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The Virgins Ten

Representative Text

1 “Five of them were wise and five were foolish,”
Of the virgins ten who assembled there.
“Five of them were wise and five were foolish”
When the summons came for the feast prepare.

Refrain:
Some were shouting, some were weeping
When the bridegroom came and they entered in:
Should He come tonight, would you enter light,
Or be driven out with your load of sin?

2 Five of them had oil and five were careless,
For the needed oil then had failed to bring.
Tho’ they trimmed their lamps when called to hasten
They were not prepared for to meet their King. [Refrain]

3 Five of them were ready, five were tardy,
For the Bridegroom came in the midnight gloom;
Five of them were welcomed, five were banished,
In the darkness deep met their solemn doom. [Refrain]

4 Five of them were shouting, five were wailing,
For the door was shut when the Bridegroom came;
Five of them were glad and now are singing,
Five of them must dwell in eternal flame. [Refrain]

5 Brother, when He comes, will you be foolish,
If you’d enter in you must forsake sin;
Brother, he is coming, don’t be sleeping,
Oh! be wise—prepare, we shall enter in. [Refrain]

Source: Hymns of the Kingdom: for use in religious meetings #108

Author: Henry J. Zelley

Henry Jeffreys Zelley was born at Mt. Holly, NJ, on Mar. 15, 1859. Educated in the Mt. Holly public schools, at Pennington Seminary, and at Taylor University, where he earned his M. A., Ph. D., and D. D. degrees, he became a Methodist minister in 1882 and first served in the New Jersey Conference as a statistical secretary, treasurer, and trustee, becoming a promoter of the campmeeting movement. Noted for his evangelistic fervor, Zelley produced over 1500 poems, hymns, and gospel songs. One of his songs, "He Brought Me Out" with music by Henry L. Gilmour, appears in several denominational hymnals. Cyberhymnal also lists "When Israel Out of Bondage Came" or "He Rolled the Sea Away" with music by Gilmour too. Another of Zelley’s so… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Five of them were wise and five were foolish
Title: The Virgins Ten
Author: Henry J. Zelley
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Some were shouting, some were weeping
Copyright: Public Domain

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Hymns of the Kingdom #108

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