Words written by German Jesuits as Schoenster Herr Jesu in the 17th Century. Published in the Muenster Gesangbuch, 1677, and translated from German to English by Joseph August Seiss, 1873.

"Behold, I come"—the darkness lightens
Above all sorrow and all fear;
Beyond the clouds the Daystar brightens,
And our deliverance is near;
The groaning earth awaits the hour
When all the wrongs of time are past,
And clothed with glory and with power,
The King of kings shall reign at last.

                      —Annie Johnson Flint
 

Blessed Homeland

Gliding o'er life's fitful waters,
Heavy surges sometimes roll;
And we sigh for yonder haven,
For the homeland of the soul.

Blessed homeland, ever fair!
Sin can never enter there;
But the soul, to life awaking,
Everlasting bloom shall wear.

Oft we catch a faint reflection,
Of its bright and vernal hills;
And, though distant, how we hail it!
How each heart with rapture thrills!

To our Father, and our Savior,
To the Spirit, Three in One,
We shall sing glad songs of triumph
When our harvest work is done.

'Tis the weary pilgrim's homeland,
Where each throbbing care shall cease,
And our longings and our yearnings,
Like a wave, be hushed to peace.

              —Fanny Crosby
 

Blest, Blest Forever

Only a little while, sowing and reaping,
Only a little while, our vigil keeping;
Then we shall gather home, no more to sever,
Clasped in eternal love, blest, blest forever.

Only a little while, heartbreak and sorrow,
Dark though the night may be, cloudless the morrow;
Only a little while, Earth ties to sever,
Then in our Father land, blest, blest forever.

Only a little while, shadow and sadness,
Then in eternity sunshine and gladness;
Only a little while, then o'er the river,
Home, rest and victor palm, life, joy forever.

                               —Fanny Crosby
 

The Bright Forever

Breaking through the clouds that gather,
O'er the Christian's natal skies,
Distant beams, like floods of glory,
Fill the soul with glad surprise;
And we almost hear the echo
Of the pure and holy throng,
In the bright, the bright forever,
In the summer land of song.

Yet a little while we linger,
Ere we reach our journey's end;
Yet a little while of labor,
Ere the evening shades descend;
Then we'll lay us down to slumber,
But the night will soon be o'er;
In the bright, the bright forever,
We shall wake, to weep no more.

O the bliss of life eternal!
O the long unbroken rest!
In the golden fields of pleasure,
In the region of the blessed;
But, to see our dear Redeemer,
And before His throne to fall,
There to bear His gracious welcome,
Will be sweeter far than all.

                   —Fanny Crosby
 

The Cross

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood;
He fixed His languid eyes on me,
    As near His cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,
Shall I forget that look!
It seemed to charge me with His death,
    Though not a word He spoke.

A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
    I die that thou mayest live."

Thus while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
    It seals my pardon too!

                    —John Newton
 

The Fear of the Lord

My fear of Thee, O Lord, exults
Like life within my veins,
A fear which tightly claims to be
One of love's sacred pains.

There is no joy the soul can meet
Upon life's various road
Like the sweet fear that sits and shrinks
Under the eye of God.

Oh, Thou art greatly to be feared,
Thou art so prompt to bless!
The dread to miss such love as Thine
Makes fear but love's excess.

But fear is love, and love is fear,
And in and out they move;
But fear is an intenser joy
Than mere unfrightened love.

They love Thee little, if at all,
Who do not fear Thee much;
If love is Thine attraction, Lord!
Fear is Thy very touch.

                       —F. W. Faber
 

Forever with the Lord

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.

My Father's house on high,
Home of my soul, so near,
At times, to faith's far-seeing eye
Thy golden gates appear!

Yet clouds will intervene,
And all my prospect flies,
Like Noah's dove, I flit between
Rough seas and stormy skies.

And the clouds depart,
The winds and waters cease,
While sweetly o'er my gladdend heart
Expands the bow of peace.

In darkness as in light,
Hidden alike from view,
I sleep, I wake, as in his sight,
Who looks all nature through.

Forever with the Lord!
Father, if 'tis thy will,
The promise of that faithful word
Even here to me fulfil.

Be thou at my right hand,
Then can I never fail,
Uphold thou me, and I shall stand,
Fight, and I must prevail.

Knowing as I am known,
How shall I love that word!
And oft repeat before the throne,
Forever with the Lord!

Forever with the Lord!
Amen; so let it be,
Life from the dead is in that word,
'Tis immortality.

                —Octavius Winslow
 

Gently Lead Us

Gently, Lord, oh, gently lead us
Through vale of tears,
Though thou'st decreed us,
Till our last great change appears.

As temptation's darts assail us,
Or in devious paths we stray
Let thy goodness never fail us,
Lead us in thy perfect way

In the hour of pain and anguish,
In the hour when death draws near
Suffer not our hearts to languish,
Suffer not our souls to fear.

As this mortal life is ended,
Bid us in thine arms to rest,
Till, by angel bands attended,
We awake among the blest.

Then, oh, crown us with thy blessing,
Through the triumphs of thy grace;
Then shall praises never ceasing
Echo through thy dwelling-place.

                        —Octavius Winslow
 

Heaven at Last

Angel voices sweetly singing,
Echoes through the blue dome ringing,
News of wondrous gladness bringing...
 Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Now beneath us all the grieving,
All the wounded spirit's heaving,
All the woe of hopes deceiving...
Ah 'tis heaven at last!

Sin for ever left behind us,
Earthly visions cease to blind us,
Fleshly fetters cease to bind us...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

On the jasper threshold standing,
Like a pilgrim safely landing
See, the strange bright scene expanding...
Ah 'tis heaven at last!

What a city! what a glory!
Far beyond the brightest story
Of the ages old and hoary...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Softest voices silver pealing,
Freshest fragrances spirit-healing,
Happy hymns around us stealing...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Gone the vanity and folly,
Gone the dark and melancholy,
Come the joyous and the holy...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Not a broken blossom yonder,
Not a link can snap asunder,
Stay'd the tempest, sheathed the thunder...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Not a tear-drop ever falleth,
Not a pleasure ever palleth,
Song to song for ever calleth...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Christ Himself the living splendour,
Christ the sunlight mild and tender;
Praises to the Lamb we render...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Now at length the veil is rended,
Now the pilgrimage is ended,
And the saints their thrones ascended...
Ah, 'tis heaven at last!

Broken death's dread bands that bound us,
Life and victory around us,
Christ the King Himself hath crowned us...
Ah,'tis heaven at last!

                          —Horatius Bonar
 

How Long?

My God, it is not fretfulness
That makes me say "How long?"
It is not heaviness of heart
That hinders me in song,
'Tis not despair of truth and right,
Nor coward dread of wrong.

But how can I, with such a hope
Of glory and of home;
With such a joy before my eyes,
Not wish the time were come
Of years the jubilee, of days
The Sabbath and the sum?

These years, what ages they have been!
This life, how long it seems!
And how can I in evil days,
'Mid unknown hills and streams
But sigh for those of home and heart
And visit them in dreams?

Yet peace, my heart and hush my tongue;
Be calm, my troubled breast;
Each restless hour is hastening on
The everlasting rest.
Thou knowest that the time thy God
Appoints for thee is best.

Let faith, not fear nor fretfulness,
Awake the cry, "How long?"
Let now faintheartedness of soul
Damp thy aspiring song,
Right comes, truth dawns, the night departs
Of error and of wrong.

                          —Horatius Bonar
 

In His Hands

'Twixt gleams of joy and clouds of doubt
Our feelings come and go;
Our best estate is tossed about
In ceaseless ebb and flow.
No mood of feeling, form of thought

Is constant for a day;
But thou, 0 Lord, thou changest not:
The same thou art alway.

I grasp thy strength, make it mine own,
My heart with peace is blest;
I lose my hold, and then comes down
Darkness, and cold unrest.
Let me no more my comfort draw
From my frail hold of thee,
In this alone rejoice with awe—-
Thy mighty grasp of me.

Out of that weak, unquiet drift
That comes but to depart,
To that pure heaven my spirit lift
Where thou unchanging art.
Lay hold of me with thy strong grasp,
Let thy almighty arm
In its embrace my weakness clasp,
And I shall fear no harm.

Thy purpose of eternal good
Let me but surely know;
On this I'll lean—let changing mood
And feeling come or go—
Glad when thy sunshine fills my soul,
Not lorn when clouds o'ercast,
Since thou within thy sure control
Of love dost hold me fast .

          —John Campbell Shairp
 

No Will But Thine

Jesus, 'tis my aim divine,
Hence to have no will but thine,
Let me covenant with thee,
Thine for evermore to be:
This my prayer, and this alone,
Saviour, let thy will be done!

Thee to love, to live to thee,
This my daily portion be,
Nothing to my Lord I give,
But from him I first receive:
Lord, for me thy blood was spilt,
Lead me, guide me, as thou wilt.

All that is opposed to thee,
Howsoever dear it be,
From my heart the idol tear,
Thou shalt have no rival there,
Only thou shalt fill the throne:
Saviour, let thy will be done.

Wilt thou, Lord, in me fulfil
All the pleasure of thy will;
Thine in life, and thine in death,
Thine in every fleeting breath,
Thou my hope and joy alone:
Saviour, let thy will be done.

              —Octavius Winslow

     There was a people long ago
     Who had great riches, wealth untold,
     They built a city with a wall,
     A kingdom they thought would never fall.

     How they labored unceasingly
     To lay up treasure increasingly,
     They gave no thought to what lay beyond,
     That their kingdom would someday be gone.

     But one by one the stones came down;
     The city was leveled to the ground,
     No more fortune to be found,
     No one left to wear a crown.

     The mighty kingdom fell at last,
     Its beauty's gone; its pleasure's past,
     All was lost they sought to gain,
     Their lives were wasted; their labor vain.

     You can build a kingdom with a mighty wall,
     But like the kingdom long ago, it is destined for a fall,
     Unless Christ the Lord becomes your king
     And ruler of everything.

                                 —Perry Boardman

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just where the hands will stop —
At late or early hour.

To lose one's wealth is sad indeed,
To lose one's health is more,
To lose one's soul is such a loss
As no man can restore.

The present only is our own,
Live for Christ with a will;
Place no faith in tomorrow,
For the clock may then be still.
 

Life's Path

Many go down life's path with lofty plans
To amass a great fortune of houses and lands
And to live a life of pleasure and ease,
Thinking happiness can be found in these.
Others pursue power and worldwide fame
To be known by all and win their acclaim.
But those without God who attain these goals
Soon find emptiness remains in their souls.
They could not find true happiness
For life's void cannot be filled with this.
If only they realized this will not last
Since life is fleeting and will soon be past.
Wealth, worldly pleasure, fame, and power
Will all be gone at death's dark hour.
And beyond the grave when eternity begins
Those unsaved will be judged for their sins!
If only they would believe in God's Son
And repent of the sinful deeds they've done,
Then they could go down life's path
Not needing to worry about God's wrath.
They would have the joy they longed for,
Inner peace, contentment, and much more
For when their lives on earth shall end
Heavenly bliss would at once begin!

                                 —Perry Boardman
 

Lord! How I Love Thee!

Infinite, all-wise, compassionate God!
How oft I have thought of the path Thou didst trod.
Brief years on earth were a tale of deep woe,
For suffering and sorrow was all Thou didst know.
 

O Lord, all Thy beauty I hardly can trace;
Mighty in power, You flung into space
Planets in orbit, and stars made to shine;
But wonders far greater were meant to be mine!
 

Saviour and Sovereign! How gracious Thou art;
Willing and able to dwell in my heart!
Bringing full pardon and cleansing for sin;
Causing the joy bells to echo within.
 

Thrice holy! Unblemished in all of Thy frame,
I marvel to think I may call Thee by name!
But grace so amazing, so deep, and so wide,
Has drawn me, ever so near to Thy side.
 

To Thee be all glory, now and for aye!
offerings of worship I bring Thee today;
And bowed low before Thee, here is my all;
Yielded this moment to Thy beck and call.
 

Lord, how I love Thee with all of my heart.
Still I must follow; ne'er to depart!
Soon, all the shadows of night will be past;
Then, t'will be glory—with Jesus at last!

                      —Robert W. Wesley
 

My Goal Is God Himself

My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
'Tis His to lead me there - not mine, but His—
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,
     And love can trust her Lord to lead her there;
 Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard
Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.

No matter if the way be sometimes dark,
No matter though the cost be oft-times great,
He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark;
The way that leads to Him must needs be strait.

One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;
One thing I do, I press towards my Lord;
My God, my glory here, from day to day,
And in the glory there my great Reward.

                                 —F. Brook
 

New Creatures

At times with sudden glory,
He speaks, and all is done;
Without one stroke of battle
The victory is won,
While we, with joy beholding,
Can scarce believe it true
That even our kingly Jesus
Can form such hearts anew.

—Charitie Lees de Chenez
 

On the Threshold

I'm returning, not departing;
My steps are homeward bound,
I quit the land of strangers
For a home on native ground.

I am rising and not setting;
This is not night but day,
Not in darkness, but in sunshine,
Like a star, I fade away.

All is well with me for ever;
I do not fear to go,
My tide is but beginning
Its bright eternal flow.

I am leaving only shadows
For the true and fair and good,
I must not, cannot, linger;
I would not, though I could.

This is not death's dark portal,
'Tis life's golden gate to me,
Link after link is broken,
And I at last am free.

I am going to the angels,
I am going to my God;
I know the hand that beckons,
I see the holy road.

Why grieve me with your weeping?
Your tears are all in vain,
An hour's farewell, beloved,
And we shall meet again.

Jesus, Thou wilt receive me
And welcome me above;
This sunshine which now fills me
Is Thine own smile of love.

         —Horatius Bonar
 

One Day at a Time

One day at a time, with its failures and fears,
With its hurts and mistakes, with its weakness and tears,
With its portion of pain and its burden of care;
One day at a time we must meet and must bear.

One day at a time to be patient and strong,
To be calm under trial and sweet under wrong;
Then its toiling shall pass and its sorrow shall cease;
It shall darken and die, and the night shall bring peace.

One day at a time - but the day is so long,
And the heart is not brave, and the soul is not strong,
0 Thou pitiful Christ, be Thou near all the way;
Give courage and patience and strength for the day.

Swift cometh His answer, so clear and so sweet;
"Yea, I will be with thee, thy troubles to meet;
I will not forget thee, nor fail thee, nor grieve;
I will not forsake thee; I never will leave."

Not yesterday's load we are called on to bear,
Nor the morrow's uncertain and shadowy care;
Why should we look forward or back with dismay?
Our needs, as our mercies, are but for the day.

One day at a time, and the day is His day;
He hath numbered its hours, though they haste or delay.
His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He giveth His own.

                          —Annie Johnson Flint
 

Out of the Depths
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary rest.

Dear Name! the Rock on which I build
My Shield and Hiding-place;
My never-failing Treasury fill'd
With boundless stores of grace.

By Thee my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain,
And I am own'd a child.

Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King;
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I'll praise Thee as I ought.

Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

                      —John Newton
 

Take up Thy Cross

Take up thy cross, the Saviour said,
If thou wouldst My disciple be;
Deny thyself, the world forsake,
And humbly follow after Me.

Take up thy cross; let not its weight
Fill thy weak soul with vain alarm;
His strength shall bear thy spirit up,
And brace thy heart, and nerve thine arm.

Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,
Nor let thy foolish pride rebel;
The Lord for thee the cross endured
To save thy soul from death and hell.

Take up thy cross, then, in His strength,
And calmly every danger brave;
'Twill guide thee to a better home,
And lead to victory o'er the grave.
Take up thy cross, and follow Christ,
Nor think till death to lay it down;
For only he who bears the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.

               —Charles William Everest
 

The Valour and
Victories of Faith

By faith I unseen Being see,
Forth lower beings call,
And say to nothing, Let it be;
And nothing hatches all.

By faith I know the worlds were made
By God's great word of might;
How soon, Let there be light, he said,
That moment there was light.

By faith I soar and force my flight
Through all the clouds of sense;
I see the glories out of sight,
With brightest evidence.

By faith I mount the azure sky,
And from the lofty sphere,
The earth a little mote espy,
Unworthy of my care.

By faith I see the unseen things
Hid from all mortal eyes;
Proud reason stretching all its wings,
Beneath me flutt'ring lies.

By faith I build my lasting hope
On righteousness divine;
Nor can I sink with such a prop,
Whatever storms combine.

By faith my works, my righteousness,
And duties all I own
But loss and dung; and lay my stress
On what my Lord has done.

By faith I overcome the world,
And all its hurtful charms;
I'm in the heav'nly chariot hurl'd
Through all opposing harms.

By faith I have a conqu'ring pow'r
To tread upon my foes,
To triumph in a dying hour,
And banish all my woes.

By faith in midst of wrongs I'm right,
In sad decays I thrive:
In weakness I am strong in might,
In death I am alive.

By faith I stand when deep I fall,
In darkness I have light;
Nor dare I doubt and question all
When all is out of sight.

By faith I trust a pardon free,
Which puzzles flesh and blood;
To think that God can justify,
Where yet he sees no good.

By faith I keep my Lord's commands,
To verify my trust;
I purify my heart and hands,
And mortify my lust.

By faith my melting soul repents,
When pierced Christ appears;
My heart in grateful praises vents,
Mine eyes in joyful tears.

By faith I can the mountains vast
Of sin and guilt remove;
And them into the ocean cast
The sea of blood and love.

By faith I see Jehovah high,
Upon a throne of grace;
I see him lay his vengeance by,
And smile in Jesus'face.

By faith I hope to see the Sun,
The light of grace that lent:
His everlasting circles run
In glory's firmament.

By faith I'm more than conqueror,
Ev'n though I nothing can;
Because I set Jehovah's pow'r
Before me in the van.

By faith I counterplot my foes,
Nor need their ambush fear;
Because my life-guard also goes
Behind me in the rear.

By faith I walk, I run, I fly,
By faith I suffer thrall;
By faith I'm fit to live and die,
By faith I can do all

              —Ralph Erskine

Oh, why am I here in this place of unrest
When others have entered the land of the blest?
God's way of salvation was preached unto men;
I heard it and heard it, again and again.

Why did I not listen and turn from my sin
And open my heart and let Jesus come in?
For vain earthly pleasures my soul did I sell
The way I had chosen has brought me to hell.

I wish I were dreaming, but ah, it is true.
The way to be saved I had heard and I knew;
My time on the earth, oh, so quickly fled by,
How little I thought of the day I would die.

When God's Holy Spirit was pleading with me,
I hardened my heart and I turned from His plea.
The way that was sinful, the path that was wide,
I chose and I walked till the time that I died.

Eternally now, I must dwell in this place.
If I from my memory could but erase
The thoughts of my past which are haunting me so.
Oh, where is a refuge to which I can go?

This torture and suff'ring, how long can I stand?
For Satan and demons this only was planned.
God's refuge is Jesus, the One that I spurned;
He offered salvation, but from Him I turned.

My brothers and sisters I wish I could warn.
Far better 'twould be if I had not been born.
The price I must pay is too horrid to tell
My life without God led directly to Hell.

Oh, soul without Christ, will these words be your cry?
God's Word so declares it that all men must die.
From hell and its terrors, Oh, flee while you may!
So, come to the Saviour; He'll save you today!

                        —Oscar C. Eliason