Scripture Verse

Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn. Matthew 13:30

Introduction

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Henry H. Milman (1791–1868)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: Hen­ry H. Mil­man, in Hymns Writ­ten and Adapt­ed to the Week­ly Church Ser­vice of the Year, by Reg­in­ald He­ber (Lon­don: J. Mur­ray, 1827), page 43, alt.

Music: Che­shire Es­te’s Psal­ter, 1592 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

The an­gel comes, he comes to reap
The har­vest of the Lord!
O’er all the earth with fa­tal sweep
Wide waves his flam­ing sword.

And who are they, in sheaves to bide
The fire of ven­geance bound?
The tares, whose rank lux­ur­iant pride
Choked the fair crop around.

And who are they, re­served in store
God’s trea­sure-house to fill?
The wheat, a hun­dred-fold that bore
Amid sur­round­ing ill.

O King of Mer­cy! grant us pow­er
Thy fie­ry wrath to flee!
In Thy de­stroy­ing angel’s hour
O ga­ther us to Thee!