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.

LYR. GER.

0

2

454.

PRINCE of life! I know

That when I too lie low,

Thou wilt at last my soul from death awaken; Wherefore I will not shrink

From the grave's awful brink;

The heart that trusts in Thee shall ne'er be shaken.

To me the darksome tomb

Is but a narrow room,

Where I may rest in peace from sorrow free. Thy death shall give me power

To cry in that dark hour

O death! Ŏ grave! where is your victory?

8 The grave can naught destroy,
Only the flesh can die,

And e'en the body triumphs o'er decay:
Clothed by Thy wond'rous might,

In robes of dazzling light,

This flesh shall burst the grave at that last Day.

4 My Jesus, day by day,

Help me to watch and pray,

Beside the tomb where in my heart Thou'rt laid.

Thy bitter death shall be

My constant memory,

My guide at last into Death's awful shade.

LYR. GER

V. WHEN THE SPIRIT HAS FLED.

455.

NOT for the pious dead we weep,

Their sorrows now are o'er;
The sea is calm, the tempest past,
On that eternal shore.

C. M.

2 Their peace is sealed, their rest is sure,
Within that better home;

Awhile we weep and linger here,
Then follow to the tomb.

3 Oh! might some dream of visioned bliss,
Some trance of rapture, show
Where on the bosom of their God,
They rest from human woe.

4 Jesus! our shadowy path illume,
And teach the chastened mind
To welcome all that's left of good,
To all that's lost resigned.

456.

OW rests her soul in Jesus' arms,

Nower body in the grave sleeps well,

BARBAULD

His heart her death-chilled heart re-warms, And rest more deep than tongue can tell

Her few brief hours of conflict passed-
She finds with Christ, her friend, at last;
She bathes in tranquil seas of peace,
God wipes away her tears, she feels
New life that all her languor heals,
The glory of the Lamb she sees.

2 She hath escaped all danger now,
Her pain and sighing all are fled;
The crown of joy is on her brow,
Eternal glories o'er her shed.
In golden robes, a queen, a bride,
She standeth at her Sovereign's side;
She sees His face unveiled and bright,
With joy and love He greets her soul,
She feels herself made inly whole,
A lesser light amid His light.

3 The child hath now its Father seen,

And feels what kindling love may be, And knoweth what those words may mean, Himself, the Father, loveth thee."

66

A shoreless ocean, an abyss

Unfathomed, filled with good and bliss,
Now breaks on her enraptured sight;

She sees God's face, she learneth there,
What this shall be, to be His heir,
Joint-heir with Christ her Lord in light.

4 The body rests, its labors over,

And sleeps till Christ shall bid it wake;
The dust that earth and darkness cover,
Then as a sun its tomb shall break.
Ah! with what joy it rises then
To meet the perfect soul again!
Redeemed from death, no more to sever.
At that great marriage-feast shall they
With all the saints their homage pay,
And worship there the Lamb forever.

LYR. GER.

THEN I have conquered; then at last
My course is run, good night!
I am well pleased that it is past,
A thousand times, good night!
But ye, dear friends, whom I must leave,
Look not thus anxiously;

Why should ye thus lament and grieve?
It standeth well with me.

2 Farewell, O anguish, pain, and fear,
Farewell, farewell, forever!
It glads my heart to leave you here,
Redeemed from you forever!
Henceforth a life of joy I share,
In my Creator's hand;

None of the griefs can touch me there,
That haunt this lower land.

3 Who yet o'er earth in time must roam,
Not yet from error free,

Scarce lisp the language of our home,
The glad eternity.

Far better is a happy death,

Than worldly life, I trow;

The weakness once I sank beneath,
I never more shall know.

4 Farewell, thou dear, dear soul, farewell! To those sweet pleasures go,

That we who mourning here must dwell Not yet, alas! can know.

Ah! when shall that great day be come,
When these things fade away,

And Thou shalt bid us welcome home?
Would God it were to-day!

LYR. GER

L'

458.

IE down in peace to take thy rest,
Dear cherished form, no longer mine;
But bearing in thy clay-cold breast

A hidden germ of life divine,

II. 2.

Which, when th' eternal spring shall bloom, Will burst the shackles of the tomb.

2 Lie down in peace to take thy rest, Unbroken will thy slumbers be; Satan can now no more molest

And death has done his worst on thee. Lie down thy hallowed sleep to take, Till clothed in glory thou shalt wake.

3 Lie down in peace to take thy rest, We can no longer watch thy bed; But glorious angels, spirits blest,

Shall guard thee day and night instead. And when thine eyes unclosed shall be, Christ in His glory thou shalt see.

4 Lie down in peace to take thy rest;

My eyes must weep, my heart must mourn But to thy soul with Jesus blest,

For comfort and for hope I turn.

Thou wilt not mark these tears that flow;
Sorrows can never reach thee now.

5 Lie down in peace to take thy rest,
Let me betake myself to prayer,
Binding faith's corslet on my heart,
Lest Satan find an entrance there.
God gave-though now His gift He claim,
Still blessed be His holy name.