Scripture Verse

What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. Mark 13:37

Introduction

Words: Jo­hann C. Rube, Früh­lings-Blum­en 1712 (Der Herr bricht ein, um Mit­ter­nacht). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Sar­ah B. Find­lat­er, Hymns from the Land of Lu­ther, third ser­ies, 1858, page 60 (and there mis­at­trib­ut­ed to Zin­zen­dorf).

Music: Saw­ley James Walch, 1860 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

The Lord shall come in dead of night,
When all is stillness round;
How happy they whose lamps are bright,
Who hail the trumpet’s sound.

How blind and dead the world appears,
How deep her slumbers are,
Still dreaming that the day she fears
Is distant and afar.

Who spends his day in holy toil,
His talent used aright,
That he may haste, with heavenly spoil,
To meet his Lord that night?

Are you arousing from their sleep,
The saints who dare to rest,
And calling every one to keep
A watch more true and blest?

Wake up! my heart and soul, anew,
Let sleep no moment claim;
But hourly watch, as if ye knew
This night the Mas­ter came.