Hark, How the Watchmen Cry

Representative Text

1 Hark, how the watchmen cry!
Attend the trumpet's sound!
Stand to your arms, the foe is nigh!
The powers of hell surround.

2 Who bow to Christ's command,
Your arms and hearts prepare;
The day of battle is at hand;
Go forth to glorious war!

3 See, on the mountain top,
The standard of your God.
In Jesus' name I left it up,
All stained with hallowed blood.

4 His standard-bearer, I
To all the nations call:
Let all to Jesus' cross draw nigh,
He bore the cross for all.

5 All power to Him is given!
He ever reigns the same.
Salvation happiness, and heaven
Are all in Jesus' name.

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #223

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Hark, how the watchmen cry
Title: Hark, How the Watchmen Cry
Author: Charles Wesley
Meter: 6.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Hark, how the watchmen cry. C. Wesley. [Old and New Year.] This is No. 8 of 19 “Hymns for the Watchnight," published in Hymns & Sacred Poems, 1749, vol. ii., No. 91, in 12 stanzas of 8 lines (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. v. p. 271.) From this hymn the following centos are in common use:—
1. Hark, how the watchmen cry. This is composed of stanzas i., ii., iv., and vi., and was given in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, No. 305 (edition 1875, No. 314). It is found in several modern collections.
2. Angels your march oppose. This embodies stanzas vii.-x., and was given as the 2nd part of "Hark, how the watchmen cry," in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, No. 306 (edition 1875, No. 315). It is in several modern collections.
3. Angels our march oppose. This, as given in a few American hymn-books in 2 stanzas of 8 lines, or 4 stanzas of 4 lines. It is compiled from stanzas vii., vi., viii., ix., in the order named.
4. Our Captain leads us on. In Hymns and Songs of Praise, N. Y., 1874.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

DENNIS (Nägeli)

Lowell Mason (PHH 96) arranged DENNIS and first published it in The Psaltery (1845), a hymnal he compiled with George. Webb (PHH 559). Mason attributed the tune to Johann G. Nageli (b. Wetzikon, near Zurich, Switzerland, 1773; d. Wetzikon, 1836) but included no source reference. Nageli presumably pu…

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African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #223

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