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Words: Henry Downton, 1866. 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.
Music: "Ellesdie," attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791); arranged by Hubert Platt Main, 1872
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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?
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.
Then the end! Thy Church completed,
All Thy chosen gathered in,
With their King in glory seated,
Satan bound, and banished sing
Gone for ever parting, weeping,
Hunger, sorrow, death, and pain;
Lo! her watch Thy Church is keeping;
Come, Lord Jesus, come to reign!
Hymns supplied through the gracious generosity of the Cyber Hymnal Website