A View of Death

When bending o'er the brink of life,
My trembling soul shall stand,
Waiting to pass death's awful flood,
Great God! at thy command.

When weeping friends surround my bed,
To close my sightless eyes,
When shattered by the weight of years
This broken body lies;

When every long-lov'd scene of life
Stands ready to depart,
When the last sigh which shakes this frame
Shall rend this bursting heart;

Oh thou great source of joy supreme,
Whose arm alone can save,
Dispel the darkness that surrounds
The entrance to the grave.

Lay thy supporting gentle hand
Beneath my sinking head,
And with a ray of love divine,
Illume my dying bed.

Leaning on thy dear faithful breast,
I would resign my breath,
And in thy loved embraces lose
The bitterness of death.