The mighty Father of creation Now lends our song a Father's Ear; mf Eternal Lord of heaven above, Look down and bless their plighted love. 2 mf O'er each event of life presiding, May God rich gifts on both bestow, cres With heavenly light your footsteps guiding, dim As through the world's dark wild ye go; mf Eternal Lord of heaven above, Look down and bless their plighted love. 3 mf Together bend, God's grace imploring, Or no true joy your love will know ; cres Your voices blend, His Name adoring, f Till love to God each heart o'erflow ; mf Eternal Lord of heaven above, Look down and bless their plighted love. 4 With cheerful faith in God confide ye, The pilgrim's staff with courage take, And till the silent grave divide ye, Р God and each other ne'er forsake; mf Eternal Lord of heaven above, Look down and bless their plighted love. 5 m May peace and love, your lives adorning, Attend you all your course along, Your Christian walk, each night and morning, More steadfast make with prayer and song; Eternal Lord of heaven above, Look down and bless their plighted love. 6 Together now your voices raising, Vow truth to God, hand joined in hand, Ye meet in heaven's own happy land; Look down and bless their plighted love. Amen. From the German, Anon.; tr. Frances Elizabeth Cox (1841). 530 1 Burial of the Dead. There the wicked cease from troubling; and 14s. (IRR.) there the weary be at rest. Job iii. 17. Р BROTHER, thou art gone before us; and thy saintly soul is flown Where tears are wiped from every eye, and sorrow is unknown; cres From the burden of the flesh, and from care and fear released, Where the wicked cease from troubling, (dim) and the weary are at rest. 2 p The toilsome way thou hast travelled o'er, and borne the heavy load; cres But Christ hath taught thy languid feet to reach His blest abode : dim Thou art sleeping now, like Lazarus upon his father's breast, cres Where the wicked cease from troubling, (dim) and the weary are at rest. 3 mf Sin can never taint thee now, nor doubt thy faith assail, 4 Nor thy meek trust in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit fail : And there thou art sure to meet the good, whom on earth thou lovedst best, Where the wicked cease from troubling, (dim) and the weary are at rest. Earth to earth, and dust to dust, the solemn priest hath said; So we lay the turf above thee now, and we seal thy narrow bed; cres But thy spirit, brother, soars away among the faithful blest, Where the wicked cease from troubling, (dim) and the weary are at rest. 5 mf And when the Lord shall summon us, whom thou hast left behind, cres May we, untainted by the world, as sure a welcome find! dim May each, like thee, depart in peace, (cres) to be a glorious guest, Where the wicked cease from troubling, (dim) and the weary are at rest! Amen. Dean Milman (1791-1868). 88. 531 He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for 1 my GOD of the living, in Whose Eyes Р From this our world of flesh set free, cres We know them living unto Thee. 2 mf Released from earthly toil and strife, With Thee is hidden still their life; Thine are their thoughts, their works, their powers, All Thine, and yet most truly ours; For well we know, where'er they be, cres Our dead are living unto Thee. 3 mf Not spilt like water on the ground, Not wandering in unknown despair care; Not left to lie like fallen tree : cres Not dead, but living unto Thee. 4 Thy word is true, Thy will is just; cres And bless Thee for the love which gave Thy Son to fill a human grave, That none might fear that world to see, Where all are living unto Thee. 537 5 O Breather into man of breath, O Holder of the keys of death, O Giver of the life within, p Save us from death, the death of sin; cres That body, soul, and spirit be For ever living unto Thee! Amen. 532 (FOR A CHILD.) J. Ellerton. I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. 1 LET no tears to-day be shed, 78. Hallelujah! 2 cres Death eternal life bestows, Open heaven's portal throws. Hallelujah! 6 Grants the prize without the course; Crowns, without the battle's force. Hallelujah! 7 pp Christ, when this sad life is done, Join us to Thy little one, Hallelujah! |