Scripture Verse

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7

Introduction

Words: From the Scot­tish Trans­la­tions and Pa­ra­phras­es, 1781. Var­ious­ly at­trib­ut­ed to James Lo­gan & Mi­chael Bruce.

Music: Hurs­ley Ka­thol­isch­es Ge­sang­buch (Vi­en­na, 1774). Adapt­ed from the Me­tri­cal Psal­ter, 1855 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

The hour of my de­part­ure’s come,
I hear the voice that calls me home;
At last, O Lord, let trou­ble cease,
Now let Thy ser­vant die in peace!

Not in mine in­no­cence I trust;
I bow bef­ore Thee in the dust,
And through my Sav­ior’s blood alone
I look for mer­cy at Thy throne.

I leave the world with­out a tear,
Save for the friends I held so dear;
To heal their sor­rows, Lord, des­cend,
And to the friend­less prove a friend.

I come, I come at Thy com­mand,
I yield my spir­it to Thy hand!
Stretch forth Thy ev­er­last­ing arms,
And shield me in the last alarms.

The hour of my de­part­ure’s come,
I hear the voice that calls me home;
At last, O Lord, let trou­ble cease,
Now let Thy ser­vant die in peace!