Scripture Verse

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Mark 1:15

Introduction

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Johann Rist (1607–1667)

Words: Jo­hann Rist, Sab­bat­ische Seel­en­lust (Lü­ne­burg, Ger­ma­ny: 1651) (Auf, auf, ihr Reichs­ge­noß­en). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca (Lon­don & New York: George Newnes & Charles Scrib­ner’s Sons, 1855), pag­es 202–03, alt.

Music: El­la­combe, Ge­sang­buch der herz­ogl. Wir­tem­berg­isch­en ka­tho­lisch­en Hof­ka­pel­le (Würt­tem­berg, Ger­ma­ny: 1784). Adapt­ed & har­mo­nized by Will­iam H. Monk in the 1868 ap­pendix to Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, num­ber 366 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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William Monk (1823–1889)

Lyrics

Arise, the king­dom is at hand,
The King is draw­ing nigh;
Arise with joy, thou faith­ful band,
To meet the Lord most high!
Look up, ye souls, weighed down with care,
The So­ver­eign is not far;
Look up, faint hearts, from your des­pair,
Behold the Morn­ing Star!

Look up, ye droop­ing hearts, to­day!
The King is ve­ry near;
O cast your griefs and fears away,
For, lo! Your help is here;
Hope on, ye brok­en hearts, at last
The King comes in His might;
He loved us in the ag­es past
When we lay wrapped in night.

Look up, ye souls weighed down with care!
The So­ver­eign is not far.
Look up, faint hearts, from your des­pair,
Behold the Morn­ing Star!
The Lord is with us now, who shall
The sink­ing spir­it feed
With strength and com­fort at its need
To whom e’en death shall bow.

Hope, O ye brok­en hearts, at last!
The King comes on in might,
He loved us in the ag­es past
When we sat wrapped in night;
Now are our sor­rows o’er, and fear
And wrath to joy give place,
Since God hath made us in His grace
His child­ren ev­er­more.

O rich the gifts Thou bring­est us,
Thyself made poor and weak;
O love be­yond com­pare that thus
Can foes and sin­ners seek!
For this we raise a glad­some voice
On high to Thee alone,
And ev­er­more with thanks re­joice
Before Thy glo­ri­ous throne.