▁faith . ▁ ▁He ▁threatened ▁organ ists ▁and ▁cho ir ▁direct ors ▁who ▁performed ▁the ▁piece ▁with ▁loss ▁of ▁their ▁positions . ▁ ▁Several ▁Boston ▁protest ant ▁minister s ▁joined ▁in ▁critic izing ▁the ▁song ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁▁ ▁Def enders ▁of ▁the ▁h ymn ▁stated ▁that ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁parad ise ▁were ▁necessarily ▁alleg or ical , ▁and ▁wor ried ▁the ▁ban ▁would ▁spread ▁to ▁other ▁favorite ▁h ym ns . ▁ ▁A ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁Luther an ▁publication ▁used ▁O ' Con nell ' s ▁exact ▁words ▁when ▁it ▁described ▁the ▁song ▁as ▁a ▁" sob - produ cer " ▁that ▁was ▁a ▁" fl agrant ▁out rage ▁to ▁faith ▁and ▁the ▁rit ual ." ▁ ▁Later , ▁Donald ▁H . ▁V . ▁Hal lock ▁b anned ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁this ▁and ▁other ▁" pop ular " ▁songs ▁from ▁use ▁at ▁Epis cop al ian ▁services ▁as ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁conform ▁to ▁rub ric . ▁ ▁Christian ▁the olog ians ▁have ▁taken ▁issue ▁with ▁the ▁song ▁because ▁it ▁describes ▁Heaven ▁in ▁ne bul ous ▁terms . ▁ ▁Crit ic isms ▁aside , ▁others ▁have ▁noted ▁that ▁this ▁sentiment al ▁song ▁is ▁a ▁" jo y ▁to ▁sing ." ▁ ▁Record ings ▁ ▁Andrew s ▁Sister s , ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁from ▁album ▁The ▁Andrew s ▁Sister s : ▁F avor ite ▁H ym ns ▁ ▁Anthony ▁and ▁Harrison , ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁on ▁Ed ison ▁cyl inder ▁record ▁ 9 9 5 9 .