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CXXXII

HOPE IN DEATH

My life's a shade, my days Apace to death decline; My Lord is Life, He'll raise My dust again, e'en mine. Sweet truth to me!

I shall arise,

And with these eyes
My Saviour see.

My peaceful grave shall keep My bones till that sweet day; I wake from my long sleep And leave my bed of clay. Sweet truth to me!

I shall arise,

And with these eyes
My Saviour see.

My Lord His angels shall Their golden trumpets sound, At whose most welcome call My grave shall be unbound. Sweet truth to me!

I shall arise,

And with these eyes
My Saviour see.

I said sometimes with tears,
Ah me! I'm loth to die!
Lord, silence Thou these fears:
My life's with Thee on high.

Sweet truth to me!

I shall arise,

And with these eyes

My Saviour see.

What means my trembling heart,
To be thus shy of death?

My life and I shan't part,
Though I resign my breath.
Sweet truth to me!

I shall arise,

And with these eyes

My Saviour see.

Then welcome, harmless grave :

By thee to Heaven I'll go :
My Lord His death shall save

Me from the flames below.

Sweet truth to me!

I shall arise,

And with these eyes

My Saviour see.

S. Crossman

CXXXIII

TO A DYING CHRISTIAN

Happy soul! thy days are ended,
All thy mourning days below;
Go, by angel guards attended,
To the sight of Jesus go!
Waiting to receive thy spirit,

Lo, the Saviour stands above,
Shews the purchase of His merit,
Reaches out the crown of love!

Struggle through thy latest passion
To thy dear Redeemer's breast,
To His uttermost salvation,

To His everlasting rest!
For the joy He sets before thee,
Bear a momentary pain ;

Die, to live the life of glory;

Suffer, with thy Lord to reign !

Charles Wesley

CXXXIV

A REAL OCCURRENCE IN A CIRCLE OF

FRIENDS

Which is the happiest death to die?
"O!" said one, "if I might choose
Long at the gate of bliss would I lie,
And feast my spirit, ere it fly,
With bright celestial views.

M

Mine were a lingering death without pain,
A death which all might love to see,
And mark how bright and sweet should be
The victory I should gain!

"Fain would I catch a hymn of love
From the angel-harps which ring above :
And sing it as my parting breath
Quiver'd and expired in death-
So that those on earth might hear
The harp-notes of another sphere,
And mark, when nature faints and dies,
What springs of heavenly life arise,
And gather from the death they view
A ray of hope to light them through,
When they shall be departing too."

"No," said another, "so not I,
Sudden as thought is the death I would die;
I would suddenly lay my shackles by,
Nor bear a single pang at parting,

Nor see the tear of sorrow starting,

Nor hear the quivering lips that bless me,
Nor feel the hands of love that press me,

Nor the frame with mortal terror quaking,

Nor the heart where love's soft bands are breaking—
So would I die!

All bliss, without a pang to cloud it!
All joy, without a pain to shroud it!
Not slain, but caught up, as it were,
To meet the Saviour in the air!

So would I die!

O, how bright

Were the realms of light,

Bursting at once upon my sight!
Even so

I long to go,

These passing hours how sad and slow!"

His voice grew faint, and fix'd was his eye,
As if gazing on visions of ecstasy :

The hue of his cheek and lip decay'd,
Around his mouth a sweet smile play'd ;—
They look'd-he was dead!

His spirit was fled :

Painless and swift as his own desire,

The soul undress'd

From her mortal rest

And stepp'd in her car of heavenly fire;

And proved how bright

Were the realms of light,

Bursting at once upon the sight.

James Edmeston

CXXXV

A DEATH SCENE

Dying, still slowly dying,

As the hours of night rode by,
She had lain since the light of sunset
Was red on the evening sky:

Till after the middle watches,

As we softly near her trod,

When her soul from its prison fetters
Was loosed by the hand of God.

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