The advent of our King
our prayers must now employ,
and we must hymns of welcome sing
in strains of holy joy.
The everlasting Son,
in flesh content to be,
himself a servant's form puts on
to set his servants free.
O Zion's daughter, rise
to meet your lowly King,
nor let a faithless heart despise
the peace he comes to bring.
As judge, on clouds of light,
he soon will come again
and his true members all unite
with him in heav'n to reign.
Before the dawning day
let sin's dark deeds be gone,
the old self all be put away,
the new self now put on.
All glory to the Son,
who comes to set us free,
with Father, Spirit, ever one,
through all eternity.
Charles Coffin (1676-1749), Tr: John Chandler (1806-1876)