Church Book ‎#565

565. 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 man I see 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;
Trembling they 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!
• Author (part): William Bengo Collyer (1812)
• Meter: 8, 7. Iambic
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1890
• Topic: Death and Eternity: Judgment; Advent, Second Sunday; Ninth Sunday after Trinity; Twenty Second Sunday after Trinity; Twenty Sixth Sunday after Trinity
• Notes: Alternate tune: #573

Tune Information

• Name: WENN ICH IN TODESNÖTHEN BIN
• Meter: 8, 7. Iambic
• Key: c minor
• Notes: Composer from index: Melch. Franck, 1631