Heaven, Joy of

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

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’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

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

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.