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Watch, Ye Saints
Verse 1
Watch, ye saints, with eyelids waking;
Lo! The powers of heaven are shaking;
Keep your lamps all trimmed an burning,
Ready for your Lord’s returning.
Lo! The powers of heaven are shaking;
Keep your lamps all trimmed an burning,
Ready for your Lord’s returning.
Refrain
Lo! He comes, lo! Jesus comes;
Lo! He come, He comes all glorious!
Jesus comes to reign victorious,
Lo! He comes, yes, Jesus comes.
Lo! He come, He comes all glorious!
Jesus comes to reign victorious,
Lo! He comes, yes, Jesus comes.
Verse 2
Lo! the promise of your Savior,
Pardoned sin and purchased favor,
Blood-washed robes and crowns of glory;
Haste to tell redemption's story.
Pardoned sin and purchased favor,
Blood-washed robes and crowns of glory;
Haste to tell redemption's story.
Verse 3
Kingdoms at their base are crumbling,
Hark! His chariot wheels are rumbling;
Tell, O tell of grace abounding,
Whilst the seventh trump is sounding.
Hark! His chariot wheels are rumbling;
Tell, O tell of grace abounding,
Whilst the seventh trump is sounding.
Verse 4
Nations wane, though proud and stately;
Christ His kingdom hasteneth greatly;
Earth her latest pangs is summing;
Shout, ye saints, your Lord is coming.
Christ His kingdom hasteneth greatly;
Earth her latest pangs is summing;
Shout, ye saints, your Lord is coming.
Verse 5
Sinners, come, while Christ is pleading;
Now for you He's interceding;
Haste, ere grace and time diminished
Shall proclaim the mystery finished.
Now for you He's interceding;
Haste, ere grace and time diminished
Shall proclaim the mystery finished.
Based on Charles Wesley's watchfulness hymn tradition, this text circulated widely in 19th-century American gospel hymnody; attribution to Wesley is approximate and the tune composer is unconfirmed.