Joy and Triumph Everlasting

Joy and tri­umph ev­er­last­ing

Hath the heav’n­ly Church on high;

For that pure im­mor­tal glad­ness

All our feast days mourn and sigh:

Yet in death’s dark de­sert wild

Doth the mo­ther aid her child;

Guards ce­les­ti­al thence at­tend us

Stand in com­bat to de­fend us.

Here the world’s per­pe­tu­al war­fare

Holds from Heav’n the soul apart;

Legioned foes in sha­do­wy ter­ror

Vex the Sab­bath of the heart.

O how hap­py that es­tate

Where de­light doth not ab­ate!

For that home the spir­it yearn­eth

Where none lang­uish­eth nor mourn­eth.

There the bo­dy hath no tor­ment

There the mind is free from care

There is ev­ery voice re­joic­ing

Every heart is lov­ing there.

Angels in that ci­ty dwell;

Them their king de­light­eth well:

Still they joy and wea­ry nev­er

More and more de­sir­ing ever.

There the seers and fa­thers ho­ly

There the pro­phets glo­ri­fied

All their doubts and dark­ness end­ed

In the Light of Light abide.

There the saints

whose me­mo­ries old

We in faith­ful hymns up­hold

Have for­got their bit­ter sto­ry

In the joy of Je­sus’ glo­ry.