HOW happy every child of grace, Who knows his sins forgiven! This earth, he...

HOW happy every child of grace, Who knows his sins forgiven! This earth, he cries, is not my place, I seek my place in heaven! A country far from mortal sight; Yet O! by faith I see The land of rest, the saints' delight, The heaven prepared for me.

A stranger in the world below, I calmly sojourn here; Nor can its happiness or woe Provoke my hope or fear: Its evils in a moment end, Its joys as soon are past; But O! the bliss to which I tend Eternally shall last.

To that Jerusalem above With singing I repair; While in the flesh, my hope and love, My heart and soul; are there: There my exalted Saviour stands, My merciful High-priest, And still extends his wounded hands To take me to his breast.

What is there here to court my stay, Or hold me back from home, While angels beckon me away, And Jesus bids me come? Shall I regret my parted friends, Still in the vale confined? Nay, but whene'er my soul ascends, They will not stay behind.

The race we all are running now; And if I first attain, They too their willing head shall bow, They too the prize shall gain. Now on the brink of death we stand; And if I pass before, They all shall soon escape to land, And hail me on the shore.

Then let me suddenly remove, That hidden life to share; I shall not lose my friends above, But more enjoy them there. There we in Jesu's praise shall join, His boundless love proclaim, And solemnize in songs divine The marriage of the Lamb.

O what a blessed hope is ours! While here on earth we stay, We more than taste the heavenly powers, And antedate that day: We feel the resurrection near, Our life in Christ concealed, And with his glorious presence here Our earthen vessels filled.

O would he more of heaven bestow, And let the vessel break, And let our ransomed spirits go To grasp the God we seek; In rapturous awe on him to gaze Who bought the sight for me; And shout, and wonder at his grace, Through all eternity!