I Would Not Live Alway

I would not live al­way;

I ask not to stay

Where storm af­ter storm

Rises dark o’er the way;

The few lur­id morn­ings

That dawn on us here

Are enough for life’s woes

Full enough for its cheer.

I would not live al­way

Thus fet­tered by sin;

Temptation with­out

And cor­rupt­ion with­in;

E’en the rap­ture of par­don

Is min­gled with fears

And the cup of thanks­giv­ing

With pe­ni­tent tears.

I would not live al­way;

No

wel­come the tomb:

Since Je­sus hath lain there

I dread not its gloom;

There sweet be my rest

Till He bid me arise

To hail Him in tri­umph

Descending the skies.

Who

who would live al­way

Away from his God

Away from yon Heav­en

That bliss­ful ab­ode

Where the rivers of plea­sure

Flow o’er the bright plains

And the noon­tide of glo­ry

Eternally reigns;

Where the saints of all ag­es

In har­mo­ny meet

Their Sav­ior and breth­ren

Transported

to greet;

While the an­thems of rap­ture

Unceasingly roll

And the smile of the Lord

Is the feast of the soul?