath the seas;
And strong con­vul­sions shake the world,
Your hearts may rest in peace.

Jesus, your shep­herd, Lord, and chief,
Shall shel­ter you from ill;
And not a worm or shak­ing leaf
Can move, but at His will.