Scripture Verse

Lift up your heads, O you gates, be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Psalm 24:7

Introduction

portrait
August F. W. Lemke (1820–1913)

Words: Ge­org Weiss­el, in Preuss­liche Fest­lied­er, 1642 (Macht hoch die Thür). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca, first ser­ies, 1855.

Music: Mil­wau­kee (Lem­ke) Au­gust F. W. Lem­ke, 1849 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Catherine Winkworth
(1827–1878)

Lyrics

Lift up your heads, ye migh­ty gates,
Behold the King of glo­ry waits;
The King of kings is draw­ing near,
The Sav­ior of the world is here;
Life and sal­va­tion doth He bring,
Wherefore re­joice and glad­ly sing:
We praise Thee, Fa­ther, now!
Creator, wise art Thou!

The Lord is just, a help­er tried,
Mercy is ev­er at His side,
His king­ly crown is ho­li­ness,
His scep­ter, pi­ty in dis­tress,
The end of all our woe He brings;
Wherefore the earth is glad and sings:
We praise Thee, Sav­ior, now,
Mighty in deed art Thou!

Oh blest the land, the ci­ty blest,
Where Christ the rul­er is con­fessed!
Oh hap­py hearts and hap­py homes
To whom this king in tri­umph comes!
The cloud­less sun of joy He is,
Who bring­eth pure de­light and bliss:
O Com­fort­er di­vine,
What bound­less grace is Thine!

Fling wide the por­tals of your heart,
Make it a tem­ple set apart
From earth­ly use for Heav’n’s em­ploy,
Adorned with pray­er and love and joy;
So shall your So­ver­eign en­ter in,
And new and nob­ler life be­gin:
To Thee, O God, be praise,
For word and deed and grace!

Redeemer, come! I op­en wide
My heart to Thee—here, Lord, abide!
Let me Thy in­ner pre­sence feel,
Thy grace and love in me re­veal,
Thy Holy Spir­it guide us on
Until our glo­ri­ous goal is won!
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Thy name.

An al­te­rnate version, which can be sung to:

Lift up your heads, ye migh­ty gates;
Behold, the King of glo­ry waits;
The King of kings is draw­ing near;
The Sav­ior of the world is here!

A help­er just He comes to thee,
His cha­ri­ot is hu­mil­ity,
His king­ly crown is ho­li­ness,
His scep­ter, pi­ty in dis­tress.

O blest the land, the ci­ty blest,
Where Christ the rul­er is con­fessed!
O hap­py hearts and hap­py homes
To whom this king in tri­umph comes!

Fling wide the por­tals of your heart;
Make it a tem­ple, set apart
From earth­ly use for Heav’n’s employ,
Adorned with pray­er and love and joy.

Redeemer, come, with us abide;
Our hearts to Thee we op­en wide;
Let us Thy in­ner pre­sence feel;
Thy grace and love in us re­veal.

Thy Ho­ly Spir­it lead us on
Until our glo­ri­ous goal is won;
Eternal praise, eter­nal fame
Be of­fered, Sav­ior, to Thy name!