{
 "id": "john-newton/thunder",
 "title": "Thunder",
 "ordinal": "83",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Newton",
 "poet_slug": "john-newton",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Olney Hymns",
 "book_slug": "olney-hymns",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 224,
 "container": "IV Creation",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1779,
  "venue": "Olney Hymns (1779)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_olney-hymns-in-three-bo_newton-john_1779",
   "https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/bulletin/computerised-index-to-the-olney-hymns/",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/john-newton_william-cowper_olney-hymns",
  "file": "book-2.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Olney_Hymns_%281840%29",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-15"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 32,
  "n_stanzas": 8,
  "n_parts": 8,
  "longest_line_chars": 39,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [
  {
   "ordinal": "I",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    0,
    1
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "II",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    1,
    2
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "III",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    2,
    3
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "IV",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    3,
    4
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "V",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    4,
    5
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VI",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    5,
    6
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    6,
    7
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VIII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    7,
    8
   ]
  }
 ],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "When a black o’erspreading cloud",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Has darken’d all the air,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And peals of thunder, roaring loud,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Proclaim the tempest near;",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then guilt and fear, the fruits of sin,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The sinner oft pursue;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A louder storm is heard within,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And conscience thunders too.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The law a fiery language speaks,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His danger he perceives;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Like Satan, who his ruin seeks,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He trembles and believes.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But when the sky serene appears,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And thunders roll no more,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "He soon forgets his vows and fears.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Just as he did before.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But whither shall the sinner flee",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When nature’s mighty frame,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The pond’rous earth and air and sea,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Shall all dissolve in flame?",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Amazing day! It comes apace!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Judge is hasting down!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Will sinners bear to see his face,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or stand before his frown?",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Lord, let thy mercy find a way",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To touch each stubborn heart,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "That they may never hear thee say,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Ye cursed ones, depart!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Believers, you may well rejoice!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The thunder’s loudest strains",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Should be to you a welcome voice,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That tells you, “Jesus reigns!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}