A mighty man, a man of worth,
A father and a friend,
Has left the narrow sphere of earth,
His upward course to wend.
Firm as the hills—he was a stay,
A bulwark and a shield—
Like a strong pillar, mov'd away
To Zion's broader field.
From understanding's deepest wells
Unmeasur'd draughts he drew—
The light, that with Jehovah dwells,
Inspir'd his judgment too.
With dignity he fill'd the sphere
Allotted him below—
His presence seem'd an impulse here
To wisdom's genial flow.
But now his noble form must lie
And slumber in the dust;
While he with honor joins the high
Assemblies of the just.
With fondly cherish'd memory
His name will be belov'd,
While virtue and integrity
Are by the Saints approv'd.
The stroke is with a heavy rod—
But while our hearts deplore
His loss, we'll own the hand of God,
That God whom we adore.