Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus NLPHB 48

I am enjoying doing the hymns from the New Living Parish Hymn Book. I’m finding hymns that are new to me, arrangements by John de Luca that improve on the original versions and it also gives me a chance to do better with organ backings on songs that I have looked at before.

This is in CWB II as “Come, O Long Expected Jesus”, but the archaic text is what Charles Wesley wrote, so that’s fair enough. It is set to STUTTGART, probably written by, and certainly collected by, Christian F. Witt.

I’ve found numerous extra verses but these are the four in this hymnal.

A renovated backing using BIAB organ:

1 Come, thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free,
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.

2 Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear Desire of ev’ry nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

3 Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

4 By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.