Scripture Verse

Come, ye blessèd of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34

Introduction

portrait
Ira D. Sankey (1840–1908)

Words: Emi­ly H. Mill­er, in Song Life, by Phi­lip Phil­lips (New York: Har­per & Bro­thers, 1872), num­ber 16.

Music: Ka­wa­sa­ki Ira D. San­key, 1887 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Emily H. Miller (1833–1913)

Lyrics

O land of the bless­èd! thy sha­dow­less skies
Sometimes in my dream­ing I see;
I hear the glad songs that the glo­ri­fied sing
Steal ov­er eter­ni­ty’s sea;
Though dark are the sha­dows that ga­ther be­tween,
I know that thy morn­ing is fair;
I catch but a glimpse of thy glo­ry and light,
And whis­per: Would God I were there!

O land of the bless­èd! thy hills of de­light
Sometimes to my vi­sion un­fold;
Thy man­sions ce­les­ti­al, thy pa­lac­es bright,
Thy bul­warks of jas­per and gold;
Dear voic­es are chant­ing thy chor­us of praise,
Their forms in thy sun­light are fair;
I look from the val­ley of sha­dows be­low,
And whis­per: Would God I were there!

Dear home of my Fa­ther, thou ci­ty of peace,
No sha­dow of chang­ing can mar;
How glad are the souls that have tast­ed thy joy!
How blest thine in­ha­bi­tants are!
When wea­ry of toil­ing, I think of the day—
Who knows if its dawn­ing be near—
When He who doth love me shall call me away
From all that hath bur­dened me here.