"He Comes! The Shepherd Minstrel Comes! (c1830s)
Grand Scena & Aria from the Scripture Melodies.
Poetry by Charles Mackay Esqr.
Composed & Dedicated to my Friend
Dr. Fred[eric]k. Backus,
By Henry Russell[, 1812-1900].
New York: Firth & Hall, 1 Franklin Sq.

The evil spirit wav’d his dusky wing; 
In scowling wrath sat Israel’s frenzied King; 
Say can no mystic charm, no sacred spell, 
The gath’ring clouds of Saul’s dark soul dispel. 
He comes, the shepherd minstrel comes, 
His hallow’d fingers sweep the Lyre, 
He comes! he comes! the holy bard, 
All radiant with prophetic fire; 
All radiant with prophetic fire. 
He sings of beauty, love and wind, 
In softest tones his accents roll; 
In vain! In vain! a nobler theme 
Alone can soothe the Monarch’s soul. 
He comes, the shepherd minstrel comes, 
His hallow’d fingers sweep the Lyre, 
He comes! he comes! the holy bard, 
All radiant with prophetic fire, 
All radiant with prophetic fire. 
The Lord is  good! the Lord is great! 
Long doth His loving kindness last, 
The sin that hath for pardon sued, 
Ne’er weeps in vain for errors past, 
Ne’er weeps in vain for errors past, 
’Tis He can heal the suff’ring soul, 
’Tis He can cheer in sorrows day, 
in sorrows day, in sorrows day: 
The monarch listen’d, smil’d, and wept: 
The evil spirit pass’d away!