Scripture Verse

A city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:10

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: Ar­thur F. Ing­ler, 1902 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

There’s a ho­ly and beau­ti­ful ci­ty
Whose build­er and rul­er is God;
John saw it des­cend­ing from Hea­ven,
When Pat­mos, in ex­ile, he trod;
Its high, mass­ive wall is of jas­per,
The city it­self is pure gold;
And when my frail tent here is fold­ed,
Mine eyes shall its glo­ry be­hold.

Refrain

In that bright ci­ty, pear­ly white ci­ty,
I have a man­sion, a harp, and a crown;
Now I am watch­ing, wait­ing, and long­ing,
For the whi­te ci­ty that’s soon com­ing down.

No sin is al­lowed in that city
And no­thing de­fil­ing or mean;
No pain and no sick­ness can en­ter,
No crepe on the door­knob is seen;
Earth’s sor­rows and cares are for­got­ten,
No tempt­er is there to an­noy;
No part­ing words ever are spok­en,
There’s no­thing to hurt or de­stroy.

Refrain

No heart­aches are known in that ci­ty,
No tears ev­er moist­en the eyes;
There’s no dis­ap­point­ment in Hea­ven,
No en­vy and strife in the sky;
The saints are all sanc­ti­fied whol­ly,
They live in sweet har­mo­ny there;
My heart is now set on that city,
And some day its bless­ings I’ll share.

Refrain

My loved ones are ga­ther­ing yon­der,
My friends too are pass­ing away,
And soon I shall join their bright num­ber,
And dwell in eter­ni­ty’s day;
They’re safe now in glo­ry with Je­sus,
Their tri­als and bat­tles are past.
They ov­er­came sin and the tempt­er,
They’ve reached that fair ci­ty at last.

Refrain

illustration
St. John in Patmos
Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531)