The poem
At the round earth's imagined corners blow Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise From death, you numberless infinities Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go, All whom the flood did, and fire shall, overthrow, All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies, Despair, law, chance, hath slain, and you whose eyes Shall behold God, and never taste death's woe. But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space, For, if above all these my sins abound, 'Tis late to ask abundance of Thy grace, When we are there. Here on this lowly ground Teach me how to repent; for that's as good As if Thou'dst sealed my pardon, with Thy blood.
At the round earth's imagined corners,
blow your trumpets, angels, and arise!
Arise from death, you numberless infinities of souls,
and [go] to your scattered bodies all whom the flood did, and fire shall, overthrow;
all whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies, despair, law, chance, hath slain;
and you whose eyes shall behold God and never taste death's woe.
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space,
for, if above all these my sins abound,
'tis late to ask abundance of Thy grace when we are there.
Here on this lowly ground, teach me how to repent,
for that's as good as if Thou [hast] sealed my pardon with Thy blood.
This reminds me to apologize to God for my sins and behave well.