Father, Who Hast Gathered

Father

who hast ga­thered

This dear child to rest

Unto Thee we yield him

Sure Thou know­est best.

Thou

O Lord

who gav­est

Dost Thine own re­claim;

Thou

O Lord

hast tak­en—

Blessèd still Thy name!

Thine by right cre­at­ive

By re­demp­tion Thine

By re­ge­ne­ra­tion

And the ho­ly sign.

Thou who didst en­dow him

With ba­ptis­mal grace

Now in love hast brought him

To be­hold Thy face.

Safe from all earth’s sor­row

Safe from all its pains

Now this child of Ad­am

Paradise re­gains:

Safe from all temp­ta­tion

Safe from fear of sin

Through the blood of sprink­ling

Holy

bright and clean.

Lay we this dear bo­dy

In the earth to sleep

His sweet soul com­mend­ing

Unto Thee to keep:

Looking for the dawn­ing

Of that death­less day

When all earth­ly sha­dows

Shall have fled away.

Only grant us

Fa­ther

Courage in our strife

And with him a por­tion

In un­end­ing life.