In the Presence of the King

O, to be over yonder

Author: Florence C. Armstrong
Published in 38 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 Oh, to be over yonder!
In that land of wonder,
Where the angel voices mingle,
And the angel harpers ring;
To be free from pain and sorrow,
And the anxious, dread tomorrow,
To rest in light and sunshine
In the presence of the King.
Oh, to be over yonder,
In that land of wonder,
There to be forever
In the presence of the King.

2 Oh, to be over yonder!
My yearning heart grows fonder
Of looking to the east, to see
The blessed daystar bring
Some tidings of the waking,
The cloudless, pure day breaking;
My heart is yearning--yearning
For the coming of the King.
Oh, to be over yonder,
In that land of wonder,
There to be forever
In the presence of the King.

3 Oh, to be over yonder!
Alas! I sigh and wonder
Why clings my poor, weak, sinful heart
To any earthly thing;
Each tie of earth must sever,
And pass away forever;
But there's no more separation
In the presence of the King.
Oh, to be over yonder,
In that land of wonder,
There to be forever
In the presence of the King.

4 Oh, when shall I be dwelling
Where angel voices, swelling
In triumphant hallelujahs,
Make the vaulted heavens ring?
Where the pearly gates are gleaming,
And the morning-star is beaming?
Oh, when shall I be yonder,
In the presence of the King?
Oh, to be over yonder,
In that land of wonder,
There to be forever
In the presence of the King.

5 Oh, I shall soon be yonder,
Tho' lonely here I wander,
Yearning for the welcome summer--
Longing for the bird's fleet wing;
The midnight may be dreary,
And the heart be worn and weary,
But there's no more shadow yonder
In the presence of the King.
Oh, to be over yonder,
In that land of wonder,
There to be forever
In the presence of the King.

Source: Living Hymns: for use in the Sabbath School, Christian Endeavor Meetings, the church & home #94

Author: Florence C. Armstrong

Armstrong, Florence Catherine, daughter of William Armstrong, M.D., of Collooney, Co. Sligo, Ireland, born March 18, 1843. Her well-known hymn:— 0 to be over yonder [Longing for Heaven] was written in 1862, and published without her consent in the British Herald, Feb. 1865, p. 24, and dated "Jan., 1865." It soon attained an extended circulation, and was given in several collections. In 1875 Miss Armstrong acknowledged the authorship in her work, The King in His Beauty and Other Poems. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)  Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O, to be over yonder
Title: In the Presence of the King
Author: Florence C. Armstrong
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

0 to be over yonder [Longing for Heaven] was written in 1862, and published without her consent in the British Herald, Feb. 1865, p. 24, and dated "Jany., 1865." It soon attained an extended circulation, and was given in several collections. In 1875 Miss Armstrong acknowledged the authorship in her work, The King in His Beauty and Other Poems.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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The Cyber Hymnal #4993

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