Christian Activity, Christian Race

Verse 1

Awake, my soul--stretch every nerve,
And press with vigor on;
A heavenly race demands thy zeal,
A bright, immortal crown.

Verse 2

’Tis God’s all-animating voice
That calls thee from on high:
’Tis his own hand presents the prize
To thine aspiring eye.

Verse 3

A cloud of witnesses around,
Hold thee in full survey:
Forget the steps already trod,
And onward urge thy way.

Verse 4

Blest Savior, introduced by thee
Have we our race begun;
And, crowned with vict’ry, at thy feet
We’ll lay our laurels down.

Verse 1

Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known,
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.

Refrain

We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion,
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.

Verse 2

Let those refuse to sing
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King
May speak their joys abroad.

Verse 3

The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.

Verse 4

Then let our songs abound,
And ev’ry tear be dry;
We’re marching thro’ Immanuel’s ground
To fairer worlds on high.

O Lord, we thank Thee that Thou hast, in some measure, drawn back the veil, and shown us the things which are at Thy right hand. And we beseech Thee to help each of us, so long as we tarry here below, that we may press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. May we forget the things that are behind, our failures, our disappointments, our attainments, or only remember them to make us more earnest in seeking that to-morrow may not be as this day, but much more conformed to Thy holy will. Help all of us, we pray Thee, to live as those whose home is beyond the stars, and in the depths of God. And may this our life here below be so used by us as that it shall fit us to be ‘partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.’