The Burial of a Saint

Representative Text

1 Sons of God, by blest adoption,
View the dead with steady eyes;
What is sown thus in corruption,
Shall in incorruption rise;
What is sown in death’s dishonour,
Shall revive to glory’s light;
What is sown in this weak manner,
Shall be raised in matchless might.

2 Earthy cavern, to thy keeping
We commit our [brother’s] dust;
Keep it safely, softly sleeping,
Till our Lord demand thy trust.
Sweetly sleep, dear saint, in Jesus;
Thou with us shalt wake from death;
Hold he cannot, though he seize us;
We his power defy by faith.

3 Jesus, thy rich consolations
To thy mourning people send;
May we all, with faith and patience,
Wait for our approaching end.
Keep from courage, vain or vaunted,
For our change our hearts prepare;
Give us confidence undaunted,
Cheerful hope and godly fear.

Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #463

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: J. Hart

Hart, Joseph, was born in London in 1712. His early life is involved in obscurity. His education was fairly good; and from the testimony of his brother-in-law, and successor in the ministry in Jewin Street, the Rev. John Hughes, "his civil calling was" for some time "that of a teacher of the learned languages." His early life, according to his own Experience which he prefaced to his Hymns, was a curious mixture of loose conduct, serious conviction of sin, and endeavours after amendment of life, and not until Whitsuntide, 1757, did he realize a permanent change, which was brought about mainly through his attending divine service at the Moravian Chapel, in Fetter Lane, London, and hearing a sermon on Rev. iii. 10. During the next two years ma… Go to person page >

^ top