Verse 1
Thee, Lord, in all events we praise:
With wisdom, faithfulness, and grace
Thou dost thy gifts dispense;
Thou dost thy benefits revoke,
And by an unexpected stroke,
Transport our brother hence.

Verse 2
How many whom thy judgments call,
As sudden, not as safely fall!
He falls, again to rise,
By instantan’ous grace remov’d,
He falls asleep in his belov’d,
And wakes in paradise.

Verse 3
For this habitually prepar’d,
Death could not find him off his guard,
A man who daily di’d:
A stranger in the vale of tears,
Whose life for more than forty years,
Confess’d the crucifi’d.

Verse 4
His life the proof substantial gave,
And witness’d Jesus’ pow’r to save,
The sinner here forgiv’n;
While firm in the old paths he stood,
Redeem’d the time by doing good,
And laid up wealth in heav’n.

Verse 5
Rugged howe’er his manners seem’d,
His manners were by all esteem’d,
Who truth preferr’d to art:
His hands for Esau’s hands were known,
His voice bewray’d the favourite son,
And Jacob’s honest heart.

Verse 6
His heart, as tender as sincere,
Melted for ev’ry sufferer,
And bled for the distrest,
Whene’er he heard the griev’d complain;
And pity for the sons of pain,
Resided in his breast.

Verse 7
A father to the sick and poor,
For them he husbanded his store,
For them himself deni’d;
The naked cloth’d, the hungry fed,
Or parted with his daily bread,
That they might be suppli’d.

Verse 8
But chiefly, who in Christ believ’d,
For them, into his heart receiv’d,
He naturally car’d;
His faith’s integrity to prove,
By labours of unweari’d love,
To gain a full reward.

Verse 9
A steward just, and wise, and good,
Through life against the men he stood
Who basely sought their own;
He dar’d their practices condemn,
Yet not an enemy to them,
But to their deeds alone.

Verse 10
Sin, only sin, his soul abhorr’d,
A follow’r of his right’ous Lord,
Till all his toils were past:
And lo! The hoary saint ascends,
And gather’d to his heav’nly friends,
Obtains the prize at last!

Verse 11
Thanks be to God in Christ his Son!
Thy pow’r is on our brother shown,
Thy truth, and constant love:
Thou dost the final victory give,
And more than conqueror receive
To rapturous joy above.

Verse 12
O! That the friends he leaves beneath,
Might live his life, and die his death,
For glory as mature,
Partakers with the saints in light,
And reap the pleasures in thy sight,
Which ever more endure!