| |
| BROTHER, thou art gone before us, | |
| And thy saintly soul is flown | |
| Where tears are wip’d from every eye, | |
| And sorrow is unknown. | |
| From the burden of the flesh, | 5 |
| And from care and sin releas’d, | |
| Where the wicked cease from troubling, | |
| And the weary are at rest. | |
| |
| The toilsome way thou ’st travell’d o’er, | |
| And hast borne the heavy load; | 10 |
| But Christ hath taught thy wandering feet | |
| To reach his bless’d abode; | |
| Thou ’rt sleeping now, like Lazarus, | |
| On his Father’s faithful breast, | |
| Where the wicked cease from troubling, | 15 |
| And the weary are at rest. | |
| |
| Sin can never taint thee now, | |
| Nor can doubt thy faith assail; | |
| Nor thy meek trust in Jesus Christ | |
| And the Holy Spirit fail; | 20 |
| And there thou ’rt sure to meet the good, | |
| Whom on earth thou lovest best, | |
| Where the wicked cease from troubling, | |
| And the weary are at rest. | |
| |
| “Earth to earth,” and “dust to dust,” | 25 |
| Thus the solemn priest hath said; | |
| So we lay the turf above thee now, | |
| And seal thy narrow bed; | |
| But thy spirit, brother, soars away | |
| Among the faithful blest, | 30 |
| Where the wicked cease from troubling, | |
| And the weary are at rest. | |
| |
| And when the Lord shall summon us | |
| Whom thou now hast left behind, | |
| May we, untainted by the world, | 35 |
| As sure a welcome find; | |
| May each, like thee, depart in peace, | |
| To be a glorious, happy guest, | |
| Where the wicked cease from troubling, | |
| And the weary are at rest. | 40 |
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