HARK! a thrilling voice is sounding;
Christ is nigh! it seems to say,
Cast away the works of darkness,
O ye children of the day!
Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, our Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven.
So, when next He comes in glory,
Wrapping all the earth in fear,
May He then, as our Defender,
On the clouds of heaven appear.
HOSANNAH to the living Lord;
Hosannah to th' Incarnate Word!
To Christ, Creator, Savior, King,
Let earth, let heaven, hosannah sing.
Hosannah, Lord! Thine angels cry,
Hosannah, Lord! Thy saints reply,
Above, beneath us, and around,
The dead, the living, swell the sound.
O Savior, with protecting care,
Be with us in Thy house of prayer,
Where we Thy parting promise claim,
Assembled in Thy holy Name.
But chiefest in our cleansed breast,
O Jesu, bid Thy Spirit rest;
And make our secret souls to be
A temple pure, and fit for Thee.
So, in the last and dreadful day,
When earth and heaven shall melt away,
Thy flock, redeem'd from sinful stain,
Shall swell the sound of praise again.
FATHER of mercies, in Thy word
What endless glory shines!
For ever be Thy Name ador'd
For these celestial lines.
Here the Redeemer's welcome voice
Spreads heavenly truth around;
And comfort, hope, and endless joys
Attend the blissful sound.
Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Be Thou for ever near;
Teach me to love Thy holy word,
And view my Savior there.
O! may these heavenly pages be
My ever dear delight;
Their sacred doctrine may I see
With still increasing light.
And while I daily muse thereon,
Within Thy Church's fold,
Lord, grant me still the faith to own,
Once given to saints of old.
Lo! He comes, with clouds descending,
Once for helpless sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train.
Jesus comes with power to reign.
Every eye shall then behold Him
Rob'd in dreadful majesty ;
They who set at nought and sold Him,
Pierc'd and nail'd Him to the Tree,
Deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.
Blest redemption, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear;
All His saints, by man rejected,
Rise to meet Him in the air.
See the Son of God appear.
Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, Thine be all the glory,
Make Thy righteous judgments known!
O come quickly!
Take the kingdoms for Thine own.
GREAT GOD, what do I see and hear!
The end of things created!
The Judge of all men doth appear,
In clouds of glory seated;
The trumpet sounds, the graves restore
The dead which they contain'd before:
Prepare, my soul, to meet Him.
The dead in Christ shall first arise,
At the last trumpet's sounding,
To meet their Savior in the skies,
With joy His throne surrounding.
No gloomy fears their souls dismay;
His presence sheds eternal day
On those prepar'd to meet Him.
But sinners, fill'd with guilty fears,
Behold His wrath prevailing:
For they shall rise, and find their tears
And sighs are unavailing:
The day of grace is past and gone;
Trembling they stand before the throne,
All unprepar'd to meet Him.
Great God, to Thee our prayers we pour,
In deep abasement bending;
O shield us in that last dread hour,
Thy wondrous love extending.
May we, in this our trial-day,
With wakeful hearts Thy word obey,
And thus prepare to meet Him!
ON Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Tells that the Lamb of God is nigh;
Come near and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings.
Then cleans'd be every Christian breast,
And furnish'd for so great a Guest;
Yea, let us each our heart prepare
That Christ may come and enter there.
For Thou art our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge, and our great reward;
Without Thy grace our souls must fade,
And perish like a flower decay'd.
Stretch forth Thine hand to heal our sore,
And make us rise to fall no more;
Upon Thy pardon'd people shine,
And fill the world with grace divine.
Let all Thy pastors still proclaim
The power and glories of Thy Name;
May we obey their solemn call,
And Thine, the Lord and Judge of all.
DAY of judgment! day of wonders!
Hark! the trumpet's awful sound,
Louder than ten thousand thunders,
Shakes the vast creation round;
Doth the sinner's heart confound.
See the Judge, our nature wearing,
Rob'd in majesty divine;
They who long for His appearing
Then shall in His glory shine;
Gracious Savior,
Own us in that day as Thine.
Then to all who have confessed,
Lov'd and serv'd the Lord below,
He will say, Come near, ye blessed,
Take the kingdom I bestow;
You for ever
Shall my love and glory know.
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