“Behold, the Bridegroom draweth nigh”
Hear ye the oft repeated cry?
Go forth into the midnight dim;
For blest are they whom He shall find
With ready heart and watchful mind;
Go forth, my soul, to Him.

“Behold, the Bridegroom cometh by,”
The call is echoed from the sky:
Go forth, ye servants, watch and wait:
The slothful cannot join His train;
No careless ones can entrance gain;
Awake, my soul, ’tis late.

The wise will plead with one accord,
“O holy, holy, holy Lord,
On us Thy quick’ning grace bestow,
That none may reach the door too late,
When Thou shalt enter at the gate
And to Thy kingdom go.”

“Behold, the Bridegroom draweth near,”
The warning falls on every ear:
That night of dread shall come to all:
Behold, my soul, thy lamp so dim,
Rise, rise the smoking flax to trim;
Soon shalt thou hear His call.

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Lest your feet may go astray!
If you are the Lord’s disciple,
Unto sinners show the way!

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We’ll go out with joy to meet Him,
We’ll go out with joy to meet Him,
At the midnight hour;
If our lamps are trimmed and burning,
When He cometh, when He cometh,
At the midnight hour!

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Let there be of oil no lack!
Be not like the foolish virgins,
From the entrance driven back!

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Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Burning for eternity!
Ready for the Lord’s appearing,
Whensoever it may be!

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Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
For the midnight draweth near!
When the Bridegroom quickly cometh,
And we all His voice shall hear!

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Once, forth to meet the bridegroom,
At night ten virgins went;
Five lamps were trimmed for burning,
In five the oil was spent,
And while they slept and slumbered,
At midnight rose the shout
Behold the bridegroom cometh,
To meet him go ye out.

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Watch ye, therefore, watch I say,
Watch ye, therefore, watch and pray;
Ye know not the hour, ye know not the day
The Son of Man may come.

Then all the foolish virgins
Their need began to tell;
And all the wise ones answered,
Go ye to them that sell.
The foolish virgins hastened,
In darkness, fear, and shame,
The wise ones ready waited,
And lo the bridegroom came!

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Lord, Lord, unto us open,
The foolish virgins cried;
“I know ye not,” unto them
The bridegroom’s voice replied.
O Christians, learn the lesson,
Your lamps be wise and trim,
And when the Bridegroom cometh,
Go gladly in with Him.

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When descending from the sky
The Bridegroom shall appear;
And the solemn midnight cry,
Shall call professors near:
How the sound our hearts will damp!
How will shame o’erspread each face!
If we only have a lamp,
Without the oil of grace.

Foolish virgins then will wake
And seek for a supply;
But in vain the pains they take
To borrow or to buy:
Then with those they now despise,
Earnestly they’ll wish to share;
But the best, among the wise,
Will have no oil to spare.

Wise are they, and truly blest,
Who then shall ready be
But despair will seize the rest,
And dreadful misery:
Once, they’ll cry, we scorned to doubt,
Though in lies our trust we put;
Now our lamp of hope is out,
The door of mercy shut.

If they then presume to plead,
“Lord open to us now;
We on earth have heard and prayed,
And with thy saints did bow:”
He will answer from his throne,
“Though you with My people mixed,
Yet to Me you ne’er were known,
Depart, your doom is fixed.”

O that none who worship here
May hear that word, Depart!
Lord impress a godly fear
On each professor’s heart:
Help us, Lord, to search the camp,
Let us not ourselves beguile;
Trusting to a dying lamp
Without a stock of oil.

Will our lamps be filled and ready,
When the Bridegroom comes?
And our lights be clear and steady,
When the Bridegroom comes?
In the night, that solemn night,
Will our lamps be burning bright,
When the Bridegroom comes?

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O be ready! O be ready!
O be ready when the Bridegroom comes!
O be ready! O be ready!
O be ready when the Bridegroom comes!

Shall we hear a welcome sounding,
When the Bridegroom comes?
And a shout of joy resounding,
When the Bridegroom comes?
In the night, that solemn night,
Will our lamps be burning bright,
When the Bridegroom comes?

Refrain

Don’t delay our preparation
Till the Bridegroom comes,
Lest there be a separation,
When the Bridegroom comes.
In the night, that solemn night,
Will our lamps be burning bright,
When the Bridegroom comes?

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It may be a time of sorrow,
When the Bridegroom comes;
If our oil we hope to borrow,
When the Bridegroom comes.
In the night, that solemn night,
Will our lamps be burning bright,
When the Bridegroom comes?

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Oh, there’ll be a glorious meeting,
When the Bridegroom comes;
And a hallelujah greeting,
When the Bridegroom comes.
In the night, that joyful night,
With our lamps all burning bright,
When the Bridegroom comes.

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Precious soul, prepare for the midnight call,
“Be ready when the Bridegroom comes”;
For the solemn change is awaiting all,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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Oh, be ready when the Bridegroom comes!
Oh, be ready when the Bridegroom comes!
Will your lamp be burning at the Lord’s returning?
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

Like the virgins wise fill your lamps with oil,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes;
Let not sin your faithful efforts foil,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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Then avail yourself of a full supply,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes;
Never idle sit till your lamp burns dry,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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Then awake, dear soul, you’re in sin’s dark night,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes;
Let your lamp burn bright with a clear, good light,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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Do not sleep, pour soul, till your lamp goes out—
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes;
Till the Lord returns with a mighty shout,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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Ye virgin souls, arise,
With all the dead awake
Unto salvation wise,
Oil in your vessels take;
Upstarting at the midnight cry,
“Behold the heavenly Bridegroom nigh!”

He comes, He comes, to call
The nations to His bar,
And raise to glory all
Who fit for glory are;
Made ready for your full reward,
Go forth with joy to meet your Lord.

Go, meet Him in the sky,
Your everlasting Friend;
Your Head to glorify,
With all His saints ascend;
Ye pure in heart, obtain the grace
To see, without a veil, His face!

Ye that have here received
The unction from above,
And in His Spirit lived,
Obedient to His love,
Jesus shall claim you for His bride:
Rejoice with all the sanctified!

The everlasting doors
Shall soon the saints receive,
Above yon angel powers
In glorious joy to live;
Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in.

Then let us wait to hear
The trumpet’s welcome sound;
To see our Lord appear,
Watching let us be found;
When Jesus doth the heavens bow,
Be found—as, Lord, Thou find’st us now!

Ye waiting souls, arise,
With all the dead, awake!
Unto salvation wise,
Oil in your vessels take;
Upstarting at the midnight cry,
“Behold, the heavenly Bridegroom nigh!”

He comes, He comes to call
The nations to His bar,
And take to glory all
Who meet for glory are;
Made ready for your full reward,
Go forth with joy to meet your Lord.

Go, meet Him in the sky,
Your everlasting Friend;
Your Head to glorify,
With all His saints ascend;
Ye pure in heart, obtain the grace
To see, without a veil, His face.

The everlasting doors
Shall soon the saints receive,
With seraphs, thrones, and powers,
In glorious joy to live;
Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in.

Then let us wait to hear
The trumpet’s welcome sound;
To see our Lord appear,
May we be watching found;
And when Thou dost the heavens bow,
Be found—as, Lord, Thou find’st us now.

The world is sad with hopes that die,
With joys that gleam and then go by,
And dim the mortal eyes that gaze
On setting suns of parting days.

Better the hope, the joy, the light
For spiritual heart and sight!
For they whose life is hid on high
Shall never part and never die.

They never part! that saintly band,
Heirs of the heavenly, holy land;
Whom God the Spirit hath made one
With God the Father and the Son.

They never die! the deathly strife
But ushers them to glorious life:
From their last enemy they gain
Their birth to bliss, their end to pain.

But woe to them whose hearts are given
To joys and treasures not of Heaven;
Their wild awaking is to shame,
The second death in endless flame.

O Jesu, teach our hearts to soar
And grasp those things which are before,
That after death our life may be
The immortality with Thee!

Awake, ye that slumber,
Awake from your sleep,
With lamps trimmed and burning,
A watch you must keep,
You know not how quickly,
The cry you may hear,
Go forth to meet the Bridegroom,
For lo, He is near.

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Behold, He cometh,
The blessèd Bridegroom cometh,
Then go ye forth to meet Him,
A glad and grateful throng.
Behold, He cometh,
The blessèd Bridegroom cometh,
Then go ye forth to meet Him,
With a happy, happy song.

Awake, ye that slumber,
His welcome prepare.
Awake and be ready,
His banquet to share.
The hour is approaching,
No time for repose,
The open door of mercy,
Forever may close.

Refrain

Awake, ye that slumber,
No longer despise
The warning that bids you
Be watchful and wise.
The Bridegroom may tarry,
But true to His word,
Your blessèd call to meet Him
Will surely be heard.

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We shall hear a voice, an immortal voice,
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”
At the midnight watch, in the darkness deep,
When across our souls heavy slumbers creep,
We shall hear that voice, that immortal voice,
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”

Refrain

Oh, be ready when the Bridegroom comes!
Oh, be ready when the Bridegroom comes!
At the noontide, In the evening,
At the midnight, in the morning,
Oh, be ready, Oh, be ready,
Oh, be ready when the Bridegroom comes!

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When the voice shall cry, “Go ye forth tonight,
Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”
Then the pulse will cease, and the heart grow still,
And the eyes will close, and the blood grow chill,
And the soul will take its eternal flight,
“For lo, the Bridegroom comes!”

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Brother, trim your lamp, have it burning bright,
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”
He will surely come, though He seemeth late,
Be at peace with Him, nor a moment wait,
You will hear the cry ere the morning light,
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”

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Hast thou made a vow? hasten ye to pay,
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”
For when He has come, and hath closed the door,
And ye stand and pray, “Open, we implore,”
It will be too late—pay your vows today,
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”

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Our lamps are trimmed and burning,
Our robes are white and clean;
We’ve tarried for the Bridegroom,
Oh, may we enter in?
We know we’ve nothing worthy
That we can call our own—
The light, the oil, the robes we wear,
Are all from Him alone.

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Behold the Bridegroom cometh!
And all may enter in
Whose lamps are trimmed and burning
Whose robes are white and clean.

Go forth, go forth to meet Him,
The way is open now,
All lighted with the glory
That’s streaming from His brow.
Accept the invitation
Beyond deserving kind;
Make no delay, but take your lamps,
And joy eternal find.

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We see the marriage splendor
Within the open door;
We know that those who enter
Are blest forevermore.
We see His is more lovely
Than all the sons of men,
But still we know the door, once shut,
Will never ope again.

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Bride of the Lamb, awake, awake!
Why sleep for sorrow now?
The hope of glory, Christ, is thine,
A child of glory thou.

Thy spirit, through the lonely night,
From earthly joy apart,
Hath sighed for One that’s far away—
The Bridegroom of thy heart.

But see! the night is waning fast,
The breaking morn is near;
And Jesus comes, with voice of love,
Thy drooping heart to cheer.

He comes—for oh, His yearning heart
No more can bear delay—
To scenes of full unmingled joy
To call His bride away.

Then weep no more; ’tis all thine own
His crown, His joy divine;
And, sweeter far than all beside,
He, He Himself is thine!

The Bridegroom soon will call us,
Come, all ye wedding guests!
May not His voice appall us,
While slumber binds our breasts;
May all our lamps be burning,
And oil be found in store,
That we, with Him returning,
May open find the door.

There shall we see delighted
Our dear Redeemer’s face,
Who leads our souls benighted
To glory by His grace;
The patriarchs shall meet us,
The prophets’ holy band,
Apostles, martyrs, greet us
In that celestial land.

They will not blush to own us
As brothers, sisters dear,
Love ever will be shown us
When we with them appear;
We all shall come before Him,
Who for us Man became,
As Lord and God adore Him,
And ever bless His Name.

Our Father, rich in blessing,
Will give us crowns of gold
And, to His bosom pressing,
Impart a bliss untold,
Will welcome with embraces
Of never ending love,
And deck us with His graces
In blissful realms above.

In yonder home shall never
Be silent music’s voice;
With hearts and lips forever
We shall in God rejoice;
The angels shall adore Him,
All saints shall sing His praise,
And bring with joy before Him
Their sweetest heav’nly lays.

In mansions fair and spacious
Will God the feast prepare,
And ever kind and gracious,
Bid us its riches share;
There bliss that knows no measure
From springs of love shall flow,
And never changing pleasure
His bounty will bestow.

Thus God shall from all evil
Forever make us free,
From sin, and from the devil,
From all adversity,
From sickness, pain, and sadness,
From troubles, cares, and fears,
And grant us heavenly gladness
And wipe away our tears.

The Lord is coming by and by,
Be ready when He comes;
He comes from His fair home on high,
Be ready when He comes;
He is the Lord our Righteousness,
And comes His chosen ones to bless,
And at His Father’s throne confess;
Be ready when He comes.

Refrain

Will you be ready when the Bridegroom comes?
Will you be ready when the Bridegroom comes?
Will your lamps be trimmed and bright,
Be it morning, noon or night?
Will you be ready when the Bridegroom comes?

He soon will come to earth again,
Be ready when He comes;
Begin His universal reign,
Be ready when He comes;
With hallelujahs Heav’n will ring,
When Jesus does redemption bring;
O trim your lamps to meet your King!
Be ready when He comes.

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Behold! He comes to one and all,
Be ready when He comes;
He quickly comes with trumpet call,
Be ready when He comes;
To judgment called at His command,
Drawn thither by His mighty hand,
Before His throne we all must stand;
Be ready when He comes.

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O Bride of Christ, rejoice!
Exultant raise thy voice
To hail the day of glory,
Foretold in sacred story.

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Hosanna, praise and glory,
Our King, we bow before Thee.

Let shouts of gladness rise
Triumphant to the skies.
Here comes the King most glorious
To reign o’er all victorious

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He wears no kingly crown
Yet as a king He’s known;
Though not arrayed in splendor,
He still makes death surrender.

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The weak and timid find
How meek He is and kind;
To them He gives a treasure
Of bliss beyond all measure.

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Thy heart now open wide,
Bid Christ with thee abide;
He graciously will hear thee,
And be forever near thee.

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Then go thy Lord to meet;
Strew palm leaves at His feet;
Thy garments spread before Him
And honor and adore Him.

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E’en babes with one accord
With thee shall praise the Lord,
And every gentile nation
Respond with exultation.

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When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
Will your lamps be burning bright,
Will your robes be pure and white,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by?

Refrain

Oh be ready! Oh be ready!
Ready when the Bridegroom comes;
Oh be ready! Oh be ready!
Ready when the Bridegroom comes.

When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
Oh be ready for that day,
With your sins all washed away,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by.

Refrain

When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
Will your wearied heart rejoice
At the sound of Jesus’ voice,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by?

Refrain

When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
Will the sorrows of the past
All be changed to joy at last
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by?

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When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
When the Lord shall call His own,
Can you stand before the throne,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by?

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When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by,
Will you join the ransomed host,
Or be found among the lost,
When the Bridegroom cometh by and by?

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Praise, my soul, the Lord in glory
For His boundless grace!
For His Word, the sacred story,
That His love conveys!
I its truth embrace.

Christ has all my sins forgiven,
Peace and light bestowed.
He thro’ sin and death was driven,
And made way to God.
He made way to God.

None can justly now me censure,
Christ me chose for bride.
To His loving heart I venture,
Hiding at His side;
At His loving side.

Now, my heart, be full of gladness,
Sing with joyful sound!
Let your cheer subdue all sadness;
May your joy abound;
Let your joy resound!

When our Bridegroom comes from glory
We no joy will miss!
All the saved He’ll give, as dowry,
His eternal bliss;
Yes, eternal bliss!

Rejoice, ye saints! the time draws near
When Christ will in the clouds appear,
And for His people call.

Refrain

Trim your lamps, and be ready,
Trim your lamps, and be ready,
Trim your lamps, and be ready
For the midnight cry.
For the midnight cry,
For the midnight cry,
Trim your lamps and be ready,
For the midnight cry.

The trumpet sounds, the thunders roll;
The heavens passing as a scroll;
The earth will burn with fire.

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Poor sinners then on earth will cry,
While lightnings flash from out the sky,
“O mountains, on us fall!”

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Come, brethren all, and let us try
To warn poor sinners, and to cry,
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes!”

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Behold the Bridegroom cometh in
The middle of the night,
And blest is he whose loins are girt,
Whose lamp is burning bright;
But woe to that dull servant, whom
The Master shall surprise
With lamp untrimmed, unburning and
With slumber in his eyes.

Do thou, my soul, beware, beware,
Lest thou in sleep sink down,
Lest thou be given o’er to death,
And lose the golden crown;
But see that thou be sober, with
A watchful eye, and thus
Cry—‘Holy, holy, holy God,
Have mercy upon us.’

That day, the day of fear, shall come;
My soul, slack not thy toil,
But light thy lamp, and feed it well,
And make it bright with oil;
Who knowest not how soon may sound
The cry at eventide,
‘Behold the Bridegroom comes! Arise!
Go forth to meet the bride.’

Beware, my soul; beware, beware,
Lest thou in slumber lie,
And like, the five, remain without,
And knock, and vainly cry;
But watch, and bear thy lamp undimmed,
And Christ shall gird thee on
His own bright wedding robe of light—
The glory of the Son.

When Jesus comes to reward His servants,
Whether it be noon or night,
Faithful to Him will He find us watching,
With our lamps all trimmed and bright?

Refrain

O can we say we are ready, brother?
Ready for the soul’s bright home?
Say, will He find you and me still watching,
Waiting, waiting when the Lord shall come?

If, at the dawn of the early morning,
He shall call us one by one,
When to the Lord we restore our talents,
Will He answer thee—“Well done”?

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Have we been true to the trust He left us?
Do we seek to do our best?
If in our hearts there is naught condemns us,
We shall have a glorious rest.

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Blessèd are those whom the Lord finds watching,
In His glory they shall share;
If He shall come at the dawn or midnight,
Will He find us watching there?

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