At Midnight—A Cry

Who is sleep­ing? Who is watch­ing?

Who the mar­riage feast shall miss?

Would your lamps have e’er been light­ed

But for this?

But for this

the mar­riage sup­per;

Mystic

glow­ing

won­drous hour—

When the mid­night blooms

all gold­en

Like a flow­er?

Hark

a voice up­on the mid­night;

Lo

the Bride­groom’s draw­ing near;

Take your lamps

and haste to meet Him—

He is here.

Hasten

fold your white veils ’round you;

Hold your lamps aloft

alight—

Let their shin­ing bid Him wel­come

Through the night!

Swift the bless­èd ranks are fill­ing;

In the midst His face is seen;

Yet a cry of de­so­la­tion

Sweeps be­tween!

Can such sor­row

such la­ment­ing

Blot out joy on such a night?

Who can stand here

idle

dream­ing

And—no light?

Darkened lamps! Yet once their beam­ing

Each through sha­dow

shone a star:

All were sleep­ing; but the wak­ing

Different far.

Lamps gone out? Ah

vows were brok­en

Vows re­cord­ed

sealed above:

Darkened lamps! Sad

si­lent to­ken

Of dead love!

Now

’tis all in vain

their seek­ing

His dear pre­sence ev­er­more;

Shut in

now

the mar­riage splen­dor—

Closed the door.

Shut in

bless­èd ones; the rap­tured

Hidden ones—His own

His bride:

Only mid­night for the weep­ing

Shut out­side.

Shall the Bride­groom’s com­ing find us

In that hour

con­vict­ed

dumb?

In that hour

the hour you think not

He will come.

We are go­ing forth to meet Him

Christ the ris­en

glo­ri­fied;

Oh! to meet Him

when He com­eth

For His bride!

Ever deep­er fall the sha­dows

Ere that so­lemn mid­night cry;

Waiting

shin­ing

are we rea­dy—

You and I?

Ready for the mar­riage glo­ry

Joy of harp

and flow­er

and song;

In the pre­sence of the an­gels

Where they throng.

Closed the doors

their sec­ret keep­ing—

Who shall tell the bliss with­in?

But that sec­ret

faith­ful spir­it

You shall win.

Let your life shine out—a bea­con

Lest some oth­er life be lost;

Thou art won

but by His dy­ing—

Priceless cost!

Watch! Oh

keep your lamp still burn­ing:

Heart and hand and love em­ploy

Till He bids you en­ter

shar­ing

In His joy!

Shining through life’s deep­en­ing sha­dows

Ere that so­lemn mid­night cry;

Are we rea­dy for His com­ing—

You and I?