And pine to quit this mean abode,
And languish to return.
Jesus, regard our vows,
And change our faith to sight;
And clothe us with our nobler house
Of empyrean light.
O let us put on Thee
In perfect holiness,
And rise prepared Thy face to see,
Thy bright, unclouded face!
Thy grace with glory crown,
Who hast the earnest given;
And now triumphantly come down,
And take our souls to heaven!
AND let this feeble body fail,
And let it droop and die;
My soul shall quit the mournful vale,
And soar to worlds on high;
Shall join the disembodied saints,
And find its long-sought rest,
(That only bliss for which it pants,)
In my Redeemer's breast.
2 In hope of that immortal crown,
I now the cross sustain,
And gladly wander up and down,
And smile at toil and pain:
I suffer out my three-score years,
Till my Deliverer come,
And wipe away His servant's tears,
And take His exile home.
3 Surely He will not long delay:
I hear His Spirit cry,
"Arise, my love, make haste away!
Go, get thee up, and die.
O'er death, who now has lost his sting,
I give thee victory;
And with Me My reward I bring,
I bring My heaven for thee."
WHAT hath Jesus bought for me!
Rivers of life divine I see,
And trees of paradise:
They flourish in perpetual bloom,
Fruit every month they give;
And to the healing leaves who come
Eternally shall live.
2 I see a world of spirits bright,
Who reap the pleasures there;
They all are robed in purest white,
And conquering palms they bear:
Adorned by their Redeemer's grace,
They close pursue the Lamb:
And every shining front displays
The' unutterable Name.
3 They drink the vivifying stream,
They pluck the' ambrosial fruit,
And each records the praise of Him
Who tuned his golden lute:
At once they strike the' harmonious wire
And hymn the great Three-One:
He hears; He smiles; and all the choir
Fall down before His throne.
4 O what are all my sufferings here,
If, Lord, Thou count me meet
With that enraptured host to' appear,
And worship at Thy feet!
Give joy or grief, give ease or pain,
Take life or friends away:
I come, to find them all again
In that eternal day.
COME, let us join our friends above
Who have obtained the prize,
And on the eagle wings of love
To joys celestial rise:
2 Let all the saints terrestrial sing,
With those to glory gone;
For all the servants of our King,
In earth and heaven, are one.
3 One family we dwell in Him,
One church above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death;
4 One army of the living God,
To His command we bow;
Part of His host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now.
5 What numbers to their endless home,
This solemn moment fly!
And we are to the margin come,
And we expect to die;
6 His militant embodied host,
With wishful looks we stand,
And long to see that happy coast,
And reach that heavenly land.
7 Our old companions in distress
We haste again to see,
And eager long for our release,
And full felicity:
8 E'en now by faith we join our hands
With those that went before;
And greet the blood-be sprinkled bands
On the eternal shore.
9 Our spirits, too, shall quickly join,
Like theirs with glory crowned,
And shout to see our Captain's sign,
To hear His trumpet sound.
10 O that we now might grasp our Guide! O that the word were given !
Come, Lord of hosts, the waves divide,
And land us all in heaven!
LIFT your eyes of faith, and see
Saints and angels joined in one:
What a countless company
Stand before yon dazzling throne!
Each before his Saviour stands;
All in milk-white robes arrayed,
Palms they carry in their hands,
Crowns of glory on their head.
2 Saints, begin the endless song,
Cry aloud in heavenly lays,
Glory doth to God belong;
God, the glorious Saviour, praise:
All salvation from Him came;
Him, who reigns enthroned on high;
Glory to the bleeding Lamb,
Let the morning stars reply.
3 Angel-powers the throne surround,
Next the saints in glory they;
Lulled with the transporting sound,
They their silent homage pay;
Prostrate on their face before
God and His Messiah fall;
Then in hymns of praise adore,
Shout the Lamb that died for all!
4 Be it so, they all reply,
Him let all our orders praise;
Him that did for sinners die,
Saviour of the favoured race!
Render we our God His right,
Glory, wisdom, thanks, and power,
Honour, majesty, and might;
Praise Him, praise Him evermore!
W Brighter than the noon-day sun?
THAT are these arrayed in white,
Foremost of the sons of light,
Nearest the eternal throne?
These are they that bore the cross,
Nobly for their Master stood;
Sufferers in His righteous cause,
Followers of the dying God.
2 Out of great distress they came,
Washed their robes by faith below,
In the blood of yonder Lamb,
Blood that washes white as snow:
Therefore are they next the throne,
Serve their Maker day and night:
God resides among His own,
God doth in His saints delight. 3 More than conquerors at last,
Here they find their trials o'er;
They have all their sufferings past,
Hunger now and thirst no more:
No excessive heat they feel
From the sun's directer ray;
In a milder clime they dwell,
Region of eternal day.
4 He that on the throne doth reign,
Them the Lamb shall always feed,
With the tree of life sustain,
To the living fountain lead:
He shall all their sorrows chase,
All their wants at once remove,
Wipe the tears from every face,
Fill up every soul with love.
MIGHT I with Thy saints aspire,
The meanest of that dazzling choir,
Who chant Thy praise above;
Mixed with the bright musician band,
May I a heavenly harper stand,
And sing the song of love!
2 What ecstasy of bliss is there,
While all the' angelic concert share,
And drink the floating joys!
What more than ecstasy, when all,
Struck to the golden pavement, fall
At Jesu's glorious voice!
3 Jesus! the heaven of heavens He is;
The soul of harmony and bliss!
And while on Him we gaze,
|