How Far from Home?

How far from home? I asked

as on

I bent my steps—the watch­man spake:

The long

dark night is al­most gone

The morn­ing soon will break.

Then weep no more

but speed thy flight

With Hope’s bright star thy guid­ing ray

Till thou shalt reach the realms of light

In ev­er­last­ing day.

I asked the war­ri­or on the field;

This was his soul in­spir­ing song:

With cour­age bold

the sword I’ll wield

The bat­tle is not long.

Then weep no more

but well en­dure

The con­flict

till thy work is done;

For this we know

the prize is sure

When vic­to­ry is won.

I asked again; earth

sea and sun

Seemed

with one voice

to make re­ply:

Time’s wast­ing sands are near­ly run

Eternity is nigh.

Then weep no more—with warn­ing tones

Portentous sights are thick­en­ing round

The whole cre­ation

wait­ing

groans

To hear the trum­pet sound.

Not far from home! O bless­èd thought!

The tra­vel­er’s lone­ly heart to cheer;

Which oft a heal­ing balm has brought

And dried the mourn­er’s tear.

Then weep no more

since we shall meet

Where weary foot­steps nev­er roam—

Our tri­als past

our joys com­plete

Safe in our Fa­ther’s home.