Scripture Verse

Jesus, who was taken up…into Heaven. Acts 1:11

Introduction

portrait
John Cennick (1718–1755)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: John Cen­nick, Sac­red Hymns for the Use of Re­li­gious So­cie­ties 1743.

Music: Sweet Hour Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, Gold­en Chain (New York: 1861) (🔊 pdf nwc).

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William Bradbury
(1816–1868)

Lyrics

Jesus, my all, to Hea­ven is gone,
He whom I fix my hopes up­on;
His track I see, and I’ll pur­sue
The nar­row way, till Him I view.
The way the ho­ly pro­phets went,
The road that leads from ban­ish­ment,
The King’s high­way of ho­li­ness,
I’ll go, for all His paths are peace.

This is the way I long have sought,
And mourned be­cause I found it not;
My grief a bur­den long has been,
Because I was not saved from sin.
The more I strove against its pow­er,
I felt its weight and guilt the more;
Till late I heard my Sav­ior say,
Come hi­ther, soul, I am the way.

Lo! Glad I come; and Thou, blest Lamb,
Shalt take me to Thee, as I am;
Nothing but sin have I to give;
Nothing but love shall I re­ceive.
Then will I tell to sin­ners round,
What a dear Sav­ior I have found;
I’ll point to Thy re­deem­ing blood,
And say, Be­hold the way to God.

The original has 4-line stanzas; here are the third through fifth:

No stranger may proceed therein,
No lover of the world and sin;
No lion, no devouring care,
No ravenous tiger shall be there.

No nothing may go up thereon
But traveling souls, and I am one:
Wayfaring men to Canaan bound,
Shall only in the Way be found.

Nor fools, by carnal men esteemed,
Shall err therein; but they redeemed
In Je­sus’ blood, shall show their right
To travel there, till Hea­ven’s in sight.