What is life? 'tis but a
Life is but
va-por, Soon it van-ish-es
a dying ta-per-O my soul, why wish to stay? Why not spread thy wings and fly
Straight to yonder world of joy? Why not spread thy wings and fly Straight to yonder world of joy?
1175 "What is Your Life ?" WHAT is life? 't is but a vapor,
Soon it vanishes away;
Life is but a dying taper-
O my soul, why wish to stay?
Why not spread thy wings and fly
Straight to yonder world of joy?
2 See that glory, how resplendent!
Brighter far than fancy paints;
There, in majesty transcendent,
Jesus reigns-the King of saints.
Why not spread, etc.
3 Joyful crowds, his throne surrounding,
Sing with rapture of his love;
Through the heavens his praise resounding,
Filling all the courts above.
Why not spread, etc.
4 Go, and share his people's glory,
'Midst the ransomed crowd appear;
Thine a joyful wondrous story,
One that angels love to hear.
Why not spread, etc.
1176 "Wistful and Athirst.”
ON the fount of life eternal
Gazing wistful and athirst;
Yearning, straining, from the prison
Of confining flesh to burst;
Here the soul an exile sighs
For her native Paradise.
2 Who can paint that lovely city,
City of true peace divine,
Whose pure gates, for ever open,
Each in pearly splendor shine;
Whose abodes of glory clear
Naught defiling cometh near?
3 There no stormy winter rages;
There no scorching summer glows;
But through one perennial spring-tide,
Blooms the lily with the rose;
And the Lamb, with purest ray,
Scatters round eternal day.
4 There the saints of God, resplendent
As the sun in all his might,
Evermore rejoice together,
Crowned with diadems of light;
And from peril safe at last,
Reckon up their triumphs past.
5 Happy they, who with them seated
Shall in all their glory share!
Oh, that we, our days completed,
Might be but admitted there!
There with them the praise to sing
Of our glorious God and King.
6 Look, O Jesus, on thy soldiers,
Worn and wounded in the fight;
Grant, oh, grant us rest for ever,
In thy beatific sight,
And thyself our guerdon be
Through a long eternity.
1179 "The Bing in His Beauty."
TIME, thou speedest on but slowly,
Hours, how tardy is your pace!
Ere with Him, the high and holy,
I hold converse face to face.
Here is naught but care and mourning;
Comes a joy, it will not stay;
Fairly shines the sun at dawning,
Night will soon o'ercloud the day.
2 Onward then! not long I wander
Ere my Saviour comes for me,
And with him abiding yonder,
All his glory I shall see.
Oh, the music and the singing
Of the host redeemed by love!
Oh, the hallelujahs ringing
Through the halls of light above!
1180 The Consummation.
JESUS, blesséd Mediator!
Thou the airy path hast trod;
Thou the Judge, the Consummator!
Shepherd of the fold of God!
Can I trust a fellow-being?
Can I trust an angel's care?
O thou merciful All-seeing!
Beam around my spirit there.
DAILY, daily sing the praises
Of the City God hath made;
In the beauteous fields of Eden
Its foundation-stones are laid.
From the throne a river issues,
Clear as crystal, passing bright,
And it traverses the City
Like a sudden beam of light.
2 There the wind is sweetly fragrant,
And is laden with the song.
Of the seraphs, and the elders,
And the great redeeméd throng. Oh, I would my ears were open
Here to catch that happy strain! Oh, I would my eyes some vision Of that Eden could attain!
There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; }
fi-nite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain. There ever-last-ing spring abides,
Je ru sa-lem! my hap-py home! Name ev - er dear to me!
1184 The New Jerusalem.
JERUSALEM! my happy home!
Name ever dear to me!
When shall my labors have an end,
In joy, and peace, in thee!
Oh, when, thou city of my God,
Shall I thy courts ascend,
Where congregations ne'er break up,
And Sabbaths have no end?
2 There happier bowers than Eden's bloom, Nor sin nor sorrow know:
Blest seats! thro' rude and stormy scenes,
I onward press to you.
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.
3 Apostles, martyrs, prophets there,
Around my Saviour stand;
And soon my friends in Christ below,
Will join the glorious band. Jerusalem! my happy home!
My soul still pants for thee; Then shall my labors have an end, When I thy joys shall see.
1185 "The City was Pure Gold."
THERE is a City great and strong,
Twelve gates of precious stones,
With turrets and high battlements,
Not needing light of suns;
The streets aglow with fire of gold,
It hath no sound of strife;
In glory all its own it stands
Beside the stream of Life.
2 A joy is there that knows no cloy, A light that ne'er grows dim,
A multitude that never cease
From grateful praise and hymn;
Lo, all the sainted sons of earth,
And angels there I view ;
And there, oh, vision glorious!
There standeth Jesus too!
3 O wondrous, fair Jerusalem,
Shall I thy gates pass through?
Thy jubilations surely join,
Thy lordly splendors view?
O Crucified, O Glorified,
May I thy face behold,
And join the ransomed as they sing Along the streets of gold!
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