The Lord Draws Nigh, the Righteous Throne's Assessor

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The Lord draws nigh, the righteous throne's assessor

Translator: John Mason Neale (1862); Author: Saint Theodore, Studites (826)
Published in 3 hymnals

Representative Text

The LORD draws nigh, the righteous Throne’s Assessor,
The just to save, to punish the transgressor:
Weep we, and mourn, and pray,
Regardful of that day;
When all the secrets of all hearts shall be
Lit with the blaze of full eternity.

Clouds and thick darkness o’er the Mount assembling,
Moses beheld the Eternal’s glory, trembling;
And yet he might but see
GOD’s feebler Majesty.
And I—I Needs must view His fullest Face:
O Spare me, LORD! O take me to Thy grace!

David of old beheld, in speechless terror,
The session of the Judge—the doom of error:
And what have I to plead
For mercy in my need?
Nothing save this: O grant me yet to be,
Ere that day come, renewed and true to Thee!

Here, fires of deep damnation roar and glitter:
The worm is deathless, and the cup is bitter:
There, day that hath no morrow,
And joy that hath no sorrow:
And who so blest that he shall fly the abyss,
Raised up to GOD’s Right Hand, and speechless bliss!

My soul with many an act of sin is wounded:
With mortal weakness is my frame surrounded:
My life is well nigh o’er:
The Judge is at the door:
How wilt thou, miserable spirit, fare,
What time He sends His summons through the air?

Hymns of the Eastern Church, 1866

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Translator: John Mason Neale

John M. Neale's life is a study in contrasts: born into an evangelical home, he had sympathies toward Rome; in perpetual ill health, he was incredibly productive; of scholarly temperament, he devoted much time to improving social conditions in his area; often ignored or despised by his contemporaries, he is lauded today for his contributions to the church and hymnody. Neale's gifts came to expression early–he won the Seatonian prize for religious poetry eleven times while a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1842, but ill health and his strong support of the Oxford Movement kept him from ordinary parish ministry. So Neale spent the years between 1846 and 1866 as a warden of Sackvi… Go to person page >

Author: Saint Theodore, Studites

Theodore, St., of the Studium. One of the Greek hymnwriters. He was born at Constantinople, circa 759, and educated by his uncle, St. Plato. He was banished by Constantine, for his resolute refusal to acknowledge the Emperor’s illicit marriage with Theodora, in 797. On the accession of Irene (798), he was recalled, and enjoyed the favour of the Empress. In 809 he was again banished, for the old cause, refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of Constantine's marriage. Recalled once more in 811, he was imprisoned and again banished for his defence of the Icons, under Leo the Armenian. He was recalled a third time at the death of Leo, and died Nov. 11, 826 (Dr. Neale adds, "in banishment"). He succeeded his uncle, St. Plato, as Hegumen of the… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	The Lord draws nigh, the righteous throne's assessor
Title:	The Lord Draws Nigh, the Righteous Throne's Assessor
Translator:	John Mason Neale (1862)
Author:	Saint Theodore, Studites (826)
Meter:	11.11.6.6.10.10
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain