The Lutheran Hymnary ‎#604

604. Great God, what do I see and hear!

1 Great God, what do I see and hear!
The end of things created!
The Judge of mankind doth appear,
On clouds of glory seated;
The trumpet sounds; the graves restore
The dead which they contained before:
Prepare, my soul, to meet Him.

2 The dead in Christ shall first arise,
At the last trumpet's sounding.
Caught up to meet Him in the skies,
With joy their Lord surrounding:
No gloomy fears their souls dismay;
His presence sheds eternal day
On those prepared to meet Him.

3 But sinners, filled with guilty fears,
Behold His wrath prevailing,
For they shall rise, and find their tears
And sighs are unavailing:
The day of grace is past and gone;
They trembling stand before the throne,
All unprepared to meet Him.

4 O Christ, who diedst and yet dost live,
To me impart Thy merit:
My pardon seal, my sins forgive,
And cleanse me by Thy Spirit.
Beneath Thy cross I view the day
When heaven and earth shall pass away,
And thus prepare to meet Thee.

Text Information

• First Line: Great God, what do I see and hear!
• V. I.: Anon. (1802)
• Author: W. B. Collier (1812)
• Alterer: T. Cotteril and others.
• Meter: 8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7.
• Publication Date: 1913
• Topic: The Last Things: Christ's Second Coming; Judgment; Second Coming of Christ

Tune Information

• Name: [Great God, what do I see and hear]
• Composer: Joseph Klug (1535)
• Meter: 8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7.
• Key: G Major
• Source: Wittenberg