Scripture Verse

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Matthew 25:1–4

Introduction

Words: John Need­ham, Hymns De­vo­tion­al and Mo­ral on Va­ri­ous Sub­jects (Bris­tol, Eng­land: S. Far­ley, 1768), num­ber 152.

Music: Downs Lo­well Ma­son, 1832 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Need­ham (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

illustration
Virgins with Lamps

Prepare, ye saints, to meet your Lord,
Nor sleep nor slum­ber more;
Bright be your lamps, your ves­sels filled
To feed the wast­ing store.

He comes, He comes, may be the cry
In mid­night’s deep­est gloom;
Should then our lamps be void of oil,
How sad must be our doom?

In vain, when ’tis too late, we seek
A fresh sup­ply to get;
In vain, when once the door is shut,
Our fol­ly we regret.

Open, Lord, op­en, we may cry,
But then can’t move His heart;
I know you not, the Judge will say,
Depart from Me, de­part.

Lord, for Thy com­ing may I wait
With loins well girt about;
In hea­ven­ly vir­tues may I shine,
Nor let my lamp go out.

Then will the Bride­groom me ad­mit,
And own me for His friend;
My soul shall feast on hea­ven­ly love,
Nor shall the ban­quet end.