Scripture Verse

Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, and the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar…So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab. Deuteronomy 34:1–5

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­ual Songs, Book 2, 1707–09, num­ber 49. Mo­ses dy­ing in the em­brac­es of God.

Music: Here­ford (Ou­se­ley) Fred­er­ick A. Gore-Ou­se­ley, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1861 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Frederick Gore-Ouseley
(1825–1889)

Lyrics

Death can­not make our souls afraid,
If God be with us there;
We may walk through its dark­est shade,
And ne­ver yield to fear.

I could re­nounce my all be­low,
If my cre­at­or bid;
And run, if I were called to go,
And die as Mo­ses did.

Might I but climb to Pis­gah’s top,
And view the pro­mised land,
My flesh it­self would long to drop,
And pray for the com­mand.

Clasped in my hea­ven­ly Fa­ther’s arms,
I would for­get my breath,
And lose my life among the charms
Of so di­vine a death.