“What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” “At even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing.”
It may be in the evening,
When the work of the day is done,
And you have time to sit in the twilight,
And to watch the sinking sun;
While the long bright day dies slowly
Over the sea,
And the hour grows quiet and holy
With thoughts of Me;
While you hear the village children
Passing along the street,
Among these thronging footsteps
May come the sound of My feet;
Therefore I tell you, watch!
By the light of the evening star,
When the room is growing dusky
As the clouds afar;
Let the door be on the latch
In your home,
For it may be through the gloaming,
I will come.
It may be in the midnight
When ’tis heavy upon the land,
And the black waves lying dumbly
Along the sand;
When the moonless night draws close
And the lights are out in the house,
When the fires burn low and red,
And the watch is ticking loudly
Beside the bed;
Though you sleep tired on your couch,
Still your heart must wake and watch
In the dark room;
For it may be that at midnight
I will come.
It may be at the cock-crow,
When the night is dying slowly
In the sky,
And the sea looks calm and holy,
Waiting for the dawn of the golden sun
Which draweth nigh;
When the mists are on the valleys, shading,
The rivers chill,
And my morning star is fading, fading
Over the hill;
Behold, I say unto you, watch !
Let the door be on the latch
In your home,
In the chill before the dawning,
Between the night and morning,
I may come.
It may be in the morning
When the sun is bright and strong,
And the dew is glittering sharply
Over the little lawn,
When the waves are laughing loudly
Along the shore,
And the little birds are singing sweetly
About the door;
With the long day’s work before you
You are up with the sun,
And the neighbors come to talk a little
Of all that must be done;
But, remember, that I may be the next
To come in at the door,
To call you from your busy work,
For evermore.
As you work, your heart must watch,
For the door is on the latch
In your room,
And it may be in the morning
I will come.
So I am watching quietly
Every day,
Whenever the sun shines brightly
I rise and say,
Surely it is the shining of His face,
And look unto the gate of His high place
Beyond the sea,
For I know He is coming shortly
To summon me;
And when a shadow falls across the window
Of my room,
Where I am working my appointed task,
I lift my head to watch the door and ask
If He is come!
And the Spirit answers softly
In my home,
“Only a few more shadows,
And He will come.”