Why Do We Mourn Departing Friends?

Why do we mourn de­part­ing friends

Or shake at death’s alarms?

’Tis but the voice that Je­sus sends

To call them to His arms.

Are we not tend­ing up­ward

too

As fast as time can move?

Nor would we wish the hours more slow

To keep us from our love.

Why should we trem­ble to con­vey

Their bo­dies to the tomb?

There the dear flesh of Je­sus lay

And left a long per­fume.

The graves of all His saints He blessed

And soft­ened ev­ery bed;

Where should the dy­ing mem­bers rest

But with the dy­ing Head?

Thence He arose

as­cend­ing high

And showed our feet the way;

Up to the Lord our flesh shall fly

At the great ris­ing day.

Then let the last loud trum­pet sound

And bid our kin­dred rise;

Awake

ye na­tions un­der ground;

Ye saints

as­cend the skies.