580. C. M. Houghton.
The Re-union of Friends after Death.
1Blest be the hour when friends shall meet,
Shall meet to part no more,
And with celestial welcome greet,
On an immortal shore.
2Sweet hope, deep cherished, not in vain,
Now art thou richly crowned!
All that was dead revives again;
All that was lost is found!
3The parent eyes his long-lost child;
Brothers on brothers gaze:
The tear of resignation mild
Is changed to joy and praise.
4And while remembrance, lingering still,
Draws joy from sorrowing hours;
New prospects rise, new pleasures fill
The soul's capacious powers.
5Their Father fans their generous flame,
And looks complacent down;
The smile that owns their filial claim
Is their immortal crown.