Scripture Verse

The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. Isaiah 25:8

Introduction

portrait
Austin C. Lovelace
1919–2010

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spi­ri­tu­al Songs 1707, Book 2, num­ber 65. The hope of hea­ven our sup­port un­der tri­als on earth.

Music: Pis­gah Scot­tish tune, ar­ranged by Jo­seph C. Low­ry in The Ken­tuc­ky Har­mo­ny, by Ana­ni­as Da­vis­son, se­cond edi­tion, 1817. Har­mo­ny by Aus­tin C. Love­lace in The Book of Hymns (Nash­ville, Ten­nes­see: The Unit­ed Me­tho­dist Pub­lish­ing House, 1966), num­ber 302 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a bet­ter pic­ture of Love­lace,

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Cowper in his po­em ti­tled Truth com­pares the lot of the in­fi­del Vol­taire with that of a poor and be­liev­ing cot­tag­er who

Just knows, and knows no more, her Bi­ble true—
A truth the bril­liant Frenc­hman ne­ver knew:
And in that char­ter reads, with spark­ling eyes,
Her ti­tle to a trea­sure in the skies.

Nutter, p. 231

Lyrics

When I can read my ti­tle clear
To man­sions in the skies,
I bid fare­well to ev­ery fear,
And wipe my weep­ing eyes.
And wipe my weep­ing eyes,
And wipe my weep­ing eyes
I bid fare­well to ev­ery fear,
And wipe my weep­ing eyes.

Should earth against my soul en­gage,
And hell­ish darts be hurled,
Then I can smile at Sa­tan’s rage,
And face a frown­ing world.
And face a frown­ing world,
And face a frown­ing world,
Then I can smile at Sa­tan’s rage,
And face a frown­ing world.

Let cares, like a wild del­uge come,
And storms of sor­row fall!
May I but safe­ly reach my home,
My God, my heav’n, my all.
My God, my heav’n, my all,
My God, my heav’n, my all,
May I but safe­ly reach my home,
My God, my heav’n, my all.

There shall I bathe my wea­ry soul
In seas of heav’n­ly rest,
And not a wave of trou­ble roll,
Across my peace­ful breast.
Across my peace­ful breast,
Across my peace­ful breast,
And not a wave of trou­ble roll
Across my peace­ful breast.