Scripture Verse

I John…was in the isle that is called Patmos…in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last and, What thou seest, write in a book. Revelation 1:9–11

Introduction

Words: Ri­chard Mant, An­cient Hymns from the Ro­man Bre­vi­ary (Lon­don: J. G. & F. Riv­ing­ton, 1837), num­ber 120.

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

Alternate Tunes:

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

portrait
Richard Mant (1776–1848)

Lyrics

O Sav­ior, aw­ful was the word,
In Pat­mos’ is­land lone,
By Him in ho­ly vi­sion heard,
Thy own be­lov­èd John.

Behold! I come, I come with speed:
With Me is My re­ward;
And then of ev­ery man the meed
Shall with his work ac­cord.

Come then, from ev­ery faith­ful breast
The Ho­ly Spir­it cries;
And Come! in spot­less rai­ment dressed,
The Church, Thy bride, re­plies.

O blest are they, whose bo­soms share
The Spir­it’s gifts se­rene:
Blest who the brid­al gar­ment wear,
That ves­ture white and clean.

Blest, who in Thy com­mun­ion erst
Have loved, O Christ, to dwell;
Have free­ly drunk and slaked their thirst
From Thy en­liv­en­ing well.

And when at length Thy warn­ings show
At hand the hour of doom,
Can meek­ly an­swer, Ev­en so,
Yea come, Lord Je­sus, come!