1 God cometh, let the heart prepare,
Let all be swept and garnished there.
Not as the Babe of Bethlehem:
He comes to doom, to diadem.
2 Not as the scorned, the crucified,
The Bridegroom seeks His waiting bride.
With clouds He comes, and every eye
Shall see the Judge of souls draw nigh.
3 The trump shall sound, and cohorts bright
Will swell His train of wondrous might.
Behold, He standeth at the door,
The Christ whose pity we implore.
4 God cometh, let the heart prepare,
Deep let the Cross be planted there.
So when the sign in Heaven appears,
The Cross within shall stay our fears.
Most British hymn writers in the nineteenth century were clergymen, but William C. Dix (b. Bristol, England, 1837; d. Cheddar, Somerset, England, 1898) was a notable exception. Trained in the business world, he became the manager of a marine insurance company in Glasgow, Scotland. Dix published various volumes of his hymns, such as Hymns of Love and Joy (1861) and Altar Songs: Verses on the Holy Eucharist (1867). A number of his texts were first published in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861).
Bert Polman… Go to person page >
Dmitri Stephanovich Bortnianski (b. Gloukoff, Ukraine, 1751; d. St. Petersburg, Russia, 1825) was a Russian composer of church music, operas, and instrumental music. His tune ST. PETERSBURG (also known as RUSSIAN HYMN) was first published in J. H. Tscherlitzky's Choralbuch (1825).
The tune is suppo…
Display Title: Judgment At The DoorFirst Line: God cometh, let the heart prepareTune Title: RIVERAAuthor: William C. DixMeter: LMSource: A Vision of All Saints, and Other Poems (London; John Hodges, 1871)