Scripture Verse

When I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness. Psalm 17:15

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in Songs of Joy and Glad­ness No. 2 (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts, and Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Mc­Do­nald & Gill, 1890).

Music: John R. Swe­ney (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
John Sweney (1837–1899)

There ap­peared in Lon­don a man who styled him­self the mes­si­ah, and for ma­ny weeks a large crowd was at­tract­ed to him. One night, how­ev­er, as he was talk­ing in one of the open squares in the ci­ty, a small band of the Sal­va­tion Ar­my passed along, sing­ing,

I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
By the print of the nails in His hand.

The great throng joined in the chor­us. Fi­nal­ly, some­one point­ed at the self-styled Christ and said, Look at his hands and see if the print of the nails is there. They did as di­rect­ed, but no print ap­peared, and they at once left off fol­low­ing him.

Crosby

Lyrics

When my life work is end­ed,
And I cross the swell­ing tide,
When the bright and glo­ri­ous morn­ing I shall see;
I shall know my Re­deem­er
When I reach the oth­er side,
And His smile will be the first to wel­come me.

Refrain

I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
And re­deemed by His side I shall stand,
I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
By the print of the nails in His hand.

Oh, the soul thrill­ing rap­ture
When I view His bless­èd face,
And the lus­ter of His kind­ly beam­ing eye;
How my full heart will praise Him
For the mer­cy, love and grace,
That prepare for me a man­sion in the sky.

Refrain

Oh, the dear ones in glo­ry,
How they beck­on me to come,
And our part­ing at the ri­ver I re­call;
To the sweet vales of Ed­en
They will sing my wel­come home;
But I long to meet my Sav­ior first of all.

Refrain

Through the gates to the ci­ty
In a robe of spot­less white,
He will lead me where no tears will ev­er fall;
In the glad song of ag­es
I shall min­gle with de­light;
But I long to meet my Sav­ior first of all.

Refrain