3718. Lord, Her Watch Thy Church Is Keeping

1. Lord, her watch Thy Church is keeping:
When shall earth Thy rule obey?
When shall end the night of weeping?
When shall break the promised day?
See the whitening harvest languish,
Waiting still the laborers’ toil;
Was it vain, Thy Son’s deep anguish?
Shall the strong retain the spoil?

2. Tidings, sent to every creature,
Millions yet have never heard:
Can they hear without a preacher?
Lord almighty, give the word!
Give the word! in every nation
Let the Gospel trumpet sound,
Witnessing a world’s salvation,
To the earth’s remotest bound.

3. Then the end! Thy Church completed,
All Thy chosen gathered in,
With their King in glory seated,
Satan bound, and banished sin
Gone for ever parting, weeping,
Hunger, sorrow, death, and pain;
Lo! her watch Thy Church is keeping;
Come, Lord Jesus, come to reign!

Text Information
First Line: Lord, her watch Thy Church is keeping:
Title: Lord, Her Watch Thy Church Is Keeping
Author: Henry Downton (1866)
Meter: 87.87 D
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
Notes: Downtown wrote this hymn at Geneva, where he was Resident English Chaplain. It was first sung at that year's annual meeting of the Church Missionary Society. Alternate tunes: EVERTON, Henry T. Smart, 1867; SALVATOR, J. P. Jewson, in The Primitive Methodist Hymnal Supplement with Tunes, edited by George Booth (London: Primitive Methodist Publishing House, 1912), number 60
Tune Information
Name: ELLESDIE
Composer (attributed to): Wolf­gang A. Mo­zart, 1756-1791
Arranger: Hu­bert P. Main (1872)
Meter: 87.87 D
Incipit: 11113 22112 22243
Key: A♭ Major
Copyright: Public Domain



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