The Marriage Supper (Rimanoczy)

I’m in­vit­ed to a sup­per

’tis

A mar­riage feast and grand

’Tis the great­est of all ban­quets

Ever known on sea or land;

There will be a count­less host of guests

The Bride­groom and the Bride

And all who to this sup­per go

On shin­ing clouds shall ride.

Yes

I have an in­vi­ta­tion

I can take my friends along

There is on­ly one con­di­tion—

You must know re­demp­tion’s song.

So

then

put your wed­ding gar­ments on

For you can­not do it there;

The wed­ding bells are soon to ring

You have no time to spare.

First

the Lord Him­self with migh­ty shout

And thun­der­ing trum­pet blast

Will an­nounce

The feast is rea­dy!

Lo

the Bride­groom comes at last;

Then the wait­ing saints of earth shall rise

With thrill­ing hearts of love

And in one grand pro­cess­ion go

To the ban­quet hall above.

I can see Isai­ah and Ab­ra­ham

With flowing garments white

And Is­aac

Job and Da­ni­el there

All crowned with heav’n­ly light;

There are Mo­ses and Eli­jah

Paul

And Je­re­mi­ah

too

And all the faith­ful mar­tyrs who

Unto the death were true.

In the backg­round myr­iad an­gels sit

With shin­ing harps of gold

And the rap­tur­ous mu­sic which they make

In words can­not be told;

’Tis a song of won­drous ma­jes­ty

Their swell­ing voices sing

While the hal­le­lu­jahs of the saints

Make all the heav­ens ring.

Hark! a ho­ly still­ness now en­sues

The an­gel songs are ceased

While a heav’n­ly grace is be­ing asked

Upon this won­drous feast.

See

the Man with vis­age marred

but sweet

With scars up­on His hands

Invokes the Fa­ther’s bless­ing

As with out­stretched arms He stands.

When the Bride­groom drops those bless­èd hands

And says the last Amen

The saints re­spond with one ac­cord

And the an­gels sing again:

Glory

glo­ry be to Him whose blood

Hath washed us from our sins;

And ’midst the splen­dors of the scene

The mar­riage feast be­gins.