& My God, I know not how I die;
For death has many ways to come,
In dark mysterious agony,
Or gently as a sleep to some.
Just as Thou wilt, if but it be
To bring me, blessed Lord, to Thee! 4 My God, I know not where I die,
Where is my grave, beneath what strand;
Yet from its gloom I do rely
To be delivered by Thy hand.
Content, I take what spot is mine,
Since all the earth, my Lord, is Thine.
5 My gracious God, when I must die,
O bear my happy soul above,
With Christ, my Lord, eternally
To share Thy glory and Thy Love:
Then comes it right and well to me,
When, where, and how my death shall be.
H. L. L. 1853. a.
Tr. Benjamin Schmolk. d. 1737.
Ich weiss es wird mein Ende kommen.
1 I KNOW my end must surely come,
But know not when, or where, or how.
It may be I shall hear my doom
To-night, to-morrow, nay, or now;
Ere yet this present hour is fled,
This living body may be dead.
2 Lord Jesus, let me daily die,
And at the last Thy presence give;
Then Death his utmost power may try,
He can but make me truly live.
Then welcome my last hour shall be,
When, where, and how it pleases Thee.
Miss Winkworth. 1858.
Tr. Solomon Franck. 1711.
Wer weisz wie nahe mir mein Ende.
1 WHO knows how near my end may be?
Time speeds away, and death comes on.
How swiftly, ah, how suddenly,
May death be here, and life be gone!
My God, for Jesus' sake I pray
Thy peace may bless my dying day.
2 Teach me to ponder oft my end,
And ere the hour of death appears,
To cast my soul on Christ her Friend,
Nor spare repentant cries and tears.
3 And let me now so order all,
That ever ready I may be
To say with joy, whate'er befall,
Lord, do Thou as Thou wilt with me.
40 Father, cover all my sins
With Jesus' merits, who alone
The pardon that I covet wins,
And makes His long-sought Rest my own.
5 From Him can naught my soul divide,
Nor life nor death can part us now:
I lay my hand upon His side,
And say, my Lord and God art Thou!
6 In holy Baptism long ago
I joined me to the living Vine.
Thou lovest me in IIim, I know,
In Him Thou dost accept me Thine.
7 And I have eaten of His Flesh
And drunk his Blood; nor can I be
Forsaken now, nor doubt afresh,
I am in Him and He in me.
8 Then death may come or tarry yet;
I know in Christ I perish not.
He never will His own forget;
He gives me robes without a spot.
9 And thus I live in God at peace,
And die without a thought of fear,
Content to take what God decrees,
For through His Son my faith is clear;
His grace shall be in death my stay,
And peace shall bless my dying day.
Miss Winkworth. 1858.
Tr. Emilia Juliana, Countess of.
Schwarzburg Rudolstadt. 1686.
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist.
1 WHEN my last hour is close at hand,
My last sad journey taken,
Do Thou, Lord Jesus! by me stand,
Let me not be forsaken.
O Lord, my spirit I resign
Into Thy loving hands divine;
Tis safe within Thy keeping.
2 Countless as sands upon the shore,
My sins may then appall me;
Yet, though my conscience vex me sore,
Despair shall not enthrall me:
For as I draw my latest breath,
I'll think, Lord Christ! upon Thy Death,
And there find consolation.
3 I shall not in the grave remain,
Since Thou death's bonds hast severed;
But hope with Thee to rise again,
From fear of death delivered.
For where Thou art, there I shall be,
That I may ever live with Thee:
This is my joy in dying.
4 And so to Jesus Christ Ill go,
My longing arms extending;
So fall asleep in slumber deep,
Slumber that knows no ending,
Till Jesus Christ, God's only Son,
Opens the gates of bliss, leads on
To Heaven, to life eternal.
Edgar Alfred Bowring. 185-. a.
Tr. Nicholas Hermann. 1560.
1 WHEN the last agony draws nigh, My spirit sinks in bitter fear:
Courage! I conquer though I die,
For Christ with death once wrestled here.
Thy strife, O Christ, with death's dark power
Upholds me in this fearful hour.
2 In faith I hide myself in Thee;
I shall not perish in the strife;
I share Thy war, Thy victory,
And death is swallowed up of Life.
Thy strife, O Christ, with death of yore
Hath conquered, and I fear no more.
Miss Winkworth. 1855.
From the German.
L. M. 61.
Herr Jesu Christ, wehr'r Mensch und Gott.
1 LORD Jesus Christ, true Man and God,
Who borest anguish, scorn, the rod,
And diedst at last upon the Tree,
To bring Thy Father's grace to me:
I pray Thee, through that bitter woe,
Let me, a sinner, mercy know.
2 When comes the hour of failing breath,
And I must wrestle, Lord, with death,
When from my sight all fades away,
And when my tongue no more can say,
And when mine ears no more can hear,
And when my heart is racked with fear;
3 When all my mind is darkened o'er,
And human help can do no more;
Then come, Lord Jesus! come with speed,
And help me in my hour of need;
Lead me from this dark vale beneath,
And shorten then the pangs of death.
4 Joyful my Resurrection be,
Thou in the Judgment plead for me,
And hide my sins, Lord, from Thy face,
And give me Life, of Thy dear grace!
I trust Thee utterly, my Lord,
For Thou hast promised in Thy Word!
5 Dear Lord, forgive us all our guilt;
Help us to wait until Thou wilt
That we depart; and let our faith
Be brave, and conquer even in death:
Firm resting on Thy sacred Word,
Until we sleep in Thee, our Lord.
Miss Winkworth. 1855.
Tr. Paul Eber. 1557.
In near prospect of Death.
Mein Gott, in Deine Hände.
1 My God, to Thee now commend
My soul; for Thou, O Lord,
Dost live and love me without end,
And wilt perform Thy word.
2 To whom else should I make my plea,
That heavenly life be mine?
All souls, my God, belong to Thee;.
My soul is also Thine.
3 Thou gavest my spirit at my birth;
Take back what Thou hast given;
And with the Lord I served on earth
Grant me to live in heaven.
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