Scripture Verse

Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14

Introduction

Words: An­na F. Peck­ham, in Hea­ven­ward, by James R. Mur­ray (Cleve­land, Ohio: S. Brain­ard’s Sons, 1877), page 62. How­ev­er, the words al­so ap­pear, at­trib­ut­ed to Bel­la, in The Co­ro­net, by George F. Root (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Root & Ca­dy, 1865), page 152, when Peck­ham was on­ly 13 years old. They are not at­trib­ut­ed to Peck­ham un­til the 1881 Ban­ner of Vic­to­ry.

Music: Mer­ritt J. Mun­ger, The Ban­ner of Vic­to­ry (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ol­iv­er Dit­son, 1881), page 64 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Mun­ger or Peck­ham (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Thro’ the mists of sha­dows drea­ry,
O’er the dark and stor­my sea,
Came a voice of heav’n­ly mu­sic,
Floating thro’ the gloom to me;
’Twas a voice of won­drous sweet­ness,
Bringing words of hope and love,
Whispering to my trou­bled spir­it,
Dark be­low, but light ab­ove.

Refrain

’Twas a voice of won­drous sweet­ness,
Bringing words of hope and love,
Whispering to my trou­bled spir­it,
Dark be­low, but light above.

Often when life’s sha­dows ga­ther
Round my wea­ry trou­bled soul,
Comes that voice of an­gel sweet­ness,
Whispering I am near the goal;
Telling me, in soft­ened mu­rmurs,
Bringing words of hope and love,
Saying to my doubt­ing spir­it,
Dark be­low, but light ab­ove.

Refrain

Soon I’ll reach those gold­en por­tals,
Soon I’ll cross life’s trou­bled sea,
Whence that voice of mu­sic float­ing,
Came and whis­pered hope to me;
There in Heav’n’s own light for­ev­er,
In that sun­light of God’s love,
Shall I find that say­ing truth­ful,
Dark be­low, but light above.

Refrain