Death Gain to the Faithful

Representative Text

1 Why should our tears in sorrow flow
When God recalls His own,
And bids them leave a world of woe
For an immortal crown?

2 Is not e’en death a gain to those
Whose life to God was given?
Gladly to earth their eyes they close
To open them in heaven.

3 Their toils are past, their work is done,
And they are fully blest;
They fought the fight, the victory won,
And entered into rest.

4 Then let our sorrows cease to flow;
God has recalled His own;
But let our hearts, in every woe,
Still say, "Thy will be done."

AMEN.

Source: The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal: official hymnal of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church #549

Author: William Hiley Bathurst

Bathurst, William Hiley , M.A., son of the Rt. Hon. Charles Bragge (afterwards Bathurst) some time M.P. for Bristol, born at Clevedale, near Bristol, Aug. 28, 1796, and educated at Winchester, and Christ Church, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1818. From 1820 to 1852 he held the Rectory of Barwick-in-Elmet, near Leeds. Resigning the Rectory in the latter year, through his inability to reconcile his doctrinal views with the Book of Common Prayer, he retired into private life, and died at Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, Nov. 25, 1877. His works include, The Georgics of Virgil: Translated by W. H. B., 1849; Metrical Musings; or, Thoughts on Sacred Subjects in Verse, 1849; and Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Use, 1831 (2nd ed. 1842). This last… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Why should our tears in sorrow flow
Title: Death Gain to the Faithful
Author: William Hiley Bathurst
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Why should our tears in sorrow flow? [Death of a Minister.] Appeared in the Missionary Minstrel, London, 1826. It was by "O. P.", the anonymous compiler of that collection of missionary hymns. It was reprinted in Pratts's Psalms & Hymns, 1829, No. 569, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. From that collection it passed into many hymn-books, especially in America, and is in somewhat extensive use. [William T. Brooke]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

GREEN HILL (Peace)


EVAN (Havergal)

This tune is likely the work of the composer named here, but has also been attributed to others as shown in the instances list.

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #7460
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #616

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #549

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7460

The Sacred Harp #541

Include 126 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us