Who Knows How Near My End May Be?

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.

The world that smiled when morn was come

May change for me ere close of eve;

So long as earth is still my home

In per­il of my death I live;

My God

for Je­sus’ sake I pray

Thy peace may bless my dying day.

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;

My God

for Je­sus’ sake I pray

Thy peace may bless my dy­ing day.

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:

My God

for Je­sus’ sake I pray

Thy peace may bless my dy­ing day.

O Fa­ther

cov­er all my sins

With Je­sus’ mer­its

who alone

The par­don that I co­vet wins

And makes His long sought rest our own;

My God

for Je­sus’ sake I pray

Thy peace may bless my dy­ing day.

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:

My God

for Je­sus’ sake I pray

Thy peace may bless my dy­ing day.

And thus I live in God at peace

And die with­out a thought or 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.