Scripture Verse

When the Son of man shall come…before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31–33

Introduction

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Paul B. Henkel (1754–1825)

Words: Paul B. Hen­kel, Church Hymn Book (New Mar­ket, Vir­gin­ia: So­lo­mon Hen­kel, 1816), num­ber 232. Note: The 1816 edi­tion of this hym­nal does not name the au­thor. Paul Hen­kel’s son, Am­brose Hen­kel, iden­ti­fies his fa­ther as the au­thor by a dou­ble dag­ger symb­ol (‡) in the 1838 edi­tion, num­ber 613.

Music: Song 20 (Gib­bons) Or­lan­do Gib­bons (1583–1625) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you have know where to get a bet­ter pic­ture of Hen­kel,

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Orlando Gibbons
(1583–1625)

Lyrics

Must I in judg­ment stand?
Before my Lord ap­pear;
Shall I ap­pear at His right hand?
Or sen­tenced to des­pair?

Will then my Sav­ior say:
Come, join the heav’n­ly hosts?
Or must I then be driv­en away
To the in­fer­nal coasts?

O what will be my state,
When I from hence shall flee?
O mat­ters of the great­est weight,
To launch eter­ni­ty!

It strikes an aw­ful gloom,
Far more than I can tell,
When I think on the life to come,
And where I am to dwell.

To hear the trum­pet sound,
And see the flam­ing skies,
And my great judge in glo­ry crowned,
What fears will then arise!

O how shall I ap­pear,
In that tre­men­dous day?
When I my judge’s voice shall hear:
Say, Come, or Go away.

O Sav­ior, hear my pray­er;
Such wit­ness grant to me:
Make me as­sured, when I ap­pear,
That I shall go with Thee.