No. 189 River of Jordan or Happy in the Lord, Osh 493
Hexatonic, Mode 3 A (I II III — V VI VII)
Jesus, my all, to heav’n is gone,
Happy, O happy,
He who I fixed my hopes upon,
Happy in the Lord;
His tracks I see and I’ll pursue,
Happy, O happy,
The narrow way till him I view,
Happy in the Lord.
We’ll cross the river of Jordan,
Happy, O happy,
We’ll cross the river of Jordan,
Happy, in the Lord.
The way the holy prophets went,
The road that leads from banishment;
I’ll go, for all his paths are peace,
The King’s highway of holiness.
Then I will tell to sinners round,
What a dear Savior I have found.
I’ll point to thy redeeming blood
And say, “Behold the way to God.”
The core of the text is attributed to John Cennick, the English hymn writer. Also found in the Social Harp of 1855.