What Then?

lyricist: Jerome McCauley, 1862
Composer: Edward Avis

After the joys of earth

After its songs of mirth

After its hours of light

After its dreams so bright:

What then?

Only an emp­ty name

Only a wea­ry frame

Only a con­scious smart

Only an ach­ing heart.

After an emp­ty name

After a wea­ry frame

After this con­scious smart

After an ach­ing heart:

What then?

Only a sad fare­well

To a world loved too well

Only a si­lent bed

With the for­got­ten dead.

After this sad fare­well

To a world loved too well

After this si­lent bed

With the for­got­ten dead:

What then?

Oh! then the judg­ment throne

Oh! then the last hope gone

Then all the woes that dwell

In an eter­nal hell!

But those whom sin has op­pressed

May have their fears put to rest;

All who in Christ be­lieve

Eternal life re­ceive;

What then?

When they ac­cept the Son

They para­dise have won:

No flame

no dark abyss

But ev­er­last­ing bliss.

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