[233]Luther's Hymn:

Joseph Klug's Gesangbuch, 1535

William B. Collyer, 1812;

Alt. Thomas Cotterill, 1820

Great God, what do I see and hear!

The end of things created!

The Judge of all men doth appear

On clouds of glory seated!

The trumpet sounds; the graves restore

The dead which they contained before;

Prepare, my soul, to meet him!

The dead in Christ shall first arise

At the last trumpet's sounding,

Caught up to meet him in the skies,

With joy their Lord surrounding:

No gloomy fears their souls dismay,

His presence sheds eternal day

On those prepared to meet him.

But sinners, filled with guilty fears,

Behold his wrath prevailing;

For they shall rise and find their tears

And sighs are unavailing;

The day of grace is past and gone;

Trembling they stand before the throne,

All unprepared to meet him.

Great God, to thee my spirit clings,

Thy boundless love declaring;

One wondrous sight my comfort brings,

The Judge my nature wearing.

Beneath his cross I view the day

When heaven and earth shall pass away,

And thus prepare to meet him.

Amen.