Scripture Verse

To live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

Introduction

Words: John Tho­mas, 1900. This hymn was ori­gin­al­ly print­ed in a Bap­tist news­pa­per, then in­clud­ed in The Bap­tist Church Hym­nal of 1900.

Music: St. Au­gus­tine Chor­ale Songs for Four Voic­es 1769 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
John Thomas (1858–1944)

Lyrics

Dear Mas­ter, in Thy way
Our will­ing feet shall tread;
What joy Thy man­date to ob­ey,
Our great and glo­ri­ous Head.

The clos­ing wa­ters hid
Our for­mer world, and we,
Seeking through death our Sav­ior’s side,
Rejoice to die with Thee.

And as we rise again,
Be this con­fes­sion giv’n,
That we have ris’n with Christ to reign
The Lord of earth and Heav’n.

So would we die to live,
And live no more to die;
Our ris­en lives, O Christ, re­ceive
And seal them in the sky.