Classic Poem

Song III

1

This World's the Vale of Tears;
We must not look to be,
Whilst we are cloth'd with sinful flesh,
From griefs and sorrows free.
Here Grief and Joy take turns,
Hereafter Grief shall cease;
And in the room thereof shall come
Eternal Joy and peace.

2

If for a little moment
God seem to frown upon thee,
With Everlasting kindnesses,
He will have mercy on thee
Our time of suff'ring here
Is but a little while,
And then his frown, that makes thee sad,
Will turn into a smile.

3

Thy Tears are like good Seed
Sown in a Fruitful Field:
They are not lost, but shall in time
A joyful Harvest yield.
Who sow in tears shall reap
In joy: who go and mourn
Bearing choice seed, shall sure with joy
Bringing their sheaves return.

4

In midst of Sorrows great
Let this thy grief allay,
That God will turn thy tears to joy
And mirth another day.
The more thy Sorrows here
And Sufferings have bin:
The greater joy and Happiness
Hereafter thou shalt win.

5

'Tis better now to mourn
And to rejoyce hereafter:
Then for to wail eternally
For sinful mirth and laughter.
Short sinful Pleasures have
Long-lasting endless pains:
Short and light suff'rings have long joyes
And everlasting gains.

6

Eternal Happiness
Will make amends for all
While Faith beholds what joy's to come,
It counts all suff'ring small.
If drops of Heav'nly Pleasure
Be sweet unto thy taste:
How sweet will steams and rivers be,
Where drink thy fill thou mayst?

7

Thy future joy so great
And Ocean-like shall be:
That thou must enter into it,
It cannot enter thee.
Oh what a joy is that
That Thought cannot conceive!
That mortal Tongue cannot express,
Nor Heart of man believe!

8

The greatest present Griefs,
That thee so much annoy,
Will soon be swallowed in that Sea
Of Everlasting joy.
'Twill then a Pleasure be,
To think of what is past:
And greatly adde unto thy joy
To mind how sad thou wast.