1 Well, let this earthly house decay,
This tabernacle cease,
This our abode must pass away,
And utterly decrease.

2 But Christ our Lord another shews,
An heav'nly building stands,
Our souls have got some certain views
Of the new Canaan's lands.

3 Yonder on heav'ns eternal hill,
We know that we may say
We have an house, where we shall dwell,
That never will decay.

4 Could we but climb and view the land,
And keep the same in sight,
Lord, we should long for thy command
To quit this vale of night.

5 Jordan's cold streams, and death's dark shade,
Would all be out of mind,
While in this heav'nly frame we staid
No terror should we find.

6 Then we should long to bid farewell
To all this earthly ore,
And go with Christ the Lord to dwell
In pleasures evermore.

7 'Twould make us strive our race to run,
The prize for to obtain,
And wish to have our moments done,
For to possess our gain.

8 Then we should thirst, and pant, and long
To quit this mortal clay,
And go and join the happy throng,
In the bright realms of day.

9 'Twould make us strive to run our race,
and all our work fulfil,
That we might quit this mournful place,
And land at Zion's hill.