Now Fain My Joyous Heart Would Sing

Now fain my joy­ous heart would sing

That love­ly sum­mer time

When God re­new­eth ev­ery­thing

In His ce­les­ti­al prime;

When He shall make new heav’ns and earth

And all the crea­tures there

Shall spring from out that se­cond birth

All glo­ri­ous

pure

and fair.

The per­fect beau­ty of that sphere

No mor­tal tongue may speak

We have no like­ness for it here

Our words are far too weak;

And we must wait till we be­hold

The hour of judg­ment true

That to the soul shall all un­fold

What God is

and can do.

For God ere long will sum­mon all

Who e’er on earth were born;

This flesh shall hear the trum­pet’s call

And live again that morn;

And when in Christ His Son we wake

These skies asun­der roll

And all the bliss of Heav’n shall break

Upon the rap­tured soul.

And He will lead the white robed throng

To His fair para­dise

Where from the mar­riage feast the song

Of end­less praise shall rise;

And from His fa­thom­less ab­yss

Of per­fect love and truth

Shall flow per­pe­tu­al joy and bliss

In nev­er end­ing youth.

Ah God

now lead me of Thy love

Through this dark world aright;

Lord Christ

de­fend me lest I rove

Or lies de­lude my fight;

And keep me stead­fast in the faith

Till these dark days have ceased

And rea­dy still in life or death

For Thy great mar­riage feast.

And here­with will I end the song

Of that fair sum­mer time;

The blos­soms shall burst out ere long

Of Heav’n’s eter­nal prime;

The year be­gin

for ev­er new

God grant us then on high

To see our vi­sion here made true

And eat the fruits of joy!