How Blest the Shining Forms Above

How blest the shin­ing forms ab­ove

Who dwell so near their God;

They ev­er taste His rich­est love

Nor fear His lift­ed rod.

Thus freed from ev­ery toil and care

Fain would we leave our clay;

Some friend­ly ser­aph

come and bear

Our lin­ger­ing souls away.

When shall we reach the bliss­ful shore?

Lord

call Thy pri­son­ers home;

Our hearts and joys are gone be­fore

Come death

and Je­sus

come.

But why im­patient of de­lay

So ea­ger to be gone?

If God com­mands a long­er stay

His sov­er­eign will be done.