Brief life is here our portion

1 Brief life is here our portion;
Brief sorrow, short-lived care;
The Life that knows no ending,
The tearless life, is there.
O happy retribution!
Short toil, eternal rest;
For mortals and for sinners
A mansion with the blest!

2 2 And now we fight the battle,
But then shall wear the crown
Of full and everlasting
And passionless renown;
And now we watch and struggle,
And now we live in hope,
And Zion in her anguish
With Babylon must cope;

3 But He, whom now we trust in,
Shall then be seen and known;
And they that know and see Him
Shall have Him for their own.
And there is David's fountain,
And life in fullest glow;
And there the light is golden,
And milk and honey flow.

4 The morning shall awaken,
The shadows shall decay,
And each true-hearted servant
Shall shine as doth the day;
Yes! God, my King and Portion,
In fullness of his grace,
We then shall see for ever,
And worship face to face.