“O Lord Jesus, how long?
How long ere we shout the glad song
Christ returneth! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Amen!”
The singing of that hymn was a revelation to Tom Hammond. He had heard hearty, ringing, triumphant song at Handel festivals, etc., but among the rank and file, so to speak, of Christians he had never heard anything like the singing of that verse and chorus.
A hundred thoughts and conflicting emotions filled him as he realized, as the hymn went on, that these people were really inspired by the glorious hope of the return of the Christ. Once he shuddered as the thought presented itself to his mind,
“How should I fare if this Christ came suddenly—came now?”
Twice over the last verse was sung, the quiet rapture of the singers being doubly accentuated as the glorious words rang out:
“Oh, joy! oh, delight! should we go without dying!