Scripture Verse

Ye shall be gathered one by one. Isaiah 27:12

Introduction

Words: E. C. Howe, in Songs of Free Grace, by Da­ni­el B. Tow­ner (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio; Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois; and St. Lou­is, Mis­sou­ri: Cran­ston & Stowe, 1883), num­ber 35, alt.

Music: Phrae Da­ni­el B. Tow­ner, 1883 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Howe’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Daniel Towner (1850–1919)

Lyrics

We shall meet our friends de­part­ed,
Though we left them long ago
To their lone and dream­less slum­bers,
In the si­lent dust be­low;
We shall meet them, O how glo­ri­ous!
When this wea­ry life is o’er,
In those bright, ce­les­ti­al regions,
Blest and hap­py ev­er­more.

Refrain

We shall meet, yes, we shall meet them,
When our jour­ney­ings are o’er,
We shall meet them, Hal­le­lu­jah!
On that bright and shin­ing shore.

We shall meet our friends de­part­ed,
Who the pro­mised land have won,
Shining as the stars of Hea­ven,
Round the ev­er­last­ing throne;
Onward, ev­ery soul, to duty
Scatter wide the shades of gloom,
All of life is in the fu­ture,
Life is bliss be­yond the tomb.

Refrain

We shall meet our friends de­part­ed,
Clothed in robes of heav’n­ly white,
And with saint­ed voic­es greet them
In a land of life and light;
Lift no voice of grief or sor­row,
That they mol­der in the dust;
We shall meet them on the mor­row
At the ris­ing of the just.

Refrain