In the Sweet By and By

"In the Sweet By and By" is a popular hymn of composer Joseph Philbrick Webster, with text by S. Fillmore Bennett. Webster and Bennett were neighbors and friends in Wisconsin and wrote many hymns together. Charles Ives incorporates this popular melody into his 1915 work Orchestral Suite No. 2.

Text

In the Sweet By and By
by Sanford Fillmore Bennett

Verse:
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.

Refrain:
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

Verse:
We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

Verse:
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.