Scripture Verse

God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

Introduction

Words: John Lyth, 1870.

Music: Hay­hurst John Hay­hurst (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Lyth or Hay­hurst (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyth wrote to W. F. Ste­phen­son, ed­it­or of Hymns for Cha­pel and Home, 1873, say­ing the song was based on an ear­lier work,

…written at Stroud, in Glou­ces­tershire (30th April, 1845) for the an­ni­ver­sa­ry of the neigh­bour­ing in­fant school at Ran­dwick, and to an air then ve­ry po­pu­lar, called All is Well. That it was writ­ten for in­fant child­ren will ex­plain the simp­li­city of some of the ex­pres­sions. It was speed­i­ly caught up, and I be­lieve first ap­peared in the Home and School Hymn Book.

Lyrics

There is a better world, they say
O so bright! O so bright!
Where sin and woe are done away,
O so bright! O so bright!
And music fills the balmy air,
And angels with bright wings are there,
And harps of gold and mansions fair,
O so bright! O so bright!

No clouds e’er pass along that sky,
Happy land! Happy land!
No tear drops glisten in the eye,
Happy land! Happy land!
They drink the gushing streams of grace,
And gaze upon the Sav­ior’s face
Whose brightness fills the holy place;
Happy land! Happy land!

And wicked things and beasts of prey,
Come not there! Come not there!
And ruthless death and fierce decay,
Come not there! Come not there!
There all are holy, all are good,
But hearts unwashed in Je­sus’ blood,
And guilty sinners unrenewed,
Come not there! Come not there!

And though we’re sinners every one,
Jesus died! Je­sus died!
And though our crown of peace is gone,
Jesus died! Je­sus died!
We may be cleansed from every stain,
We may be crowned with bliss again,
And in that land of glo­ry reign;
Jesus died! Je­sus died!