Despair Not, O Heart

Verse 1

Despair not, O heart, in thy sorrow,
But hope from God's promises borrow Beware in thy sorrow,
of sinning For death is of life the beginning.

Verse 2

The body is shrouded in mourning;
The garlands, the casket adorning,
Are emblems of hope that betoken,
O Death, that thy power is broken.

Verse 3

A dearly belov'd one hath left us;
God hath in His Wisdom bereft us;
But He will not leave us forsaken,
We know that the dead shall awaken.

Verse 4

When dawneth the glorious morrow,
This body that we view with sorrow,
A glorified form shall be given,
Restored to its spirit in heaven.

Verse 5

The seed that in springtime is planted,
Is hid in the ground,
but if granted A measure of sunshine and showers,
Will spring into fruitage and flowers;

Verse 6

A gift to the churchyard we tender,
As dust to the dust we surrender;
Returning the clay to its Maker,
We lay it to rest in God's acre.

Verse 7

A soul in that body abided,
A soul that in Jesus confided,
A soul that hath longed for salvation,
And now hath found hope's consummation.

Verse 8

O earth,
we consign to thy keeping This body with sorrow and weeping;
In peace to await resurrection,
When it shall arise in perfection.

Verse 9

O Christ, our soul's Maker and Lover;
When time and earth's travail are over,
Thou closest the grave's mournful story,
And callest Thine own to Thy glory.