38

D. C. M.

ONCE more, O Lord, Thy sign shall be

Upon the heavens displayed,

And earth and its inhabitants

Be terribly afraid:

For, not in weakness clad, Thou com'st,
Our woes, our sins to bear,
But girt with all Thy Father's might,
His judgment to declare.

2 The terrors of that awful day
Oh, who can understand?

Or who abide, when Thou in wrath
Shalt lift Thy holy hand?

The earth shall quake, the sea shall roar,
The sun in heaven grow pale;

But Thou hast sworn, and wilt not change, Thy faithful shall not fail.

3 Then grant us, Saviour, so to pass
Our time in trembling here,

That when upon the clouds of heaven
Thy glory shall appear,

Uplifting high our joyful heads,

În triumph we may rise,

And enter, with Thine angel train,
Thy palace in the skies.

39

8.7.8.7.4.7.

O, He comes with clouds descending,
Once for our salvation slain;
Thousand angel-hosts attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia!

Christ, the Lord, returns to reign.

2 Every eye shall now behold Him, Robed in dreadful majesty;

Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced, and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing,

Shall the true Messiah see.

3 Now redemption, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear:
All His saints, by men rejected,
Now shall meet Him in the air:
Alleluia !

See the day of God appear.

4 Yea, Amen; let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory;
Claim the kingdoms for Thine own:
Alleluia!

Thou shalt reign, and Thou alone.

40

WA

P. M.

AKE, awake, for night is flying:
The watchmen on the heights are
crying,

Awake, Jerusalem, arise!
Midnight's solemn hour is tolling,
His chariot wheels are nearer rolling;
He comes; prepare, ye Virgins wise.
Rise up; with willing feet

Go forth, the Bridegroom meet:
Alleluia!

Bear through the night your well-trimmed light,

Speed forth to join the marriage rite.

2 Sion hears the watchmen singing,
Her heart with deep delight is springing,
She wakes, she rises from her gloom:
Forth her Bridegroom comes, all-glorious,
In grace arrayed, by truth victorious;

Her Star is risen, her Light is come!

All hail, Incarnate Lord,

Our crown, and our reward!

Alleluia!

We haste along, in pomp of song,
And gladsome join the marriage throng.

3 Lamb of God, the heavens adore Thee,
And men and angels sing before Thee,

With harp and cymbal's clearest tone. By the pearly gates in wonder

We stand, and swell the voice of thunder, That echoes round Thy dazzling throne. No vision ever brought,

No ear hath ever caught,

Such bliss and joy:

We raise the song, we swell the throng,
To praise Thee ages all along.

41

HA

8.7.

ARK! a thrilling voice is sounding; "Christ is nigh," it seems to say; "Cast away the works of darkness, O ye children of the day!"

2 Wakened by the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.

3 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;

4 So when next He comes with glory,
Wrapping all the world in fear,
May He with His mercy shield us,
And with words of love draw near.

42

8s.

OH, quickly come, dread Judge of all;

For, awful though Thine Advent be,
All shadows from the truth will fall,
And falsehood die, in sight of Thee:
Oh, quickly come: for doubt and fear
Like clouds dissolve when Thou art near.

2 Oh, quickly come, great King of all;
Reign all around us, and within;
Let sin no more our souls enthrall,
Let pain and sorrow die with sin;
Oh, quickly come: for Thou alone
Canst make Thy scattered people one.

3 Oh, quickly come, true Life of all;
For death is mighty all around;
On every home his shadows fall,

On every heart his mark is found: Oh, quickly come for grief and pain Can never cloud Thy glorious reign.

4 Oh, quickly come, sure Light of all, For gloomy night broods o'er our way; And fainting souls begin to fall

With weary watching for the day: Come, quickly come: for round Thy throne No eye is blind, no night is known.

43

REJOICE, rejoice, believers!

And let your lights appear;

The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising,
And soon He will draw nigh;

Up! pray, and watch, and wrestle!
At midnight comes the cry.

7.6.

44

2 See that your lamps are burning;
Replenish them with oil;
Look now for your salvation,
The end of sin and toil.
The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near,
Go meet Him as He cometh,
With alleluias clear.

30 wise and holy virgins,
Now raise your voices higher,
Until in songs of triumph
Ye meet the angel choir.
The marriage-feast is waiting,
The gates wide open stand;
Up, up, ye heirs of glory!
The Bridegroom is at hand.

4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesu, now appear;
Arise, Thou Sun so longed for,
O'er this benighted sphere!
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth's redemption,
And ever be with Thee!

L. M.

ON Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry

Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings.

2 Then cleansed be every Christian breast,
And furnished for so great a guest;
Yea, let us each our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.

3 For Thou art our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;