Scripture Verse

To live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

Introduction

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John Goss (1800–1880)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: Charles Wes­ley, Fun­er­al Hymns, 1st Ser­ies 1744.

Music: St. Cy­pri­an (Goss) John Goss (1800–1880) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Background

The Rev. Hen­ry Moore says that the po­et in his old age rode a lit­tle horse, grey with age, which was brought ev­ery morn­ing from the Foun­de­ry to his house in Ches­ter­field Street, Ma­ry­le­bone.

He would jot down any thoughts that struck him, in shor­thand, on a card which he had in his pock­et. Not in­fre­quent­ly he has come to our house in the Ci­ty Road, and, hav­ing left the po­ny in the gar­den in front, he would en­ter, cry­ing out, Pen and ink! pen and ink! These be­ing sup­plied, he wrote the hymn he had been com­pos­ing.

When this was done, he would look round on those pre­sent, and sa­lute them with much kind­ness, ask af­ter their health, give out a short hymn, and thus put all in mind of eter­ni­ty. He was fond up­on these oc­ca­sions of gi­ving out the lines There all the ship’s com­pa­ny meet.

Telford, p. 423

Lyrics

Weep not for a bro­ther de­ceased;
Our loss is his in­fi­nite gain;
A soul out of pri­son re­leased,
And freed from its bo­di­ly chain;
With songs let us fol­low his flight,
And mount with his spir­it above,
Escaped to the man­sions of light,
And lodged in the Ed­en of love.

Our bro­ther the ha­ven has gained,
Outflying the tem­pest and wind;
His rest he hath soon­er ob­tained,
And left his com­pan­ions behind,
Still tossed on a sea of dis­tress,
Hard toil­ing to make the blest shore,
Where all is as­sur­ance and peace,
And sor­row and sin are no more.

There all the ship’s com­pa­ny meet,
Who sailed with the Sav­ior be­neath,
With shout­ing each oth­er they greet,
And tri­umph o’er sor­row and death;
The voy­age of life’s at an end;
The mor­tal af­flict­ion is past;
The age that in Hea­ven they spend,
Forever and ev­er shall last.