Watchfulness

Verse 1

A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify;
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky:—

Verse 2

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfil,—
Oh! may it all my powers engage—
To do my Master’s will.

Verse 3

Arm me with jealous care,
As in thy sight to live;
And, oh! thy servant, Lord! prepare
A strict account to give.

Verse 4

Help me to watch and pray,
And on thyself rely;
Assured, if I my trust betray,
I shall forever die.

Verse 1

A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify;
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

Verse 2

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfil,—
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will.

Verse 3

Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O, Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give.

Verse 4

Help me to watch and pray,
And on Thyself rely,
Assured, if I my trust betray,
I shall for ever die.

Verse 1

Christian, seek not yet repose,
Cast thy dreams of ease away;
Thou art in the midst of foes:
Watch and pray.

Verse 2

Principalities and powers,
Mustering their unseen array,
Wait for thy unguarded hours:
Watch and pray.

Verse 3

Gird thy heavenly armor on,
Wear it ever, night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one:
Watch and pray.

Verse 4

Hear the victors who o’ercame;
Still they mark each warrior’s way;
All with one sweet voice exclaim,
“Watch and pray.”

Verse 5

Hear, above all, hear Thy Lord,
Him thou lovest to obey;
Hide within thy heart His word,
“Watch and pray.”

Verse 6

Watch, as if on that alone
Hung the issue of the day;
Pray, that help may be sent down:
Watch and pray.

Verse 1

Jesus, my Strength, my Hope,
On Thee I cast my care;
With humble confidence look up,
And know Thou hearest my prayer;
Give me on Thee to wait,
Till I can all things do;
On Thee, almighty to create,
Almighty to renew.

Verse 2

I want a sober mind,
A self-renouncing will,
That tramples down and casts behind
The baits of pleasing ill;
A soul inured to pain,
To hardship, grief, and loss;
Bold to take up, firm to sustain,
The consecrated cross.

Verse 3

I want a godly fear,
A quick-discerning eye,
That looks to Thee when sin is near,
And sees the tempter fly;
A spirit still prepared,
And armed with jealous care;
For ever standing on its guard,
And watching unto prayer.

Verse 4

I rest upon Thy word;
Thy promise is for me;
My succor and salvation, Lord,
Shall surely come from Thee:
But let me still abide,
Nor from my Hope remove,
Till Thou my patient spirit guide
Into Thy perfect love.

Verse 1

My soul, be on thy guard,
Ten thousand foes arise:
The hosts of sin are pressing hard
To draw thee from the skies.

Verse 2

Oh, watch, and fight, and pray;
The battle ne’er give o’er;
Renew it boldly every day,
And help divine implore.

Verse 3

Ne’er think the vict’ry won
Nor lay thine armor down;
Thy arduous work will not be done
Till thou obtain thy crown.

Verse 4

Fight on, my soul, till death
Shall bring thee to thy God;
He’ll take thee, at thy parting breath,
To his divine abode.

Verse 1

Rejoice, all ye believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near:
The Bridegroom is arising,
And soon He draweth nigh;
Up, pray, and watch, and wrestle:
At midnight comes the cry.

Verse 2

See that your lamps are burning;
Replenish them with oil;
And wait for your salvation,
The end of earthly toil.
The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go meet Him as He cometh,
With alleluias clear.

Verse 3

Ye saints, who here in patience
Your cross and sufferings bore,
Shall live and reign for ever
When sorrow is no more:
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb ye shall behold,
In triumph cast before Him
Your diadems of gold.

Verse 4

Our Hope and Expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, Thou Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption
That brings us unto Thee.

Verse 1

The Savior bids thee watch and pray
Through life’s momentous hour;
And grants the Spirit’s quickening ray
To those who seek his power.

Verse 2

The Savior bids thee watch and pray,
Maintain a warrior’s strife;
Oh, Christian! hear his voice to-day:
Obedience is thy life.

Verse 3

The Savior bids thee watch and pray,
For soon the hour will come
That calls thee from the earth away
To thy eternal home.

Verse 4

The Savior bids thee watch and pray;
Oh, hearken to his voice,
And follow where he leads the way,
To heaven’s eternal joys.

Verse 1

The world is very evil;
The times are waxing late:
Be sober and keep vigil,
The Judge is at the gate,—
The Judge that comes in mercy,
The Judge that comes with might,
To terminate the evil,
To diadem the right.

Verse 2

Arise, arise, good Christian,
Let right to wrong succeed;
Let penitential sorrow
To heavenly gladness lead;
To the light that hath no evening,
That knows nor moon nor sun,
The light so new and golden,
The light that is but one:

Verse 3

The home of fadeless splendor,
Of flowers that fear no thorn,
Where they shall dwell as children
Who here as exiles mourn;
Midst power that knows no limit,
And wisdom free from bound,
The beatific vision
Shall glad the saints around.

Verse 4

O happy, holy portion,
Refection for the blest,
True vision of true beauty,
Sweet cure of all distrest!
Strive, man, to win that glory;
Toil, man, to gain that light;
Send hope before to grasp it,
Till hope be lost in sight.

Verse 5

O sweet and blessed country,
The home of God’s elect!
O sweet and blessed country
That eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us
To that dear land of rest,
Who art, with God the Father,
And Spirit, ever blest.

O Lord, our gracious Father, we come to Thee to pray that Thou wouldst help us to have our loins girded and our lamps burning; and that Thou wouldst strengthen us, with all energy and faithfulness, to labour at Thy command, and to offer all our works to Thee. May we increasingly be able to look beyond the things seen and temporal. May they be transparent to us, and shew us the things unseen and eternal. Help us not to make snares of what Thou dost mean for merciful occasions for growth in Thy likeness to Thee. Help us not to shut Thee out with the screens of our duties or of our blessedness. May we day by day be looking for, and hasting unto, the Lord in the brightness of His coming; and may our lips be all the more full of earnest service, because we know that the night is far spent and the day is at hand.