Scripture Verse

The Lord Jesus Christ…shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:1

Introduction

portrait
Samuel Stone (1839–1900)

Words: Sam­uel J. Stone, Ly­ra Fi­de­li­um (Lon­don: Par­ker & Com­pa­ny, 1866), pag­es 28 and 30.

Music: Red­head Ri­chard Red­head, Church Hymn Tunes, An­cient and Mo­dern (Lon­don: 1853) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Richard Redhead
(1820–1901)

Lyrics

Mistful are our wait­ing eyes,
As of them who saw Him rise
From that mount­ain to the skies.
Then the holy an­gels near
Gave them tid­ings of good cheer:
Jesus shall again ap­pear.

And we wait an an­gel’s cry,
Piercing earth­ward from the sky:
Now, be­hold your Lord is nigh!
Yet, who shall abide that day,
When the Judge with dread ar­ray
Comes for uni­ver­sal sway?

Dreadly shall His sum­mons sweep,
Heard by those who wake or sleep,
On the height or in the deep:
Heard by Life ’mid all its bloom,
Heard by Death in ev­ery tomb—
Terrible de­cree of doom.

For the ga­thered souls who stand,
Waiting that su­preme com­mand,
He shall part on ei­ther hand.
To those souls of quick and dead,
Come, shall be the bless­ing said,
Go, shall be the curs­ing dread.

Lord, dwell in us now, we pray,
That, in the di­vid­ing day,
We be not the cast away!
So shall we till Thou ap­pear
Blend, in long­ing eye and ear,
Holy joy with ho­ly fear!