When the Lord with a summoning shout will
descend,
And the archangel strong will attend
At the signal of God, when His trumpet shall resound
Far and near where the ransomed are found,
Will He find us unfolding the suitable word,
Giving meat to the household of God,
As faithful and wise and with diligent ways
We anticipate seeing His face?

Will He find us declaring the gospel of grace
To the sinful in every place-
In the power of God, as with changeless truth
Extolling the merits and worth
Of the sacrifice made by the shedding of blood,
We proclaim by the Spirit of God
The renown of the Lord, as He sits on the throne,
While awaiting the kingdom to come ?

For how sad it would be should we ever resort,
Like the servant of evil report,
To slothful disregard of Christ's faithful Word
And the claims of our long-absent Lord.
For he said in his heart that his master delayed
To return very soon, as he made
A feast with the drunken, and smote with the rod
At the men who belonged to his lord.

For how sad it would be, if neglecting to go
To the lost in the grasp of the foe,
While arguing on points, and withering in soul;
If the blast of the trumpet should roll
Far, and near, everywhere, and the shout of the Lord
And the archangel's voice should be heard,
We were summoned, from strife, or in slothful decay,
To the Lord's holy presence today!

R. J. R.