All Saints
288
7, 6, 8, 6, 8 l
Ten thousand times ten thousand
In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints
Throng up the steeps of light.
’Tis finished! all is finished,
Their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates,
And let the victors in.
2. What rush of alleluias
Fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps
Bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation
And all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes
A thousandfold repaid!
3. Oh, then, what raptured greetings
On Canaan’s happy shore;
What knitting severed friendships up,
Where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle
That brimmed with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless
Nor widows desolate.
4. Bring near Thy great salvation,
Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect,
Then take Thy power and reign.
Appear, Desire of nations,
Thine exiles long for home;
Show in the heav’ns Thy promised sign;
Thou Prince and Savior, come!
H. Alford, 1867.
289
S. M.
For all Thy saints, O Lord,
Who strove in Thee to live,
Who followed Thee, obeyed, adored,
Our grateful hymn receive.
2. For all Thy saints, O Lord,
Accept our thankful cry,
Who counted Thee their great reward
And strove in Thee to die.
3. They all in life and death,
With Thee, their Lord, in view,
Learned from Thy Holy Spirit’s breath
To suffer and to do.
4. For this Thy name we bless
And humbly pray that we
May follow them in holiness
And live and die in Thee.
R. Mant, 1837, abr.
290
8, 7, 8 l
Hark! the sound of holy voices
Chanting o’er the crystal sea,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord, to Thee!
Multitudes which none can number
Like the stars in glory stand,
Clothed in white apparel, holding
Palms of vict’ry in their hand.
2. Patriarch, and holy prophet,
Who prepared the way of Christ,
King, apostle, saint, confessor,
Martyr and evangelist,
Saintly maiden, godly matron,
Widows who have watched to prayer,
Joined in holy concert, singing
To the Lord of all, are there.
3. They have come from tribulation
And have washed their robes in blood,
Washed them in the blood of Jesus;
Tried they were, and firm they stood.
Mocked, imprisoned, stoned, tormented,
Sawn asunder, slain with sword,
They have conquered death and Satan
By the might of Christ the Lord.
4. Marching with Thy cross, their banner,
They have triumphed, following
Thee, the Captain of salvation,
Thee, their Savior and their King.
Gladly, Lord, with Thee they suffered,
Gladly, Lord, with Thee they died,
And by death to life immortal
They were born and glorified.
5. Now they reign in heavenly glory.
Now they walk in golden light,
Now they drink, as from a river,
Holy bliss and infinite.
Love and peace they taste forever
And all truth and knowledge see
In the beatific vision
Of the blessed Trinity.
C. Wordsworth, 1862.