4 Jesus, my elder brother, lives; With him I, too, shall reign; Nor sin, nor death, while he survives, Shall make the promise vain; In him my title stands secure, And shall while endless years endure. 5 When he, in robes divinely bright, Shall once again appear, Thou, too, my soul, shalt shine in light, And his full image bear: Enough!—I wait th’ appointed day— Blessed Saviour, haste, and come away! THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. 426 L. M. Our life is a vapor. James 4:14. How vain is all beneath the skies! How transient every earthly bliss! How slender all the fondest ties That bind us to a world like this! 2 The evening cloud, the morning dew, The withering grass, the fading flower, Of earthly hopes are emblems true, The glory of a passing hour. 3 But though earth’s fairest blossoms die, And all beneath the skies is vain, There is a brighter world on high, Beyond the reach of care and pain. 4 Then let the hope of joys to come Dispel our cares and chase our fears; If God be ours, we’re traveling home, Though passing through a vale of tears. 427 L. M. Fight the good fight of faith. 1 Tim. 6:12. Stand up, my soul, shake off thy fears, And gird the gospel armor on; March to the gates of endless joy, Where Jesus, the great Captain’s gone. 2 Hell and thy sins resist thy course; But hell and sin are vanquished foes; Thy Saviour nailed them to the cross, And sung the triumph when he rose. 3 Then let my soul march boldly on, Press forward to the heavenly gate; There peace and joy eternal reign, And glittering robes for conquerors wait. 4 There shall I wear a starry crown, And triumph in almighty grace, While all the armies of the skies Join in my glorious Leader’s praise. 428 C. M. The land of promise. There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign, Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain. 2 There everlasting spring abides, And never withering flowers; Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours. 3 Sweet fields, beyond the swelling flood, Stand dressed in living green; So to the Jews old Canaan stood, While Jordan rolled between. 4 But timorous mortals start and shrink To cross this narrow sea, And linger, shivering on the brink, And fear to launch away. 5 O! could we make our doubts remove, Those gloomy doubts that rise, And see the Canaan that we love, With unbeclouded eyes;