6 Let sickness blast, let death devour, 137 P. M. MILMAN. Funeral Hymn. 1 BROTHER, thou art gone before us, And sorrow is unknown,— From the burden of the flesh, And from care and fear released, 2 Sin can never taint thee now, Nor thy meek trust in Jesus Christ And the Holy Spirit fail: And there thou 'rt sure to meet the good, 3 "Earth to earth," and "dust to dust," So we lay the turf above thee now, 138 But thy spirit, brother, soars away Where the wicked cease from troubling, 1 THOU art gone to the grave, but we will not deplore thee; Though sorrows and darkness encompass the tomb, The Saviour has passed through its portals before thee, And the lamp of his love is thy guide through the gloom. 2 Thou art gone to the grave; we no longer behold thee, Nor tread the rough path of the world by thy side; But the wide arms of mercy are spread to enfold thee, And sinners may hope, since the Sinless has died. 3 Thou art gone to the grave, and, its mansions forsaking, Perhaps thy tried spirit in doubt lingered long; But the sunshine of heaven beamed bright on thy waking, And the song that thou heard'st was the seraphim's song. 4 Thou art gone to the grave, but 't were wrong to deplore thee, When God was thy Ransom, thy Guardian, and He gave thee, and took thee, and soon will restore thee, Where death has no sting, since the Saviour has died. 139 S. M. WILSON. Death of a Young Girl. 1 WHAT though the stream be dead, It murmureth now o'er a lovelier bed, 2 What though our bird of light 3 True that our beauteous doe But purer now in heavenly snow, 4 O star! untimely set! Why should we weep for thee! Is rising o'er the sea. 140 C. M. WILSON. Consolations in Bereavement. 1 THE air of Death breathes through our souls, By day and night the death-bell tolls, 2 The loving ones we loved the best, And the wan moonlight bathes in rest, 3 But not when the death-prayer is said, 4 At holy midnight voices sweet, And happy ghosts with noiseless feet, 5 We know who sends the visions bright, 6 This frame, O God, this feeble breath, We think of Thee, and feel in death 7 Dim is the light of vanished years O idle grief! O foolish tears! 141 C. M. ANONYMOUS. Death of the Young. 1 CALM on the bosom of thy God, 2 Dust, to its narrow house beneath! They that have seen thy look in death, 3 Lone are the paths, and sad the bowers, 1 As the sweet flower that scents the morn, But withers in the rising day, Thus lovely was this infant's dawn, Thus swiftly fled its life away. 142 |