Re-joice, all ye be-liev-ers, and let your lights ap-pear;
The eve-ning is ad-vanc-ing, and dark-er night is near:
The bride-groom is a-ris-ing, and soon He draw-eth nigh;
Up, pray, and watch, and wres-tle: at mid-night comes the cry.
See that your lamps are burn-ing; re-plen-ish them with oil;
And wait for your sal-va-tion, the end of earth-ly toil.
The watch-ers on the moun-tain pro-claim the Bride-groom near;
Go meet Him as He com-eth, with al-le-lu-ias clear.
Ye saints, who here in pa-tience your cross and suf-ferings bore,
Shall live and reign for-ev-er, when sor-row is no more:
A-round the throne of glo-ry the Lamb ye shall be-hold,
In tri-umph cast be-fore Him your di-a-dems of gold.
Our hope and ex-pec-ta-tion, O Je-sus, now ap-pear;
A-rise, thou Sun so longed for, o'er this be-night-ed sphere.
With hearts and hands up-lift-ed, we plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth's re-demp-tion that brings us un-to Thee.