Verse 1

A few more years shall roll,
A few more seasons come,
And we shall be with those that rest
Asleep within the tomb.

Verse 2

A few more suns shall set
O’er these dark hills of time,
And we shall be where suns are not,
A far serener clime.

Verse 3

A few more storms shall beat
On this wild rocky shore,
And we shall be where tempests cease,
And surges swell no more.

Verse 4

A few more struggles here,
A few more partings o’er,
A few more toils, a few more tears,
And we shall weep no more.

Verse 5

’Tis but a little while
And he shall come again,
Who died that we might live, who lives
That we with him may reign.

Verse 6

Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that great day;
Oh, wash me in thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

Verse 1

And let this feeble body fail,
And let it faint or die;
My soul shall quit the mournful vale,
And soar to worlds on high--

Verse 2

Shall join the disembodied saints,
And find its long-sought rest;
That only bliss for which it pants,
In the Redeemer’s breast.

Verse 3

In hope of that immortal crown
I now the cross sustain;
And gladly wander up and down,
And smile at toil and pain.

Verse 4

I suffer on my three-score years,
Till my Deliverer come,
And wipes away his servant’s tears,
And takes his exile home.

Verse 1

And must I be to judgment brought,
And answer in that day,
For every vain and idle thought,
And every word I say?

Verse 2

Yes, every secret of my heart
Shall shortly be made known,
And I receive my just desert
For all that I have done.

Verse 3

How careful then I ought to live!
With what religious fear,
Who such a strict account must give
For my behavior here.

Verse 4

Thou awful Judge of quick and dead,
The watchful power bestow;
So shall I to my ways take heed,
To all I speak or do.

Verse 1

As fade the stars at morn away,
Their glory gone in perfect day,
So pass away the friends we love,
Their presence lost in worlds above,
While we o’er their slumbers are weeping.

Verse 2

As sink the stars when night is o’er,
To rise upon some other shore,
So sink our precious ones from sight,
In other skies to walk in light,
While we sorrow’s vigils are keeping.

Verse 3

No more in east, or in the west,
Fade they from sight, or sink to rest;
Fixed firm in that celestial air,
They radiant shine eternal there;
Our hearts up to meet them fond leaping.

Verse 1

Asleep in Jesus! blessed sleep,
From which none ever wakes to weep;
A calm and undisturbed repose,
Unbroken by the dread of foes.

Verse 2

Asleep in Jesus! peaceful rest,
Whose waking is supremely blest;
No fear, no woes, shall dim the hour,
Which manifests the Savior’s power.

Verse 3

Asleep in Jesus! oh, for me
May such a blissful refuge be;
Securely shall my ashes lie,
And wait the summons from on high.

Verse 4

Asleep in Jesus! far from thee
Thy kindred and their graves may be;
But thine is still a blessed sleep,
From whence none ever wake to weep.

Verse 1

Days and moments quickly flying
Blend the living with the dead;
Soon shall we who sing be lying,
Each within our narrow bed.

Verse 2

Soon our souls to God who gave them
Will have sped their rapid flight;
Able now by grace to save them,
Oh, that while we can we might.

Verse 3

Jesus, infinite Redeemer,
Maker of this mighty frame,
Teach, oh, teach us to remember
What we are, and whence we came:--

Verse 4

Whence we came, and whither wending
Soon we must through darkness go,
To inherit bliss unending,
Or eternity of woe.

Verse 5

Rev. Edward Caswell, 1849.

Verse 6

As the tree falls so must it lie;
As the man lives so will he die;
As the man dies, such must he be
All through the days of eternity.
Amen.

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

For thee, O dear, dear country,
Mine eyes their vigils keep;
For very love, beholding
Thy happy name, they weep.
The mention of thy glory
Is unction to the breast,
And medicine in sickness,
And love, and life, and rest.

Verse 2

Oh, sweet and blessed country,
The home of God’s elect!
Oh, sweet and blessed country,
That eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us
To that dear land of rest;
Who art, with God the Father,
And Spirit, ever blest.

Verse 1

How blest the righteous when he dies!
When sinks a weary soul to rest!
How mildly beam the closing eyes!
How gently heaves the expiring breast!

Verse 2

So fades a summer cloud away;
So sinks the gale when storms are o’er;
So gently shuts the eye of day;
So dies a wave along the shore.

Verse 3

A holy quiet reigns around,
A calm which life nor death destroys;
And naught disturbs that peace profound
Which his unfettered soul enjoys.

Verse 4

Life’s labor done, as sinks the clay,
Light from its load the spirit flies,
While heaven and earth combine to say,
How blest the righteous when he dies!

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

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

I saw a way-worn trav’ler,
In tattered garments clad,
And struggling up the mountain,
It seemed that he was sad;
His back was laden heavy,
His strength was almost gone,
Yet he shouted as he journeyed,
Deliverance will come.

Refrain

Then palms of victory, crowns of glory,
Palms of victory I shall wear.

Verse 2

The summer sun was shining,
The sweat was on his brow,
His garments worn and dusty,
His step seemed very slow;
But he kept pressing onward,
For he was wending home;
Still shouting as he journeyed,
Deliverance will come.

Verse 3

The songsters in the arbor
That stood beside the way
Attracted his attention,
Inviting his delay;
His watchword being “Onward,”
He stopped his ears and run,
Still shouting as he journeyed,
Deliverance will come.

Verse 4

I saw him in the evening,
The sun was bending low,
He’d overtopped the mountain
And reached the vale below;
He saw the golden city,--
His everlasting home,--
And shouted loud, Hosanna,
Deliverance will come!

Verse 5

While gazing on that city,
Just o’er the narrow flood,
A band of holy angels
Came from the throne of God;
They bore him on their pinions
Safe o’er the dashing foam,
And joined him in his triumph,--
Deliverance has come!

Verse 6

I heard the song of triumph
They sang upon that shore,
Saying, Jesus has redeemed us
To suffer nevermore:
Then, casting his eyes backward
On the race which he had run,
He shouted loud, Hosanna,
Deliverance has come!

Verse 1

It is not death to die,--
To leave this weary road,
And, midst the brotherhood on high,
To be at home with God.

Verse 2

It is not death to close
The eye long dimmed by tears,
And wake, in glorious repose
To spend eternal years.

Verse 3

It is not death to fling
Aside this sinful dust,
And rise, on strong exulting wing,
To live among the just.

Verse 4

Jesus, thou Prince of life!
Thy chosen cannot die;
Like thee, they conquer in the strife,
To reign with thee on high.

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

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

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

Jerusalem! my glorious home!
Name ever dear to me!
When shall my labors have an end,
In joy, and peace, and thee?
When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls
And pearly gates behold?
Thy bulwarks with salvation strong,
And streets of shining gold?

Verse 2

Oh, when, thou city of my God,
Shall I thy courts ascend,
Where congregations ne’er break up,
And Sabbaths have no end?
There happier bowers than Eden’s bloom,
Nor sin nor sorrow know:
Blest seats! through rude and stormy scenes
I onward press to you.

Verse 3

Why should I shrink at pain and woe?
Or feel at death dismay?
I’ve Canaan’s goodly land in view,
And realms of endless day.
Jerusalem! my glorious home!
My soul still pants for thee;
Then shall my labors have an end,
When I thy joys shall see.

Verse 1

Jerusalem, the glorious!
The glory of th’ elect,—
O dear and future vision
That eager hearts expect!
Ev’n now by faith I see thee,
Ev’n here thy walls discern;
To thee my thoughts are kindled,
And strive, and pant, and yearn!

Verse 2

The cross is all thy splendor,
The Crucified, thy praise;
His laud and benediction
Thy ransomed people raise;—
Jerusalem! exulting
On that securest shore,
I hope thee, wish thee, sing thee,
And love thee evermore!

Verse 3

O sweet and blessed country!
Shall I e’er see thy face?
O sweet and blessed country!
Shall I e’er win thy grace?—
Exult, O dust and ashes!
The Lord shall be thy part;
His only, his forever,
Thou shalt be, and thou art!

Verse 1

Jerusalem, the golden,
With milk and honey blest!
Beneath thy contemplation
Sink heart and voice oppressed:
I know not, oh, I know not,
What social joys are there,
What radiancy of glory,
What light beyond compare.

Verse 2

They stand, those halls of Zion,
All jubilant with song,
And bright with many an angel,
And all the martyr throng;
The Prince is ever in them,
The daylight is serene;
The pastures of the blessed
Are decked in glorious sheen.

Verse 3

There is the throne of David;
And there, from care released,
The song of them that triumph,
The shout of them that feast;
And they who, with their Leader,
Have conquered in the light,
Forever and forever
Are clad in robes of white.

Verse 1

Jesus, while our hearts are bleeding
O’er the spoils that death has won,
We would at this solemn meeting,
Calmly say,—thy will be done.

Verse 2

Though cast down, we’re not forsaken;
Though afflicted, not alone;
Thou didst give, and thou hast taken;
Blessed Lord,—thy will be done.

Verse 3

Though to-day we’re filled with mourning,
Mercy still is on the throne;
With thy smiles of love returning,
We can sing—thy will be done.

Verse 4

By thy hands the boon was given,
Thou hast taken but thine own:
Lord of earth, and God of heaven,
Evermore,—thy will be done!

Verse 1

Lo! on a narrow neck of land,
Between two boundless seas I stand,--
Yet how insensible!
A point of time--a moment’s space--
Removes me to yon heavenly place,
Or shuts me up in hell!

Verse 2

O God! my inmost soul convert,
And deeply on my thoughtless heart
Eternal things impress;
Give me to feel their solemn weight,
And save me, ere it be too late!
Wake me to righteousness.

Verse 3

Be this my one great business here,
With holy trembling, holy fear,
To make my calling sure;
Thine utmost counsel to fulfill,
To suffer all thy righteous will,
And to the end endure!

Verse 4

Then Savior! then my soul receive,
Transported from the earth, to live
And reign with thee above;
Where faith is sweetly lost in sight,
And hope, in full supreme delight,
And everlasting love.

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

Midst sorrow and care
There’s one that is near,
And ever delights to relieve us.

Verse 2

’Tis Jesus, our Friend,
On whom we depend
For life and for all its rich blessings.

Verse 3

When trouble assails,
His love never fails;
He meets us with sweet consolation.

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, think of the home over there,
By the side of the river of light,
Where the saints, all immortal and fair,
Are robed in their garments of white.

Chorus 1

Over there, over there,
Oh, think of the home over there.

Verse 2

Oh, think of the friends over there,
Who believe on the journey have trod,
Of the songs that they breathe on the air,
In their home in the palace of God.

Chorus 2

Over there, over there,
Oh, think of the friends over there.

Verse 3

My Saviour is now over there,
There my kindred and friends are at rest;
Then away from my sorrow and care,
Let me fly to the land of the blest.

Chorus 3

Over there, over there,
My Saviour is now over there.

Verse 4

I’ll soon be at home over there,
For the end of my journey I see;
Many dear to my heart, over there,
Are watching and waiting for me.

Chorus 4

Over there, over there,
I’ll soon be at home over there.

Verse 1

Oh, think of the home over there,
By the side of the river of light,
Where the saints all immortal and fair,
Are robed in their garments of white.

Refrain

Over there, over there,
Oh, think of the home over there;
Over there, over there, over there,
Oh, think of the home over there.

Verse 2

Oh, think of the friends over there,
Who before us the journey have trod,
Of the songs that they breathe on the air.
In their home in the palace of God.

Refrain

Over there, over there,
Oh, think of the friends over there;
Over there, over there, over there,
Oh, think of the friends over there.

Verse 3

My Savior is now over there,
There my kindred and friends are at rest;
Then away from my sorrow and care,
Let me fly to the land of the blest.

Refrain

Over there, over there,
My Savior is now over there;
Over there, over there, over there,
My Savior is now over there.

Verse 4

I’ll soon be at home over there,
For the end of my journey I see;
Many dear to my heart, over there,
Are watching and waiting for me.

Refrain

Over there, over there,
I’ll soon be at home over there;
Over there, over there, over there,
I’ll soon be at home over there.

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.

On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand

Verse 1

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan’s fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

Refrain

We will rest in the fair and happy land,
Just across on the evergreen shore,
Sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, by and by,
And dwell with Jesus evermore.

Verse 2

O’er all those wide-extended plains
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns
And scatters night away.

Verse 3

When shall I reach that happy place,
And be forever blest?
When shall I see my Father’s face,
And in his bosom rest?

Verse 4

Filled with delight, my raptured soul
Would here no longer stay;
Tho’ Jordan’s waves around me roll,
Fearless I’d launch away.

Verse 1

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan’s fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

Refrain

We will rest in the fair and happy land,
Just across on the evergreen shore,
Sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, by and by,
And dwell with Jesus evermore.

Verse 2

O’er all those wide-extended plains
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns
And scatters night away.

Verse 3

When shall I reach that happy place,
And be forever blest?
When shall I see my Father’s face,
And in his bosom rest?

Verse 4

Filled with delight, my raptured soul
Would here no longer stay;
Tho’ Jordan’s waves around me roll,
Fearless I’d launch away.

Verse 1

Peace, be still!
In this night of sorrow bow;
Oh, my heart, contend not thou;
What befalls is God’s own will;
Peace, be still!

Verse 2

Hold thee still!
Tho’ the Father scourge thee sore,
Cling thou to him all the more;
Let him mercy’s work fulfill;
Hold thee still!

Verse 3

Lord, my God!
Give me grace, that I may be
Thy true child, and silently
Own thy scepter and thy rod;
Lord, my God!

Verse 4

Shepherd mine!
From thy fullness give me still
Faith to do and bear thy will
Till the morning light shall shine;
Shepherd mine!

Verse 1

Rest, weary pilgrim, thy journey is o’er,
Rest, sweetly rest, on the beautiful shore;
Safely at last thou hast reached the bright goal,
Fatherland, home of the soul.

Verse 2

Never again shall thy storm-beaten breast
Sigh, deeply sigh, for the sweet “land of rest;”
Gone to the Savior’s bright mansion above,
Rest in the light of his love.

Verse 3

Rest, weary pilgrim, thy journey is o’er,
Rest, sweetly rest, on the beautiful shore;
Dangers and troubles shall harm thee no more,
Rest on the beautiful shore.

Verse 1

Servant of God, well done!
Thy glorious warfare’s past;
The battle’s fought, the race is won,
And thou art crowned at last;--

Verse 2

Of all thy heart’s desire
Triumphantly possessed;
Lodged by the ministerial choir
In thy Redeemer’s breast.

Verse 3

In condescending love,
Thy ceaseless prayer he heard,
And bade thee suddenly remove
To thy complete reward.

Verse 4

With saints enthroned on high,
Thou dost thy Lord proclaim,
And still to God salvation cry,--
Salvation to the Lamb!

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

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

So fades the lovely, blooming flower--
Frail smiling solace of an hour!
So soon our transient comforts fly,
And pleasure only blooms to die.

Verse 2

Is there no kind, no lenient art,
To heal the anguish of the heart?
Spirit of grace! be ever nigh,
Thy comforts are not made to die.

Verse 3

Bid gentle patience smile on pain,
Till dying hope shall live again;
Hope wipes the tear from sorrow’s eye
And faith points upward to the sky.

Verse 1

That awful day will surely come,
Th’ appointed hour makes haste,
When I must stand before the Judge
And pass the solemn test.

Verse 2

Thou lovely Chief of all my joys,
Thou Sovereign of my heart,
How could I bear to hear thy voice
Pronounce the sound, “Depart!”

Verse 3

Oh, wretched state of deep despair,
To see my God remove,
And fix my dreadful station where
I must not taste his love!

Verse 4

Oh, tell me that my worthless name
Is graven on thy hands;
Show me some promise in thy book
Where my salvation stands.

Verse 1

The evening shades are falling,
The sun is sinking fast;
The Holy One is calling,
We’re going home at last.

Refrain

Going home at last;
Going home at last;
The march will soon be over,
We’re going home at last.

Verse 2

The road’s been long and dreary,
The toils came thick and fast;
In body weak and weary,
Were going home at last.

Verse 3

We now are nearing heaven,
And soon shall be at rest;
Our crowns will soon be given,
We’re going home at last.

Verse 4

Oh, praise the Lord forever,
Our sorrows are all past;
We’ll part no more, no, never;
We are at home at last.

Verse 1

There is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign;
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain.
There everlasting spring abides,
And never-withering flowers;
Death, like a narrow sea, divides,
This heavenly land from ours.

Verse 2

Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
Stand dressed in living green;
So to the Jews old Canaan stood,
While Jordan rolled between.
But timorous mortals start and shrink
To cross this narrow sea,
And linger, shivering on the brink,
And fear to launch away.

Verse 3

O could we make our doubts remove,
Those gloomy doubts that rise,
And see the Canaan that we love,
With unbeclouded eyes--
Could we but climb where Moses stood,
And view the landscape o’er,
Not Jordan’s stream, nor death’s cold flood,
Should fright us from the shore.

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

There is no flock, however watched and tended,
But one dead lamb is there!
There is no fireside, howsoe’er defended,
But has one vacant chair!
The air is full of farewells to the dying,
And mournings for the dead;
The heart of Rachel for her children crying
Will not be comforted!

Verse 2

Let us be patient, these severe afflictions
Not from the ground arise,
But oftentimes celestial benedictions
Assume this dark disguise.
We see but dimly thro’ the mists and vapors,
Amid these earthly damps,
What seem to us but sad, funereal tapers,
May be heav’ns distant lamps.

Verse 3

She is not dead, the child of our affection,
But gone unto that school
Where she no longer needs our poor protection,
And Christ himself doth rule.
In that great cloister’s stillness and seclusion,
By guardian angels led,
Safe from temptation, safe from sin’s pollution,
She lives whom we call dead.

Verse 4

And tho’ at times, impetuous with emotion,
And anguish long suppressed,
The swelling heart heaves moaning like the ocean
That cannot be at rest:
We will be patient--and assuage the feeling
We cannot wholly stay,
By silence sanctifying, not concealing
The grief that must have way.

Verse 1

There’s a land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling-place there.

Refrain

In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

Verse 2

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blest,
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

Verse 3

To our bountiful Father above
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.

Verse 1

There’s a land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling-place there.

Refrain

In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

Verse 2

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blest,
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

Verse 3

To our bountiful Father above
We will offer the tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of his love.
And the blessings that hallow our days.

Verse 4

We shall rest on that beautiful shore,
In the joys of the saved we shall share;
All our pilgrimage toil will be o’er,
And the conqueror’s crown we shall wear.

Verse 5

We shall meet, we shall sing, we shall reign,
In the land where the saved never die;
We shall rest, free from sorrow and pain,
Safe at home in the sweet by and by.

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

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

“Thy will be | done!” || In devious way
The hurrying stream of | life may | run; ||
Yet still our grateful hearts shall say, |
“Thy will be | done.”

Verse 2

“Thy will be | done!” || If o’er us shine
A gladdening and a | prosperous | sun, ||
This prayer will make it more divine— |
“Thy will be | done!”

Verse 3

“Thy will be | done!” || Tho’ shrouded o’er
Our | path with | gloom, | one comfort, one ||
Is ours:—to breathe, while we adore, |
“Thy will be | done.”

Verse 1

Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb;
Take this new treasure to thy trust
And give these sacred relics room,
To slumber in the silent dust.

Verse 2

Nor pain, nor grief, nor anxious fear,
Invades thy bounds; no mortal woes
Can reach the peaceful sleeper here,
While angels watch the soft repose.

Verse 3

So Jesus slept; God’s dying Son
Passed through the grave, and blest the bed;
Rest here, blest saint, till from his throne
The morning break, and pierce the shade.

Verse 4

Break from his throne, illustrious morn;
Attend, O earth, his sovereign word;
Restore thy trust; a glorious form
Shall then arise to meet the Lord.

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

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

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

When I can read my title clear
To mansions in the skies,
I’ll bid farewell to every fear
And wipe my weeping eyes.
Should earth against my soul engage,
And fiery darts be hurled,
Then I can smile at Satan’s rage.
And face a frowning world.

Verse 2

Let cares like a wild deluge come
Let storms of sorrow fall--
So I but safely reach my home,
My God, my heaven, my all.
There I shall bathe my weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest,
And not a wave of trouble roll
Across my peaceful breast.

Verse 1

When thou, my righteous Judge, shalt come,
To take thy ransomed people home,
Shall I among them stand?
Shall such a worthless worm as I,
Who sometimes am afraid to die,
Be found at thy right hand?

Verse 2

I love to meet thy people now,
Before thy feet with them to bow,
Though vilest of them all;
But--can I bear the piercing thought?--
What if my name should be left out,
When thou for them shalt call?

Verse 3

O Lord, prevent it by thy grace;
Be thou my only hiding-place,
In this th’ accepted day;
Thy pardoning voice, oh, let me hear,
To still my unbelieving fear,
Nor let me fall, I pray.

Verse 4

And when the final trump shall sound,
Among thy saints let me be found,
To bow before thy face;
Then in triumphant strains I’ll sing,
While heaven’s resounding mansions ring
With praise of sovereign grace.

Verse 1

Why do we mourn departing friends,
Or shake at death’s alarms?
’Tis but the voice that Jesus sends,
To call them to his arms.

Verse 2

Are we not tending upward, too,
As fast as time can move?
Nor would we wish the hours more slow,
To keep us from our love.

Verse 3

Why should we tremble to convey
Their bodies to the tomb?
There the dear flesh of Jesus lay,
And scattered all the gloom.

Verse 4

The graves of all the saints be blessed,
And softened every bed;
Where should the dying members rest,
But with the dying Head?

Verse 5

Thence he arose, ascending high,
And showed our feet the way;
Up to the Lord we, too, shall fly
At the great rising-day.

Verse 6

Then let the last loud trumpet sound,
And bid our kindred rise;
Awake! ye nations under ground;
Ye saints! ascend the skies.

Verse 1

Why should our tears in sorrow flow
When God recalls his own,
And bids them leave a world of woe,
For an immortal crown?

Verse 2

Is not e’en death a gain to those
Whose life to God was given?
Gladly to earth their eyes they close
To open them in heaven.

Verse 3

Their toils are past, their work is done,
And they are fully blest!
They fought the fight, the victory won,
And entered into rest.

Verse 4

Then let our sorrows cease to flow,--
God has recalled his own;
But let our hearts, in every woe,
Still say, “Thy will be done!”