Today’s hymn is a well loved one from Isaac Watts. I hope this hymns caused you to think of heaven today; enjoy!

There is a land of pure delight,
where saints immortal reign;
infinite day excludes the night,
and pleasures banish pain.

There everlasting spring abides,
and never-withering flowers;
death, like a narrow sea, divides
that heavenly land from ours.

Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
stand dressed in living green;
so to the Jews old Canaan stood,
while Jordan rolled between.

But timorous mortals start and shrink
to cross the narrow sea,
and linger shivering on the brink,
and fear to launch away.

O could we make our doubts remove,
those gloomy doubts that rise,
and see the Canaan that we love
with unbeclouded eyes;

Could we but climb where Moses stood,
and view the landscape o’er,
not Jordan’s stream, nor death’s cold flood,
should fright us from the shore!

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Today’s hymn comes from loved hymn writer John Newton. May these words be your hope today too; enjoy!

My soul, this curious house of clay,
Thy present frail abode,
Must quickly fall to worms a prey,
And thou return to God.

Canst thou, by faith, survey with joy,
The change before it come,
And say, “Let Death this house destroy,
I have a heavenly home?

“The Saviour, whom I then shall see,
With new admiring eyes,
Already has prepared for me
A mansion in the skies.

“I feel this mud-walled cottage shake,
And long to see it fall;
That I my willing flight may take
To him who is my All.

“Burdened and groaning then no more,
My rescued soul shall sing,
As up the shining path I soar,
‘Death, thou hast lost thy sting.’”

Dear Saviour, help us now to seek,
And grant thy Spirit’s power;
That we may all this language speak,
Before the dying hour

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Today’s hymn is written by Fredrick Arvid Blom (1867-1927) near Enköpking, Sweden, where he received his certificate as a “chief mate” sailor.  After emigrating to America in the 1890’s, Blom joined the Salvation Army in Chicago, Illinois.  Afterward, he attended North Park College and Seminary, and served as a minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church. However, he fell away from the Gospe and turned from Godl, ending up in jail for drunkenness.  He later said he became embittered with himself and the world.  After leaving jail, Blom underwent a spiritual revival, and wrote the hymn “He the Pearly Gates Will Open” in 1917 to describe his rebirth. The hymn was translated from Swedish to English by Nathaniel Carlson in 1935¹. Enjoy this rendition by Red Mountain

Love divine, so great and wondrous, 
Deep and mighty, pure, sublime, 
Coming from the heart of Jesus, 
Just the same through tests of time!

Refrain
He the pearly gates will open, 
So that I may enter in; 
For He purchased my redemption 
And forgave me all my sin.

Like a dove when hunted, frightened, 
As a wounded fawn was I; 
Brokenhearted, yet He healed me. 
He will heed the sinner’s cry. [Refrain] 

Love divine, so great and wondrous! 
All my sins He then forgave; 
I will sing His praise forever, 
For His blood, His power to save. [Refrain] 

In life’s eventide, at twilight,  
At His door I’ll knock and wait; 
By the precious love of Jesus, 
I shall enter heaven’s gate. [Refrain]

¹hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2023/08/19/he-the-pearly-gates-will-open/

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