There Is Rapture Tonight

There is rap­ture to­night in yon ci­ty so fair

Where the riv­er of life flow­eth free;

And a touch of the joy that is ring­ing up there

Falleth soft­ly on you and on me.

There is joy in the pre­sence of an­gels to­night

There is rap­ture to mor­tals un­told;

For the Fa­ther and Shep­herd in Heav­en re­joice

Over one who re­turns to the fold.

We can fan­cy we hear the sweet an­them of joy

That the an­gels are sing­ing to­night;

For we know that the low­lands of earth have a place

In the thoughts of the dwell­ers in light.

They must watch us with pi­ty­ing love in their eyes

As in sin and in sor­row we stray;

For we know there is rap­tur­ous joy in the skies

When a lost one re­turns to the Way.

For the Mas­ter hath lift­ed the veil from our eyes

And our faith-strength­ened vi­sion dis­cerns

How the heav­en­ly ci­ty is thrill­ing with joy

Over one who re­pents and re­turns.