Our friend is at rest

Our friend is at rest
In a paradise blest,
Which sorrow, and Satan can never molest:
He hath shook off his clay,
He is wafted away,
And escaped to the regions of permanent day.

Thrice-happy remove
To a country above,
Where all are employ'd in the triumph of love!
We thitherward tend,
We too shall ascend,
And begin the enjoyment which never shall end.

For this do we mourn,
Till by angels upborne,
We again to our heavenly border return:
Caught up in the air
We soon shall be there,
And our happy, unfading inheritance share.

What joy shall abound,
When our brethren around
The throne of our glorious Redeemer are found!
When our comrades in pain
We embrace them again,
And in Jesus's bosom eternally reign.

With loving surprise
The whole company cries,
How strangely at last are we met in the skies!
What a wonder of grace
Transcending our praise,
That we should be seen in this holiest place!

Poor sinners below,
Acquainted with woe,
How heavily once with our load did we go!
In trials severe
How oft did we fear here!
We should never hold out, we should never come

Fellow-prisoners beneath,
Our sorrowful breath
We wasted in passionate wishes for death;
Our evils so rife,
So painful our strife,
And so long did it seem the sad moment of life!

That moment is past!
We are landed at last,
We are safely arrived, where our anchor was cast:
On ImmanueFs land
With a numberless band,
Of cherubs and seraphs exulting we stand.

For a moment of pain
We on earth did sustain,
An eternal reward we in heaven obtain:
Who governs the skies
Hath banish'd our sighs, our eyes.
And the Lamb He hath wiped all the tears from

No uneasy alloy
Shall sully our joy,
While our harps in Immanuefs praise we employ;
Not a dissonant string
Shall be heard while we sing
With the chorus of angels, our Saviour and King.

Our Saviour we own
Who sits on the throne,
Salvation ascribe to the Father and Son!
We are saved by the Lamb!
Let all heaven proclaim,
Let all heaven bow down to the Wonderful Name,

Our Jesus surround
With majesty crown'd,
And Amen to our praises ye seraphim sound:
Lo! He shows us His face!
Ye seraphim gaze,
Or fall, and adore in the spirit of praise.

Thus, thus let us lie,
Till raised by His eye,
Hallelujah, again Hallelujah we cry!
Progressively move,
And in rapture improve,
And eternity spend to the praise of His love.