Behold, He Comes—The Judge Appears

Behold

He comes—the Judge ap­pears

With all His glo­ries crowned:

Behold each na­tion

tribe and tongue

The judg­ment seat sur­round.

View well the right­eous

mark the joy

O’er ev­ery fea­ture spread;

But Oh! What pale af­fright­ed looks

Bespeak the sin­ner’s dread.

No truth ap­pears

no en­vi­ous cloud

Can hide her ra­di­ant face;

No names and forms

and bor­rowed masks

No more shall find a place.

As from his sheep the shep­herd parts

The goats at ev­en-tide

So from the good

the right­eous Judge

The wick­ed shall di­vide.

Ranged on the right

the pi­ous race

Shall their glad sen­tence hear;

Whilst on the left

th’un­god­ly world

Too late their doom shall fear.

Among the saints

at Christ’s right hand

May I

Lord

find a place;

Enrolled among the heirs of God

The first­born sons of grace.

Then shall I all en­rap­tured hear

The Judge pro­nounce me blest;

And share the king­dom long pre­pared

That sweet and end­less rest.