Prepare the Way, O Zion!

Prepare the way

O Zi­on!

Ye aw­ful deeps

rise high;

Sink low

ye tow­er­ing mount­ains

The Lord is draw­ing nigh;

The right­eous King of glo­ry

Foretold in sac­red sto­ry.

O blest is He that came

In God the Fa­ther’s name.

O Zi­on

He ap­proach­eth

Thy Lord and king for aye!

Strew palms where He ad­vanc­eth

Spread gar­ments in His way.

God’s pro­mise fail­eth nev­er

Hosanna sound for­ev­er!

Fling wide thy por­tals

Zi­on

And hail thy glo­ri­ous king;

His tid­ings of sal­va­tion

To ev­ery peo­ple bring

Who

wait­ing yet in sadness

Would sing His praise in glad­ness.

He com­eth not with war­ri­ors

And not with pomp and show

Yet smit­eth He with ter­ror

Sin

death

and ev­ery foe.

The Spir­it’s sword He wield­eth

Not e’en to death He yield­eth.

Give heed

thou sin­ful peo­ple

Thy king and Sav­ior own;

The king­dom He hath found­ed

Is not an earth­ly one;

No pow­er can ov­er­throw it

Nor earth­ly wis­dom know it.

The throne which He as­cend­eth

Is fixed in Heav­en above:

His sanc­ti­fied do­min­ion

Is light alone and love.

His praise be ev­er sound­ing

For grace and peace ab­ound­ing.

Jerusalem is fall­en

And closed its tem­ple door;

Its sac­ri­fices end­ed;

Its scep­ter is no more.

Christ’s king­dom nev­er ceas­eth

Its glo­ry still in­creas­eth.