| |
| HE is gone—beyond the skies, | |
| A cloud receives Him from our eyes; | |
| Gone beyond the highest height | |
| Of mortal gaze or angels’ flight; | |
| Through the veils of Time and Space, | 5 |
| Passed into the Holiest place; | |
| All the toil, the sorrow done, | |
| All the battle fought and won. | |
| |
| He is gone—and we return | |
| And our hearts within us burn; | 10 |
| Olivet no more shall greet | |
| With welcome shout His coming feet; | |
| Never shall we track Him more, | |
| On Genesaret’s glistening shore; | |
| Never in that look or voice | 15 |
| Shall Zion’s hill again rejoice. | |
| |
| He is gone—and we remain | |
| In this world of sin and pain; | |
| In the void which He has left, | |
| On this earth of Him bereft, | 20 |
| We have still His work to do, | |
| We can still His path pursue; | |
| Seek Him both in friend and foe, | |
| In ourselves His image show. | |
| |
| He is gone—we heard Him say, | 25 |
| “Good that I should go away.” | |
| Gone is that dear Form and Face, | |
| But not gone His present grace; | |
| Though Himself no more we see, | |
| Comfortless we cannot be— | 30 |
| For His Spirit still is ours, | |
| Quickening, freshening, all our powers. | |
| |
| He is gone—toward their goal, | |
| World and Church must onward roll! | |
| Far behind we leave the past; | 35 |
| Forward are our glances cast: | |
| Still His words before us range | |
| Through the ages as they change: | |
| Wheresoe’er the Truth shall lead, | |
| He will give whate’er we need. | 40 |
| |
| He is gone—but we once more | |
| Shall behold Him as before; | |
| In the Heaven of Heavens the same, | |
| As on earth He went and came. | |
| In the many mansions there, | 45 |
| Place for us He will prepare: | |
| In that world unseen, unknown, | |
| He and we may yet be one. | |
| |
| He is gone—but not in vain, | |
| Wait until He comes again; | 50 |
| He is risen, He is not here, | |
| Far above this earthly sphere; | |
| Evermore in heart and mind, | |
| Where our peace in Him we find, | |
| To our own Eternal Friend | 55 |
| Thitherward let us ascend. | |
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