Lo, he comes with clouds descending

From Oremus Hymnal

Lo! he comes, with clouds descending,
once for our salvation slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.

Every eye shall now behold him,
robed in dreadful majesty;
those who set at nought and sold him,
pierced, and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall the true Messiah see.

Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears,
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshipers;
with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars!

Now redemption, long expected,
see in solemn pomp appear;
all his saints, by man rejected,
now shall meet him in the air:
Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
See the day of God appear!

Yea, amen! let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory;
claim the kingdom for thine own:
Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.

Contents 1 Historical Notes 2 Author 3 Meter 4 Music 5 Sound files 6 Other Comments 6.1 Christmas Text 6.2 Modernisations 7 Sources 7.1 Hymnals 7.2 Hymnal, Number, Tune(s) 8 External links

Historical Notes

Author

• John Cennick(1718-1755), 1752
• as altered by Charles Wesley (1707-1788), 1758
• and then altered by Martin Madan (1726-1790), 1760

Meter

87 87 87

Music

Tune	Sound files	Score
Goss
Helmsley	Helmsley
Oriel	Oriel
Redhead no. 1
Regent Square	Regent Square
St. Enoch
St. Peter's Westminster
St. Thomas (Wade)	St. Thomas (Wade)
Westminster	Westminster

Sound files

Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade), Oriel, Regent Square

Other Comments

Christmas Text

The Nativity hymn Lo, he comes, the Infant Stranger is modeled on this hymn.

Modernisations

Some hymnals give a modernised version with the incipit Jesus comes with clouds descending.

The second line of the first verse as given here appears to be a modernisation (perhaps a softening, or perhaps theologically motivated) of "once for favored sinners slain".

Sources

Hymnals

Hymnal	Number	Tunes Used
Hymns of the Protestant Episcopal Church, 1826	#
Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861-1874	#
The Year of Praise, 1867	#
The Anglican Hymn Book, 1868	#
The Sarum Hymnal, 1869	#
The Parish Hymnal, 1870	#
The Church Hymnal (US), 1871-1874	#
Church Hymns with Tunes, 1874	#
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1874	#
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Standard, 1875-1924	# 51	St. Thomas (Wade), Helmsley
A Church of England Hymn Book, 1879	#
The Universal Hymn Book, 1885	#
The Mission Hymnal, 1885	#
The Hymnal Companion, 1890	#
The Hymnal Companion, 1890	#
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Darlington)	#
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Parker)	#
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Hutchins)	#
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Tucker & Rousseau)	#
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Helfenstein)	#
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Messiter)	#
The Yattendon Hymnal, 1900	#
The Church Hymnary (Scotland), 1902	#
Church Hymns, New Edition, 1903	#
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Edition, 1904	#
The English Hymnal, 1906	#
The Book of Common Praise (Canada), 1908	#
The Mission Hymnal, 1913	#
The Hymnal 1916 (US)	#
Church Hymnal for the Christian Year, 1917	#
Church Hymnal (Ireland), 1919	#
Church Hymnal Revised, 1920 (Hutchins)	#
The Oxford Hymn Book, 1925	#
Songs of Praise, 1925	#
Songs of Praise, Enlarged Edition, 1931	#
The Book of Common Praise (Canada), 1938	#
The Hymnal 1940 (US)	#
Christian Worship, 1941	#
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Revised, 1950	#
The Mirfield Mission Hymn Book, 1955	#
Church Hymnal (Ireland), 1960	#
Anglican Hymn Book, 1965	#
The Hymn Book 1971 (Canada)	#
The Australian Hymn Book, 1977	#
The Hymnal 1982 (US)	#
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard, 1983	#
The New English Hymnal, 1985	# 9	Helmsley
Hymns for Today's Church, 1987	# 196	Helmsley
Church Family Worship, 1988	# 196	Helmsley
Hymns Old & New, New Anglican, 1996	# 307	Helmsley
Common Praise (Canada), 1998	# 114	Helmsley
Together in Song (Australia), 1999	# 273	Helmsley
Sing Glory, 1999	# 438	Helmsley
Complete Mission Praise, 2000	# 424	Helmsley
Common Praise, 2000	# 031	Helmsley
Hymns Old & New, Complete Anglican, 2000	# 405	Helmsley
Church Hymnal (Ireland), 2000	# 132	Helmsley
The Church Hymnary, Fourth Edition (Scotland), 2005	#
The Book of Hymns, 2006	#
Zion Still Sings, 2007	#

Hymnal, Number, Tune(s)

Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861-1874 #039 St. Thomas (Wade)
The Year of Praise, 1867 #014 Salzburg (M. Haydn)
The Anglican Hymn Book, 1868 #029 Anglican Hymn Book 29 (Macfarren)
The Sarum Hymnal, 1869 #022 St. Peter's Westminster
The Parish Hymnal, 1870 #23 Salzburg (M. Haydn), (unnamed tune by S.S. Greathead), (unnamed tune by J. Tilleard)
The Church Hymnal, 1871 (Hall & Whiteley) #001 St. Peter's Westminster
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Goodrich & Gilbert) #001 Goss, Helmsley, St. Enoch
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Tucker & Rousseau) #001 Redhead no. 1, St. Thomas (Wade)
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Hutchins) #001 St. Thomas (Wade)
Church Hymns with Tunes, 1874 #069 Oriel
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1874 #076 Helmsley, Regent Square
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Standard, 1875-1924 #051 Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade)
A Church of England Hymn Book, 1879 #105 [[ ]]
The Mission Hymnal, 1885 #068 Helmsley
The Universal Hymn Book, 1885 #226 Helmsley
The Hymnal Companion, 1890 #073 Helmsley
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Darlington) #039 Redhead no. 1
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Parker) #039 St. Thomas (Wade)
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Hutchins) #039 Redhead no. 1, St. Thomas (Wade)
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Tucker & Rousseau) #039 Redhead no. 1, St. Thomas (Wade)
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Helfenstein) #039 Redhead no. 1, St. Enoch, St. Thomas (Wade)
The Church Hymnal, 1892 (Messiter) #039 St. Thomas (Wade), Westminster
The Church Hymnary (Scotland), 1902 #106 St. Peter's Westminster, Holywood
Church Hymns, New Edition, 1903 #078 Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade)
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Edition, 1904 #052 Helmsley
The English Hymnal, 1906 #007 Helmsley
The Book of Common Praise (Canada), 1908 #056 Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade)
The Hymnal 1916 (US) #057 St. Thomas (Wade)
Church Hymnal for the Christian Year, 1917 #071 Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade)
Church Hymnal (Ireland), 1919 #072 Helmsley
Church Hymnal Revised, 1920 (Hutchins) #038 Helmsley
Oxford Hymn Book, 1925 #048 Helmsley
Songs of Praise, 1925 #043 Helmsley
Songs of Praise, Enlarged Edition, 1931 #065 Helmsley
The Book of Common Praise (Canada), 1938 #060 Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade)
The Hymnal 1940 (US) #005 Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade)
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Revised, 1950 #051 Helmsley
The Mirfield Mission Hymn Book, 1955 #077 Helmsley
Church Hymnal (Ireland), 1960 #047 Helmsley
Anglican Hymn Book, 1965 #081 Helmsley
The Hymn Book 1971 (Canada) #393 Helmsley
The Australian Hymn Book, 1977 #201 Helmsley
The Hymnal 1982 (US) #057 Helmsley, St. Thomas (Wade)
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard, 1983 #028 Helmsley
The New English Hymnal, 1985 #009 Helmsley
Hymns for Today's Church, 1987 #196 Helmsley
Church Family Worship, 1988 #599 Helmsley
Hymns Old & New, New Anglican, 1996 #307 Helmsley
Common Praise (Canada), 1998 #114 Helmsley
Together in Song, 1999 #273 Helmsley
Sing Glory, 1999 #438 Helmsley
Complete Mission Praise, 2000 #424 Helmsley
Common Praise, 2000 #031 Helmsley
Hymns Old & New, Complete Anglican, 2000 #405 Helmsley
Church Hymnal (Ireland), 2000 #132 Helmsley

External links

• Hymns in eHymBook by John Cennick
• Hymns in eHymBook by Charles Wesley
• Hymns in eHymBook by Martin Madan