2 How blest is our brother, bereft
Of all that could burden his mind!
How easy the soul that has left
This wearisome body behind!
Of evil incapable thou,
Whose relics with envy I see,
No longer in misery now,
No longer a sinner like me.
3 This earth is affected no more
With sickness, or shaken with pain;
The war in the members is o'er,
And never shall vex him again :
No anger, henceforward, or shame,
Shall redden this innocent clay :
Extinct is the animal flame,
And passion is vanish'd away.
4 This languishing head is at rest,
Its thinking and aching are o'er;
This quiet, immoveable breast,
Is heav'd by affliction no more :
This heart is no longer the seat
Of trouble and torturing pain;
It ceases to flutter and beat,
It never shall flutter again.
5 The lids he so seldom could close,
By sorrow forbidden to sleep,
Now seal'd in their mortal repose,
Have strangely forgotten to weep!
The fountains can yield no supplies;
These hollows from water are free:
The tears are all wip'd from these eyes,
And evil they never shall see.
6 To mourn and to suffer is mine,
While bound in a prison I breathe,
And still for deliverance pine,
And press to the issues of death;
What now with my tears I bedew,
O might I this moment become!
My spirit created anew,
My flesh be consign'd to the tomb.
Light-Street.] HYMN 558. 8 lines 8's.
REJOICE for a brother deceas'd,
Our loss is his infinite gain;
A soul out of prison releas'd,
And freed from its bodily chain;
With songs let us follow his flight,
And mount with his spirit above;
Escap'd to the mansions of light,
And lodg'd in the Eden of love.
2 Our brother the haven hath gain'd,
Outflying the tempest and wind,
His rest he hath sooner obtain'd,
And left his companions behind;
Still toss'd on a sea of distress;
Hard toiling to make the blest shore,
Where all is assurance and peace,
And sorrow and sin are no more.
3 There all the ship's company meet,
Who sail'd with the Saviour beneath;
With shouting each other they greet,
And triumph o'er sorrow and death:
The voyage of life's at an end,
The mortal affliction is past:
The age that in heaven they spend,
For ever and ever shall last.
Portuguese.] HYMN 559. 10's & 11's.
1 IS finish'd, 'tis done, the spirit is fled : The pris'ner is gone, the Christian is
The Christian is living through Jesus's love,
And gladly receiving a kingdom above.
All honour and praise are Jesus's due: Supported by grace he fought his way thro'; Triumphantly glorious through Jesus's zeal, And more than victorious o'er sin, death, and hell.
3 Then let us record the conquering name;
Our Captain and Lord with shoutings proclaim;
Who trust in his passion and follow our Head,
To certain salvation we all shall be led.
4 O Jesus! lead on thy militant care;
And give us the crown of righteousness there,
Where, dazzled with glory, the seraphim gaze;
Or prostrate adore thee, in silence of praise.
5 Come, Lord, and display thy sign in the sky,
And bear us away to mansions on high:
The kingdom be given, the purchase divine;
And crown us in heaven eternally thine.
Holstein.] HYMN 560. 8 lines 8's.
HOSANNA to Jesus on high!
Another has enter'd his rest;
Another has 'scap'd to the sky,
And lodg'd in Immanuel's breast;
The soul of our sister is gone,
To heighten the triumph above;
Exalted to Jesus's throne,
And clasp'd in the arms of his love.
2 What fulness of rapture is there,
While Jesus his glory displays;
And purples the heavenly air,
And scatters the odours of grace!
He looks-and his servants in light,
The blessings ineffable meet:
He smiles and they faint at his sight,
And fall overwhelm'd at his feet.
3 How happy the angels that fall
Transported at Jesus's name;
The saints whom he soonest shall call,
To share in the feast of the Lamb!
No longer imprison'd in clay,
Who next from his dungeon shall fly !
Who first shall be summon'd away-
My merciful Lord-Is it I?
4 O Jesus, if this be thy will,
That suddenly I should depart;
Thy counsel of mercy reveal,
And whisper the call in my heart;
O give me a signal to know,
If soon thou wouldst have me remove;
And leave the dull body below,
And fly to the regions above.
Maidstone.] HYMN 561. 8 lines 7's.
LESSING, honour, thanks, and praise,
Thou, in thine abundant grace,
Givest us the victory;
True and faithful to thy word,
Thou hast glorify'd thy Son,
Jesus Christ, our dying Lord,
He for us the fight hath won.
2 Lo! the pris'ner is releas'd,
Lighten'd of his fleshly load;
Where the weary are at rest,
He is gather'd into God!
Lo! the pain of life is past,
All his warfare now is o'er;
Death and hell behind are cast,
Grief and suffering are no more.
3 Yes, the Christian's course is run, Ended is the glorious strife;
Fought the fight, the work is done,
Death is swallow'd up of life!
Borne by angels on their wings,
Far from earth the spirit flies:
Finds his God, and sits, and sings,
Triumphing in Paradise.
4 Join we then with one accord,
In the new, the joyful song:
Absent from our loving Lord
We shall not continue long:
We shall quit the house of clay,
We a better lot shall share;
We shall see the realms of day,
Meet our happy brother there.
5 Let the world bewail their dead,
Fondly of their loss complain:
Brother, friend, by Jesus freed,
Death to thee, to us, is gain:
Thou art enter'd into joy :
Let the unbelievers mourn : We in songs our lives employ Till we all to God return.
HY should we start and fear to die!
What tim'rous worms we mortals are
Death is the gate to endless joy,
And yet we dread to enter there.
2 The pains, the groans, the dying strife,
Fright our approaching souls away;
And we shrink back again to life,
Fond of our prison and our clay.
3 0 if my Lord would come and meet,
My soul would stretch her wings in haste, Fly fearless through death's iron gate, Nor feel the terrors as she past!
|