He is Gone

He is gone—a cloud of light
Has received him from our sight;
High in heav’n, where eye of men
Follows not, nor angels’ ken;
Through the veils of time and space,
Passed into the holiest place;
All the toil, the sorrow done,
All the battle fought and won.

He is gone—and we remain
In this world of sin and pain:
In the void which he has left
On this earth, of him bereft.
We have still his work to do,
We can still his path pursue;
Seek him both in friend and foe,
In ourselves his image show.

He is gone—we heard him say,
“good that I should go away,”
Gone is that dear form and face,
But not gone his present grace;
Though himself no more we see,
Comfortless we cannot be:
No, his Spirit still is ours,
Quickening, freshening all ours powers.

He is gone—towards their goal
World and church must onward roll;
Far behind we leave the past;
Forward are our glances cast:
Still his words before us range
Through the ages as they change:
Wheresoe’er the truth shall lead,
He will give whate’er we need.

He is gone—but we once more
Shall behold him as before;
In the heaven of heavens the same,
As on earth he went and came;
In the many mansions there,
Place for us he will prepare;
In that world unseen, unknown,
He and we shall yet be one.

He is gone—but not in vain,
Wait until he comes again:
He is risen, he is not here,
Far above this earthly sphere;
Evermore in heart and mind
There our peace in him we find:
To our own eternal friend,
Thitherward let us ascend.