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.