Scripture Verse

The Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:3

Introduction

portrait
David E. Dortch (1851–1928)

Words: Will­iam G. Coop­er, in Gos­pel Voic­es, by Da­vid Dortch (Nash­ville, Ten­nes­see: South West­ern Pub­lish­ing House, 1895), num­ber 1.

Music: Da­vid E. Dortch (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a bet­ter pho­to of Coop­er,

portrait
William Cooper (1861–1938)

Lyrics

Oh! I love the Gos­pel song,
How it sweet­ly rolls along,
Let the earth the strains pro­long,
Sing aloud with glad­ness:
Blessèd news to sin­ners bring­ing,
While the an­gel choirs are sing­ing,
And the bells of Heav’n are ring­ing,
Sing aloud with glad­ness.

Down the cen­tu­ries it came,
Glory, glo­ry to His name,
Free sal­va­tion to pro­claim,
Sing aloud with glad­ness:
And this me­lo­dy so hoa­ry,
Is hu­ma­ni­ty’s rich glo­ry,
And eter­nity’s sweet st­ory,
Sing aloud with glad­ness.

Haste, all lands, for Christ make room,
Earth shall yield her sin and gloom,
All her des­ert plac­es bloom,
Sing aloud with glad­ness:
And this won­der­ful sal­va­tion
Shall be sung by ev­ery na­tion,
While He rules the vast cre­ation,
Sing aloud with glad­ness.