OH! bright and blessed scenes,
Where sin shall never come;
Whose sight my longing spirit weans
From earth, where yet I roam.
And can I call my home
My Father’s house on high?
The rest of God, my rest to come,
My place of liberty?
Yes! In that light unstained
My stainless soul shall live;
My heart’s deep longings more than gained,
When God His rest shall give.
His presence there, my soul
Its rest, its joy untold,
Shall find, when endless ages roll
And time shall ne’er grow old.
My God the centre is;
His presence fills that land;
And countless myriads, own’d as His,
Round Him adoring stand.
My God whom I have known,
Well known in Jesus’ love,
Rests in the blessing of His own
Before Himself above.
Glory supreme is there,
Glory that shines through all;
More precious still that love to share
As those that love did call.
Like Jesus in that place
Of light and love supreme;
Once Man of sorrows, full of grace;
Heaven’s blest and endless theme.
Like Him! O grace supreme!
Like Him before Thy face!
Like Him – to know that glory beam
Unhindered, face to face!
O love, supreme and bright,
Good to the feeblest heart,
That gives me now, as heavenly light,
What soon shall be my part!
Be not to me, my God,
As one that turned aside
To tarry for a night, and trod
His onward path. Abide
With me as light divine,
That brings into my breast
Those gladdening scenes e’en now as mine,
Soon my eternal rest.
John Nelson Darby (1800-81)
Written 1867
Parts of the above are in Hymns for the Little Flock 1962 and 1973 – Nos 64 and 72
Meter S.M. usually sung as S.M.D.
