Heaven

861 The Ascent to Heaven

1 SEE! the Captain of salvation, Lead His armies up the sky;

Rise above the conflagration, Leave the world to burn and die.

2 Lo! I see the fair immortals, Enter to the blissful seats;

Glory opes her waiting portals. And the Saviour's train admits.

3 All the chosen of the Father, All for whom the Lamb was slain, All the church appear together.

Wash'd from every sinful stain.

4 His dear smiles the place enlightens More than thousand suns could do;

All around His presence brightens, Changeless, yet for ever new.

6 Blessed state! beyond conception! Who its vast delights can tell? May it be my blissful portion, With my Saviour there to dwell.

Richard Lee, 1794.

862 The Blissful Regions

1 FAR from these narrow scenes of night Unbounded glories rise; And realms of infinite delight, Unknown to mortal eyes.

3 Fair distant land! could mortal eyes But half its charms explore, How would our spirits long to rise, And dwell on earth no more.

3 No cloud those blissful regions know, For ever bright and fair; For sin, the source of mortal woe, Can never enter there.

4 Prepare us, Lord, by grace, divine, For Thy bright courts on high:

Then bid our spirits rise, and join The chorus of the sky.

Anne Steele, 1760.

863 Jerusalem the Golden

1 JERUSALEM the golden, With milk and honey blest, Beneath thy contemplation Sink heart and voice oppress'd:

I know not, oh I know not What joys await us there:

What radiancy of glory, What bliss beyond compare!

2 They stand, those halls of Sion, Conjubilant with song, And bright with many an angel, And all the martyr throng: The Prince is ever in them, The daylight is serene; The pastures of the blessed Are deck'd in glorious sheen.

3 There is the throne of David, And there, from care released, The song of them that triumph, The shout of them that feast; And they, who with their Leader Have conquer'd in the fight, For ever and for ever Are clad in robes of white!

John Mason Neale, 1851.

864 O Heavenly Jerusalem

1 O HEAVENLY Jerusalem, Of everlasting halls, Thrice blessed are the people Thou storest in thy walls.

2 Thou art the golden mansion, Where saints for ever sing; The seat of God's own chosen, The palace of the King.

3 There God forever sitteth, Himself of all the crown; The Lamb the light that shineth. And never goeth down.

4 Nought to this seat approacheth Their sweet peace to molest;

They sing their God for ever, Nor day nor night they rest.

5 Calm hope from thence is leaning, To her our longings bend! No short-lived toil shall daunt us For joys that cannot end.

6 To Christ the Sun that lightens His church above, below; To Father and to Spirit All things created bow.

Isaac Williams. 1739

865 Jerusalem on high

1 JERUSALEM on high My song and city is, My home whene'er I die, The centre of my bliss.

O happy place! When shall I be, My God, with Thee, And see Thy face?

2 There dwells my Lord, my King, Judged here unfit to live;

There angels to Him sing, And lowly homage give.

Oh happy place! &c.

3 The patriarchs of old, There from their travels cease; The prophets there behold, Their long'd-for Prince of Peace.

Oh happy place! &c.

4 The Lamb's apostles there I might with joy behold, The harpers I might hear Harping on harps of gold.

Oh happy place! &c.

5 The bleeding martyrs, they Within those courts are found, Clothed in pure array, Their scars with glory crown'd.

Oh happy place! &c.

6 Ah me! ah me that I In Kedar's tents here stay! No place like this on high!

Thither, Lord! guide my way.

Oh happy place! &c.

Samuel Crossman, 1664

866 The Heavenly Jerusalem

1 JERUSALEM! my happy home!

Name ever dear to me; When shall my labours have an end, In joy, and peace, and thee?

2 When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls And pearly gates behold?

Thy bulwarks, with salvation strong, And streets of shining gold?

3 Oh when, thou city of my God, Shall I thy courts ascend, Where congregations ne'er break up, And sabbaths have no end?

4 There happier bowers than Eden's bloom, Nor sin nor sorrow know:

Blest seats, through rude and stormy scenes, I onward press to you.

5 Why should I shrink at pain and woe? Or feel at death dismay?

I've Canaan's goodly land in view, And realms of endless day.

6 Apostles, martyrs, prophets there Around my Saviour stand; And soon my friends in Christ below Will join the glorious band.

7 Jerusalem, my happy home! My soul still pants for thee;

Then shall my labours have an end, When I thy joys shall see.

Eckington Collection, 1790

867

Jerusalem

1 JERUSALEM, my happy home, When shall I come to thee? When shall my sorrows have an end, Thy joys when shall I see?

2 O happy harbour of the saints!

O sweet and pleasant soil! In thee no sorrows may be found, No grief, no care, no toll.

3 Thy walls are made of precious stones, Thy bulwarks diamond square;

Thy gates are of right orient pearl, Exceeding rich and rare.

4 Thy turrets and thy pinnacles With carbuncles do shine;

Thy very streets are paved with gold, Surpassing clear and fine.

5 O my sweet home, Jerusalem, Would God I were in thee! Would God my woes were at an end, Thy joys that I might see!

Francis Baker, 1616

868 The Paradise Eternal

1 O PARADISE eternal!

What bliss to enter thee, And once within thy portals, Secure for ever be!

2 In thee no sin nor sorrow, No pain nor death is known; But pure glad life, enduring As heaven's benignant throne.

3 There all around shall love us, And we return their love;

One band of happy spirits, One family above.

4 There God shall be our portion, And we His jewels be; And gracing His bright mansions, His smile reflect and see.

5 So songs shall rise for ever, While all creation fair, Still more and more revealed, Shall wake fresh praises there.

6 O Paradise eternal, What joys in thee are known!

O God of mercy, guide us, Till all be felt our own!

Thomas Davis, 1864

869 Oh for the Robes of Brightness!

1 OH for the robes of whiteness!

Oh, for the tearless eyes!

Oh, for the glorious brightness Of the unclouded skies!

2 Oh, for the no more weeping, within that land of love, The endless joy of keeping The bridal feast above!

3 Oh, for the bliss of flying, My risen Lord to meet!

Oh, for the rest of lying For ever at His feet!

4 Oh, for the hour of seeing My Saviour face to face! The hope of ever being In that sweet meeting-place!

5 Jesus! Thou King of Glory, I soon shall dwell with Thee;

I soon shall sing the story Of Thy great love to me.

6 Meanwhile, my thoughts shall enter E'en now before Thy throne, That all my love may centre In Thee, and Thee alone.

Charitie Lees Smith, 1861

870 Spiritual and eternal Joys

1 FROM Thee, my God, my joys shall rise And run eternal rounds, Beyond the limits of the skies, And all created bounds.

2 The holy triumphs of my soul Shall death itself outbrave;

Leave dull mortality behind, And fly beyond the grave.

3 There, where my blessed Jesus reigns, In heaven's unmeasured space, I'll spend a long eternity In pleasure and in praise.

4 Millions of years my wondering eyes, Shall o'er Thy beauties rove; And endless ages I'll adore. The glories of Thy love.

5 Sweet Jesus, every smile of Thine Shall fresh endearments bring; And thousand tastes of new delight From all Thy graces spring.

6 Haste, my Beloved, fetch my soul Up to Thy bless'd abode:

Fly, for my spirit longs to see My Saviour and my God.

Isaac Watts, 1708.

871 The Contrast

1 THE people of the Lord Are on their way to heaven;

They there obtain their great reward, The prize will there be given.

2 'Tis conflict here below;

'Tis triumph there, and peace: On earth we wrestle with the foe, In heaven our conflicts cease.

3 'Tis gloom and darkness here;

'Tis light and joy above:

There all is pure and all is clear;

There all is peace and love.

4 There rest shall follow toll, And ease succeed to care; The victors there divide the spoil;

They sing and triumph there.

5 Then let us joyful sing; The conflict is not long:

We hope in heaven to praise our King In one eternal song.

Thomas Kelly, 1820.

872 The everlasting Song

1 EARTH has engross'd my love too long, 'Tis time I lift mine eyes Upward, dear Father, to Thy throne, And to my native skies.

2 There the blest man, my Saviour, sits: The God! how bright He shines! And scatters infinite delights On all the happy minds.

3 Seraphs with elevated strains Circle the throne around; And move and charm the starry plains With an immortal sound.

4 Jesus, the Lord, their harps employs:—

Jesus, my Love, they sing!

Jesus, the life of both our joys.

Sounds sweet from every string.

5 Hark, how beyond the narrow bound Of time and space they run; And echo in majestic sounds The Godhead of the Son.

6 And now they sink the lofty tune, And gentler notes they play; And bring the Father's Equal down, To dwell in humble clay.

7 But when to Calvary they turn, Silent their harps abide;

Suspended songs a moment mourn The God that loved and died.

8 Then, all at once, to living strains, They summon every chord, Tell how He triumph'd o'er His pains, And chant the rising Lord.

9 Now let me mount and join their song, And be an angel too; My heart, my ear, my hand, my tongue—

Here's joyful work for you.

10 I would begin the music here, And so my soul should rise:

Oh for some heavenly notes to bear My passions to the skies!

11 There ye that love my Saviour sit, There I would fain have place, Among your thrones or at your feet, So I might see His face.

Isaac Watts, 1706.

873 The white-robed Band

1 O HAPPY saints, who dwell in light, And walk with Jesus, clothed in white Safe landed on that peaceful shore, Where pilgrims meet to part no more.

2 Released from sin, and toll and grief, Death was their gate to endless life; An open'd cage to let them fly, And build their happy nest on high.

3 And now they range the heavenly plains, And sing their hymns in melting strains; And now their souls begin to prove The heights and depths of Jesus' love.

4 He cheers them with eternal smile, They sing hosannas all the while;

Or, overwhelm'd with rapture sweet, Sink down adoring at His feet.

5 Ah! Lord, with tardy steps I creep, And sometimes sing, and sometimes weep;

Yet strip me of this house of clay, And I will sing as loud as they.

John Berridge, 1785.

874 On Jordan's Brink

1 ON Jordan's stormy banks I stand, And cast a wishful eye To Canaan's fair and happy land, Where my possessions lie.

2 Oh, the transporting, rapturous scene That rises to my sight!

Sweet fields array'd in living green, And rivers of delight!

3 There generous fruits that never fail, On trees immortal grow;

There rocks and hills, and brooks and vales, With milk and honey flow.

4 All o'er those wide extended plains, Shines one eternal day;

There God the Sun for ever reigns, And scatters night away.

5 No chilling winds, or poisonous breath, Can reach that healthful shore:

Sickness and sorrow, pain and death, Are felt and fear'd no more.

6 When shall I reach that happy place, And be for ever blest? When shall I see my Father's face, And in His bosom rest?

7 Fill'd with delight, my raptured soul Can here no longer stay:

Though Jordan's waves around me roll, Fearless I'd launch away.

Samuel Stennett, 1787

875

Sweet Fields

1 THERE is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign;

Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain.

2 There everlasting spring abides, And never-withering flowers:

Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours.

3 Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood Stand dress'd in living green; So to the Jews old Canaan stood, While Jordan roll'd between.

4 But timorous mortals start and shrink To cross this narrow sea, And linger, shivering on the brink, And fear to launch away.

5 Oh! could we make our doubts remove, Those gloomy doubts that rise, And see the Canaan that we love With unbeclouded eyes!

6 Could we but climb where Moses stood, And view the landscape o'er, Not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood, Should fright us from the shore!

Isaac Watts, 1709.

876 The Goodly Land

1 OUR journey is a thorny maze, But we march upward still;

Forget the troubles of the way, And reach at Zion's hill.

2 See the kind angels at the gates, Inviting us to come!

There Jesus the Forerunner waits, To welcome travellers home!

3 There, on a green and flowery mount, Our weary souls shall sit, And with transporting joys recount The labours of our feet.

4 No vain discourse shall fill our tongue, Nor trifles vex our ear:

Infinite grace shall fill our song, And God rejoice to hear.

6 Eternal glories to the King That brought us safely through, Our tongues shall never cease to sing, And endless praise renew.

Isaac Watts, 1709.

877 The Redeemed in Heaven

1 WHO are these array'd in white, Brighter than the noonday sun, Foremost of the sons of light, Nearest the eternal throne?

3 These are they who bore the cross, Faithful to their Master died, suffer'd in His righteous cause, Followers of the Crucified.

3 Out of great distress they came, And their robes by faith below, In the blood of Christ the Lamb, They have wash'd as white as snow.

4 More than conquerors at last, Here they find their trials o'er:

They have all their sufferings pass'd, Hunger now and thirst no more.

5 He that on the throne doth reign Them for evermore shall feed, With the tree of life sustain, To the living fountain lead.

6 He shall all their griefs remove, He shall all their wants supply;

God Himself, the God of lore, Tears shall wipe from every eye.

Charles Wesley, 1745.

878 Jesus adored in Heaven

1 PALMS of glory, raiment bright, Crowns that never fade away, Gird and deck the saints in light, Priests, and kings, and conquerors they.

2 Yet the conquerors bring their palms To the Lamb amidst the throne, And proclaim in joyful psalms Victory through His cross alone.

3 Rings for harps their crowns resign, Crying, as they strike the chords, "Take the kingdom, it is Thine, King of kings, and Lord of lords!"

4 Round the altar priests confess, If their robes are white as snow, 'Twas the Saviour's righteousness, And His blood that made them so.

6 Who were these? on earth they dwelt;

Sinners once of Adam's race;

Guilt, and fear, and Buffering felt; But were saved by sovereign grace.

6 They were mortal, too, like us:

Ah! when we, like them, must die, May our souls, translated thus, Triumph, reign, and shine on high!

James Montgomery, 1829

879 The Realms of the Blest.

1 WE speak of the realms of the blest, That country so bright and so fair, And oft are its glories confess'd; But what must it be to be there!

2 We speak of its pathways of gold, Its walls deck'd with jewels so rare, Its wonders and pleasures untold, But what must it be to be there!

3 We speak of its freedom from sin, From sorrow, temptation, and care, From trials without and within; But what must it be to be there!

4 We speak of its service of love, The robes which the glorified wear, The church of the first-born above; But what must it be to be there!

5 Do thou, Lord, midst gladness or woe, For heaven our spirits prepare, And shortly we also shall know, And feel what it is to be there!

Elizabeth Mills, 1829, a

880 Heaven anticipated.

1 TOO long, alas, I vainly sought For happiness below, But earthly comforts, dearly bought, No solid good bestow.

2 At length, through Jesu's grace, I found The good and promised land Where milk and honey much abound, And grapes in clusters stand.

3 My soul has tasted of the grapes, And now it longs to go Where my dear Lord His vineyard keeps, And all the clusters grow.

4 Upon the true and living vine My famish'd soul would feast, And banquet on the fruit divine, An everlasting guest.

John Berridge, 1785; From John Cennick, 1744