Classic Poem

Glory to the glorious One,
Good and great, our God alone,
Who this day hath glorified,
First and best of all beside,
Making it for every clime,
Of all times the sweetest time.

From the beginning, day of days,
Set apart for holy praise,
When he bade the willing earth
All its hidden stores bring forth,
When he gave the shining heaven,
Then to man this day was given

On this day the Son of God
Left his three-days' dark abode;
In the greatness of his might,
Rising to the upper light.
On this day the Church puts on
Glory, beauty, robe, and crown.

On this day of days the Lord,
Faithful to his ancient word,
On his burning chariot borne,
Shall in majesty return.
King of kings, he comes in might,
From his heavenly home of light.

To his own Jerusalem,
Old Judea's brightest gem,
To the hill of Jebus, see,
King Messiah, cometh he;
With his cross to bless and save,
With his cross to spoil the grave.

He shall speak, and earth shall hear;
Rending rocks shall quake with fear,
And the waking dead shall come
From the silence of the tomb.
Shaken heavens and shattered earth
Then shall rise to second birth.

To the kingdom promised long,
With his shining angel throng,
Righteous vengeance to fulfil,
Recompence for good and ill,
Adam's race from dust to call,
Lo, He cometh, Judge of all!

Then the glory to his own!
Then the kingdom and the crown!
Then the sinner's hope shall close,
Then begin his endless woes;
Then he knocks, but knocks in vain, —
Who shall break his iron chain?

Earth is fleeing, fleeing fast,
And its beauty fades at last;
O beloved, then, awake,
Bonds of carnal slumber break,
Wake, beloved, watch and pray,
While remains one hour of day!

Death, it cometh, — Oh beware!
Judgment cometh, — Oh prepare!
Stedfast, stedfast let us stand,
For the Judge is nigh at hand;
Stedfast let us rest each night,
Stedfast wake at morning light.

Glory, glory, glory be,
Gracious God and Lord, to Thee
To the Father and the Son,
To the Spirit, Three in One
Thus we now thy mercy praise,
Thus through everlasting days.