Scripture Verse

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7

Introduction

portrait
George Croly
1780–1860

Words: George Cro­ly (1780–1860). Ap­peared in Se­lect Me­lo­dies, Com­pris­ing the Best of Those Hymns and Spi­ri­tu­al Songs in Com­mon Use Not Found in the Stand­ard Me­tho­dist Epis­co­pal Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by Will­iam Hunt­er (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Me­tho­dist Book Con­cern, 1843).

Music: Ec­ce Ho­mo Will­iam H. Monk (1823–1889) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
William H. Monk (1823–1889)

Lyrics

Earth to earth, and dust to dust
Here the ev­il and the just,
Here the youth­ful and the old,
Here the fear­ful and the bold,
Here the ma­tron and the maid,
In one si­lent bed are laid;
Here the vas­sal and the king
Side by side lie wi­the­ring;
Here the sword and scep­ter rust—
Earth to earth and dust to dust!

Age on age shall roll along
O’er this pale and migh­ty throng;
Those that wept them, those that weep,
All shall with these sleep­ers sleep;
Brothers, sis­ters of the worm,
Summer’s storm, or win­ter’s storm,
Song of peace, or bat­tle’s roar,
Ne’er shall break their slum­bers more;
Death shall keep his so­lemn trust—
Earth to earth, and dust to dust.

But a day is com­ing fast,
Earth, thy migh­ti­est and thy last;
It shall come and fear and won­der,
Heralded by trump and thun­der;
It shall come in strife and toil;
It shall come in blood and spoil;
It shall come in em­pire’s groans,
Burning tem­ples, tram­pled thrones.
Then, Am­bi­tion, rue thy lust!
Earth to earth and dust to dust!

Then shall come the judg­ment sign,
In the east the King shall shine;
Flashing from Heav’n’s gold­en gate,
Thousand thou­sands round His state;
Spirits with the crown and plume,
Tremble then, thou sull­en tomb!
Heav’n shall op­en on our sight,
Earth be turned to liv­ing light,
Kingdoms of the ran­somed just—
Earth to earth, and dust to dust.

Then shall, gor­geous as a gem,
Shine thy mount, Je­ru­sa­lem;
Then shall in the de­sert rise
Fruits of more than pa­ra­dise;
Earth by an­gel feet be trod,
One great gar­den of her God;
Till are dried the mar­tyr’s tears
Through a glo­ri­ous thou­sand years.
Now in hope of Him we trust—
Earth to earth, and dust to dust!