Scripture Verse

In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. Matthew 2:18

Introduction

portrait
Reginald Heber (1783–1826)

Words: Re­gi­nald He­ber (1783–1826). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Writ­ten and Adapt­ed to the Week­ly Church Ser­vice of the Year (Lon­don: J. Mur­ray, 1827), page 27.

Music: Clau­di­us Ar­thur H. Mann, in The Me­tho­dist Hym­nal (New York: Me­tho­dist Book Con­cern, 1905), num­ber 595 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

portrait
Arthur H. Mann (1850–1929)

Lyrics

Oh weep not o’er thy child­ren’s tomb,
Oh Ra­chel, weep not so!
The bud is cropped by mar­tyr­dom,
The flow­er in Heav’n shall blow! *

Firstlings of faith! the mur­der­er’s knife
Has missed its dead­li­est aim:
The God for whom they gave their life,
For them to suf­fer came!

Though fee­ble were their days and few,
Baptized in blood and pain,
He knows them, whom they ne­ver knew,
And they shall live again.

Then weep not o’er thy child­ren’s tomb,
Oh Rachel, weep not so!
The bud is cropped by mar­tyr­dom,
The flow­er in Heav’n shall blow! *

* If desired, substitute
The flower in Heav’n shall grow