Hymnal and Order of Service ‎#319

319. My God, I Know that I Must die

1 My God, I know that I must die:
My mortal life is passing hence;
On earth I neither hope nor try
To find a lasting residence.
Then teach me by Thy heavenly grace
With joy and peace my death to face.

2 My God, I know not when I die;
What is the moment or the hour;
How soon the clay may broken lie,
How quickly pass away the flower:
Then may Thy child preparéd be
Through time to meet eternity.

3 My God, I know not how I die;
For death has many ways to come,
In dark mysterious agony,
Or gently as a sleep to some.
Just as Thou wilt, if but it be
To bring me, blesséd Lord, to Thee!

4 My God, I know not where I die,
Where is my grace, beneath what strand;
Yet from its gloom I do rely
To be delivered by Thy hand.
Content, I take what spot is mine,
Since all the earth, my Lord, is Thine.

5 My gracious God, when I must die,
Oh, bear my happy soul above,
With Christ, my Lord, eternally
To share Thy glory and Thy love:
Then comes it right and well to me,
When, where, and how my death shall be.

Text Information

• First Line: My God, I know that I must die
• Title: My God, I Know that I Must die
• Author: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672-1737 (1760)
• Meter: 8 8, 8 8, 8 8.
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1901
• Topic: Death and Resurrection

Tune Information

• Name: VATER UNSER IM HIMMELREICH
• Meter: 8 8, 8 8, 8 8.
• Source: Strassburger Gesangbuch