The Church has waited long

1.

The Church has waited long

Her absent Lord to see

And still in loneliness she waits

A friendless stranger she

Age after age has gone

Sun after sun has set

And still, of her dear Lord bereft;

She weeps, a mourner yet

Come then, Lord Jesus, come!

2.

Saint after saint on earth

Has lived and loved and died

And as they left us one by one

We laid them side by side

We laid them down to sleep

But not in hope forlorn

We laid them but to slumber there

Till the last glorious morn

Come then, Lord Jesus, come!

3.

The serpent’s brood increase

The pow’rs of hell grow hold

The conflict thickens, faith is low

And love is waxing cold

How long, O Lord our God,

Holy and true and good

Wilt Thou not judge Thy suff’ring church

Her sighs, her tears and blood

Come then, Lord Jesus, come!

4.

We long to hear Thy voice

To see Thee face to face

To share Thy crown and glory then

As now we share Thy grace

Come, Lord, and wipe away

The curse, the sin, the stain

And make this blighted world of ours

Thine own fair world again

Come then, Lord Jesus, come!