Browse by Genre

Verse 1

One sweetly solemn thought
Comes to me o’er and o’er;
I’m nearer home to-day, to-day,
Than I have ever been before.

Verse 2

Nearer my Father’s house,
Where many mansions be;
Nearer the great white throne to-day,
Nearer the crystal sea.

Verse 3

Nearer the bound of life,
Where burdens are laid down;
Nearer to leave the cross to-day,
And nearer to the crown.

Verse 4

Be near me when my feet
Are slipping o’er the brink;
For I am nearer home to-day,
Perhaps, than now I think.

Verse 1

The radiant morn hath passed away,
And spent too soon her golden store;
The shadows of departing day
Creep on once more.

Verse 2

Our life is but a fading dawn;
Its glorious noon how quickly past:
Lead us, O Christ, when all is gone,
Safe home at last.

Verse 3

O by Thy soul-inspiring grace
Uplift our hearts to realms on high;
Help us to look to that bright place
Beyond the sky,

Verse 4

Where light, and life, and joy, and peace,
In undivided empire reign,
And thronging angels never cease
Their deathless strain;

Verse 5

Where saints are clothed in spotless white,
And evening shadows never fall,
Where Thou, Eternal Light of Light,
Art Lord of all.

Verse 1

I will sing you a song of that beautiful land,
The far away home of the soul;
Where no storms ever beat on the glittering strand,
While the years of eternity roll.

Verse 2

Oh, that home of the soul, in my visions and dreams
Its bright jasper walls I can see;
Till I fancy but thinly the veil intervenes
Between the fair city and me.

Verse 1

Ten thousand times ten thousand
In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints
Throng up the steeps of light:
’Tis finished, all is finished,
Their fight with death and sin:
Fling open wide the golden gates,
And let the victors in.

Chorus

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
To the Lamb who once was slain!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
To Him who liveth again!

Verse 2

What rush of hallelujahs
Fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps
Bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation
And all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes
A thousand-fold repaid!

Verse 1

Hark! ten thousand harps and voices
Sound the note of praise above;
Jesus reigns, and heaven rejoices;
Jesus reigns, the God of love;
See, He sits on yonder throne;
Jesus rules the world alone.

Verse 2

King of glory, reign for ever,
Thine an everlasting crown;
Nothing from Thy love shall sever
Those whom Thou hast made Thine own,
Happy objects of Thy grace,
Destined to behold Thy face.

Verse 3

Saviour, hasten Thine appearing;
Bring, O bring the glorious day,
When, the awful summons hearing,
Heaven and earth shall pass away:
Then, with golden harps, we’ll sing,
“Glory, glory to our King!”

Verse 1

The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of heaven breaks,
The summer morn I’ve sighed for,
The fair, sweet morn awakes.
Dark, dark hath been the midnight,
But day-spring is at hand,
And glory—glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

Verse 2

I’ve wrestled on toward heaven,
’Gainst storm and wind and tide,
Now, like a weary traveler
That leaneth on his guide,
Amid the shades of evening,
While sinks life’s lingering sand,
I hail the glory dawning
In Immanuel’s land.

Verse 3

Deep waters crossed life’s pathway,
The hedge of thorns was sharp;
Now these are all behind me—
Oh, for a well-earned harp!
O, to join the hallelujah
With yon triumphant band!
Who sing where glory dwelleth,
In Immanuel’s land.

Verse 1

Our day of praise is done;
The evening shadows fall;
But pass not from us with the sun,
True Light that lightenest all.

Verse 2

Around the throne on high,
Where night can never be,
The white-robed harpers of the sky
Bring ceaseless hymns to Thee.

Verse 3

Too faint our anthems here;
Too soon of praise we tire:
But O the strains, how full and clear,
Of that eternal choir!

Verse 4

Yet, Lord, to Thy dear will
If Thou attune the heart,
We in Thine angels’ music still
May bear our lower part.

Verse 5

’Tis Thine each soul to calm,
Each wayward thought reclaim,
And make our life a daily psalm
Of glory to Thy Name.

Verse 6

A little while, and then
Shall come the glorious end;
And songs of angels and of men
In perfect praise shall blend.

Verse 1

For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be for ever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Verse 2

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia!

Verse 3

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold. Alleluia!

Verse 4

O blest communion, fellowship Divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine. Alleluia!

Verse 5

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph-song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia!

Verse 6

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest. Alleluia!

Verse 7

But lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia!

Verse 8

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia!

Verse 1

From all Thy saints in warfare,
For all Thy saints at rest,
To Thee, O blessed Jesus,
All praises be addressed:
Thou, Lord, didst win the battle
That they might conquerors be;
Their crowns of living glory
Are lit with rays from Thee.

Verse 2

Apostles, prophets, martyrs,
And all the sacred throng
Who wear the spotless raiment,
Who raise the ceaseless song;
For these, passed on before us,
Saviour, we Thee adore,
And, walking in their footsteps,
Would serve Thee more and more.

Verse 3

Then praise we God the Father,
And praise we God the Son,
And God the Holy Spirit,
Eternal Three in One;
Till all the ransomed number
Fall down before the Throne,
And honor, power, and glory
Ascribe to God alone.

Verse 1

What are these in bright array,
This innumerable throng,
Round the altar night and day,
Hymning one triumphant song?
”Worthy is the Lamb, once slain,
Blessing, honor, glory, power,
Wisdom, riches, to obtain,
New dominion every hour.”

Verse 2

These through fiery trials trod;
These from great affliction came;
Now before the throne of God,
Sealed with His almighty Name,
Clad in raiment pure and white,
Victor-palms in every hand,
Through their dear Redeemer’s might,
More than conquerors they stand.

Verse 3

Hunger, thirst, disease, unknown,
On immortal fruits they feed;
Them the Lamb amidst the throne
Shall to living fountains lead:
Joy and gladness banish sighs,
Perfect love dispels all fear;
And for ever from their eyes
God shall wipe away the tear.

Verse 1

Come, ye disconsolate, wher-e’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy-seat, fervently kneel:
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot heal.

Verse 2

Joy of the comfortless, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot cure.”

Verse 3

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above:
Come to the feast prepared; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrows but heaven can remove.

Verse 1

My heavenly home is bright and fair;
Nor pain nor death can enter there;
Its glitt’ring towers the sun outshine;
That heavenly mansion shall be mine.

Refrain

I’m going home, I’m going home,
I’m going home to die no more,
To die no more, to die no more,
I’m going home to die no more.

Verse 2

My Father’s house is built on high;
Far, far above the starry sky;
When from this earthly prison free,
That heavenly mansion mine shall be.

Verse 3

Let others seek a home below,
Which flames devour, or waves o’erflow,
Be mine a happier lot, to own
A heavenly mansion near the throne.

Verse 4

Then fail this earth, let stars decline,
And sun and moon refuse to shine
All nature sink and cease to be,
That heavenly mansion stands for me.

Verse 1

I would not live alway; I ask not to stay
Where storm after storm rises dark o’er the way;
The few cloudy mornings that dawn on us here
Are enough for life’s woes, full enough for its cheer.

Verse 2

I would not live alway; no, welcome the tomb!
Since Jesus has lain there, I dread not its gloom;
There sweet be my rest till he bid me arise,
To hail him in triumph descending the skies.

Verse 3

Who, who would live alway, away from his God,
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode,
Where the rivers of pleasure flow o’er the bright plains,
And the noontide of glory eternally reigns;

Verse 4

Where the saints of all ages in harmony meet,
Their Savior and brethren transported to greet;
While the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll,
And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul?

Verse 1

My days are gliding swiftly by,
And I a pilgrim stranger,
Would not detain them as they fly,
Those hours of toil and danger.

Refrain

For, oh! we stand on Jordan’s strand,
Our friends are passing over;
And, just before, the shining shore
We may almost discover.

Verse 2

We’ll gird our loins, my brethren dear!
Our heav’nly home discerning;
Our absent Lord has left us word,--
“Let ev’ry lamp be burning.”

Verse 3

Should coming days be cold and dark,
We need not cease our singing;
That perfect rest none can molest,
Where golden harps are ringing.

Verse 4

Let sorrow’s rudest tempest blow,
Each cord on earth to sever;
Our King says,--“Come!” and there’s our home,
Forever, oh! forever!

Verse 1

Wayfarers in the wilderness,
By morn, and noon, and even,
Day after day, we journey on,
With weary feet toward heaven.

Refrain

O land above! O land of love!
The glory shineth o’er thee;
O Christ, our King! in mercy bring
Us thither, we implore thee!

Verse 2

By day the cloud before us goes,
By night the cloud of fire,
To guide us o’er the trackless waste,
To Canaan ever nigher.

Verse 3

The sea was riven from our feet,
And so shall be the river;
And, by the King’s highway brought home,
We’ll praise his name forever:

Verse 1

One sweetly solemn thought
Comes to me o’er and o’er;
I’m nearer home to-day
Than e’er I’ve been before.

Refrain

I’m nearer my home, nearer my home,
Nearer my home to-day;
Yes, nearer my home in heav’n to-day,
Than ever I’ve been before.

Verse 2

Nearer my Father’s house
Where the blest mansions be;
Nearer the great white throne,
Nearer the crystal sea;

Verse 3

Nearer the bound where we
Must lay our burdens down,
Nearer to leave the cross,
Nearer to gain the crown.

Verse 4

The waves of that deep sea
Roll dark before my sight,
But break, the other side,
Upon a shore of light.

Verse 5

Oh! if my mortal feet
Have almost gained the brink,
If I am nearer home
To-day than e’en I think,

Verse 6

Father! perfect my trust,
That I may rest, in death,
On Christ, my Lord, alone,
And thus resign my breath.

Verse 1

The sands of time are wasting,
The dawn of heaven breaks;
The summer morn I’ve sighed for,
The fair, sweet morn awakes.
Oh, dark hath been the midnight,
But day-spring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

Verse 2

Oh, Christ, he is the fountain,
The deep, sweet well of love;
The streams of earth I’ve tasted,
More deep I’ll drink above.
There, to an ocean fullness,
His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

Verse 3

Oh, I am my Beloved’s,
And my Beloved’s mine;
He brings a poor, vile sinner
Into his house divine.
Upon the Rock of Ages
My soul, redeemed, shall stand,
Where glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

Verse 1

In the Christian’s home in glory,
There remains a land of rest;
There my Savior’s gone before me
To fulfill my soul’s request.

Refrain

There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for you.
On the other side of Jordan,
In the sweet fields of Eden,
Where the tree of life is blooming,
There is rest for you.

Verse 2

He is fitting up my mansion,
Which eternally shall stand.
For my stay shall not be transient,
In that holy, happy land.

Verse 3

Pain and sickness ne’er shall enter,
Grief nor woe my lot shall share;
But, in that celestial center,
I a crown of life shall wear.

Verse 4

Death itself shall then be vanquished
And his sting shall be withdrawn;
Shout for gladness, oh, ye ransomed
Hail with joy the rising morn

Verse 5

Sing, oh! sing, ye heirs of glory
Shout your triumph as you go;
Zion’s gate will open for you,
You shall find an entrance through.

Verse 1

This is not my place of resting,—
Mine’s a city yet to come;
Onward to it I am hasting—
On to my eternal home.

Verse 2

In it all is light and glory;
O’er it shines a nightless day;
Every trace of sin’s sad story,
All the curse hath passed away;

Verse 3

There the Lamb, our Shepherd, leads us
By the streams of life along—
On the freshest pastures feeds us,
Turns our sighing into song.

Verse 4

Soon we pass this desert dreary,
Soon we bid farewell to pain;
Never more are sad or weary,
Never, never sin again!

Verse 1

There is an hour of peaceful rest
To mourning wand’rers giv’n;
There is a joy for souls distressed,
A balm for ev’ry wounded breast--
’Tis found above--in heav’n.

Verse 2

There is a soft, a downy bed,
’Tis fair as breath of even;
A couch for weary mortals spread,
Where they may rest the aching head,
And find repose--in heav’n.

Verse 3

There is a home for weary souls,
By sin and sorrow driv’n;
When tossed on life’s tempestuous shoals,
Where storms arise, and ocean rolls,
And all is drear--but heav’n.

Verse 4

There faith lifts up her cheerful eye,
To brighter prospects giv’n;
And views the tempest passing by,
The evening shadows quickly fly,
And all serene--in heav’n.

Verse 1

My heavenly home is bright and fair;
Nor pain nor death can enter there;
Its glitt’ring towers the sun outshine;
That heavenly mansion shall be mine.

Refrain

I’m going home, I’m going home,
I’m going home to die no more,
To die no more, to die no more,
I’m going home to die no more.

Verse 2

My Father’s house is built on high;
Far, far above the starry sky;
When from this earthly prison free,
That heavenly mansion mine shall be.

Verse 3

Let others seek a home below,
Which flames devour, or waves o’erflow,
Be mine a happier lot, to own
A heavenly mansion near the throne.

Verse 4

Then fail this earth, let stars decline,
And sun and moon refuse to shine
All nature sink and cease to be,
That heavenly mansion stands for me.

Verse 1

‘Mid scenes of confusion and creature complaints,
How sweet to my soul is communion with saints;
To find at the banquet of mercy there’s room,
And feel in the presence of Jesus at home.

Refrain

Home! home! sweet, sweet home!
Prepare me, dear Savior, for glory, my home.

Verse 2

Sweet bonds that unite all the children of peace,
And thrice precious Jesus whose love cannot cease,
Tho’ oft from thy presence in sadness I roam,
I long to behold thee in glory at home.

Verse 3

I sigh from this body of sin to be free,
Which hinders my joy and communion with thee;
Tho’ now my temptations like billows may foam,
All, all will be peace when I’m with thee at home.

Verse 4

While here in the valley of conflict I stay,
Oh, give me submission and strength as my day,
In all my afflictions to thee would I come,
Rejoicing in hope of my glorious home.

Verse 1

We shall meet beyond the river,
By and by, by and by;
And the darkness shall be over,
By and by, by and by;
With the toilsome journey done,
And the glorious battle won,
We shall shine forth as the sun,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 2

We shall strike the harps of glory,
By and by, by and by;
We shall sing redemption’s story.
By and by, by and by;
And the strains for evermore
Shall resound in sweetness o’er
Yonder everlasting shore,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 3

We shall see and be like Jesus,
By and by, by and by;
Who a crown of life will give us,
By and by, by and by;
And the angels who fulfill
All the mandates of his will
Shall attend, and love us still,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 4

There our tears shall all cease flowing,
By and by, by and by;
And with sweetest rapture knowing,
By and by, by and by;
All the blest ones who have gone
To the land of life and song,--
We with shoutings shall rejoin,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 1

I will sing you a song of that beautiful land,
The far away home of the soul;
Where no storms ever beat on the glittering strand,
While the years of eternity roll.

Verse 2

Oh, that home of the soul, in my visions and dreams
Its bright jasper walls I can see;
Till I fancy but thinly the veil intervenes
Between the fair city and me.

Verse 3

That unchangeable home is for you and for me,
Where Jesus of Nazareth stands,
The King of all kingdoms forever is he,
And he holdeth our crowns in his hands.

Verse 4

Oh, how sweet it will be in that beautiful land,
So free from all sorrow and pain;
With songs on our lips and with harps in our hands,
To meet one another again.

Verse 1

“Forever with the Lord!”
Amen, so let it be;
Life from the dead is in that word,
’Tis immortality.
Here in the body pent,
Absent from him I roam,
Yet nightly pitch my moving tent
A day’s march nearer home;
Nearer home, nearer home,
A day’s march nearer home.

Verse 2

My Father’s house on high,
Home of my soul, how near,
At times, to faith’s aspiring eye
Thy golden gates appear.
Ah! then my spirit faints
To reach the land I love;
The bright inheritance of saints--
Jerusalem above;
Home above, home above,
Jerusalem above.

Verse 3

Yet doubts still intervene,
And all my comfort flies;
Like Noah’s dove, I flit between
Rough seas and stormy skies.
Anon the clouds depart,
The wind and waters cease,
While sweetly o’er my gladdened heart
Expands the bow of peace;
Bow of peace, bow of peace,
Expands the bow of peace.

Verse 1

Shall we gather at the river
Where bright angel feet have trod;
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God.

Refrain

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river,--
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

Verse 2

On the margin of the river
Washing up its silver spray,
We will walk and worship ever,
All the happy, golden day.

Verse 3

Ere we reach the shining river
Lay we ev’ry burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.

Verse 4

At the smiling of the river
Mirror of the Savior’s face,
Saints whom death will never sever
Lift their songs of saving grace.

Verse 5

Soon we’ll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

Verse 1

Oh, I often sit and ponder,
When the sun is sinking low,
Where shall yonder future find me?
Does but God in heaven know?
Shall I be among the living?
Shall I be among the free?
Wheresoe’er my path be leading,
Savior, keep my heart with thee.

Refrain

Oh, the future lies before me,
And I know not where I’ll be;
But where’er my path be leading,
Savior, keep my heart with thee.

Verse 2

Shall I be at work, for Jesus,
Whilst he leads me by the hand,
And to those around be saying,
Come and join this happy band?
Come, for all things now are ready,
Come, his faithful foll’wer be;
Oh, where’er my path be leading,
Savior, keep my heart with thee.

Verse 3

But perhaps my work for Jesus
Soon in future may be done,
All my earthly trials ended,
And my crown in heaven won;
Then forever with the ransomed
Thro’ eternity I’d be
Chanting hymns to him who bo’t me
With his blood, shed on a tree.

Verse 1

Forward! be our watchword,
Steps and voices joined;
Seek the things before us,
Not a look behind:
Burns the fiery pillar
At our army’s head;
Who shall dream of shrinking,
By Jehovah led?
Forward through the desert,
Through the toil and fight;
Jordan flows before us,
Zion beams with light.

Verse 2

Forward, flock of Jesus,
Salt of all the earth,
Till each yearning purpose
Spring to glorious birth:
Sick, they ask for healing,
Blind, they grope for day;
Pour upon the nations
Wisdom’s loving ray.
Forward, out of error,
Leave behind the night;
Forward through the darkness,
Forward into light!

Verse 3

Glories upon glories
Hath our God prepared,
By the souls that love Him
One day to be shared:
Eye hath not beheld them,
Ear hath never heard;
Nor of these hath uttered
Thought or speech a word.
Forward, marching eastward
Where the heaven is bright,
Till the veil be lifted,
Till our faith be sight.

Verse 4

Far o’er yon horizon
Rise the city towers,
Where our God abideth:
That fair home is ours:
Flash the streets with jasper,
Shine the streets with gold;
Flows the gladdening river,
Shedding joys untold.
Thither, onward thither,
In Jehovah’s might,
Pilgrims to your country,
Forward into light!

Verse 5

To the Father’s glory
Loudest anthems raise,
To the Son and Spirit
Echo songs of praise;
To the Lord Jehovah,
Blessed Three in One,
Be by men and angels
Endless honor done.
Weak are earthly praises,
Dull the songs of night;
Forward into triumph,
Forward into light!

Verse 1

We shall meet beyond the river,
By and by, by and by;
And the darkness shall be over,
By and by, by and by;
With the toilsome journey done,
And the glorious battle won,
We shall shine forth as the sun,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 2

We shall strike the harps of glory,
By and by, by and by;
We shall sing redemption’s story.
By and by, by and by;
And the strains for evermore
Shall resound in sweetness o’er
Yonder everlasting shore,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 3

We shall see and be like Jesus,
By and by, by and by;
Who a crown of life will give us,
By and by, by and by;
And the angels who fulfill
All the mandates of his will
Shall attend, and love us still,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 4

There our tears shall all cease flowing,
By and by, by and by;
And with sweetest rapture knowing,
By and by, by and by;
All the blest ones who have gone
To the land of life and song,--
We with shoutings shall rejoin,
By and by, by and by.

Verse 1

Far from my heavenly home,
Far from my Father’s breast,
Fainting I cry, “Blest Spirit, come
And speed me to my rest.”

Verse 2

Upon the willows long
My harp has silent hung:
How should I sing a cheerful song
Till Thou inspire my tongue?

Verse 3

My spirit homeward turns,
And fain would thither flee:
My heart, O Zion, droops and yearns
When I remember thee.

Verse 4

To thee, to thee I press,
A dark and toilsome road:
When shall I pass the wilderness,
And reach the saints’ abode?

Verse 5

God of my life, be near;
On Thee my hopes I cast:
O guide me through the desert here,
And bring me home at last.