Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book 501. Why should sorrow ever grieve me

500

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book‎#501

502

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Why should sorrow ever grieve me

501. Why should sorrow ever grieve me

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1 Why should sorrow ever grieve me;
Christ is near,
What can here
E’er of Him deprive me?
Who can rob me of my heaven
That God’s Son
As my own
To my faith hath given?

2 Naked was I and unswathèd
When on earth
At my birth
My first breath I breathèd.
Naked hence shall I betake me
When I go
From earth’s woe,
And my breath forsakes me.

3 Naught--not e’en the life I’m living,
Is mine own,
God alone
All to me is giving.
Must I then His own restore Him?
Though bereft
Of each gift,
Still shall I adore Him.

4 Though a heavy cross I’m bearing,
And my heart
Feels the smart,
Shall I be despairing?
God can help me who doth send it,
He doth know
All my woe
And how best to end it.

5 God oft gives me days of gladness,
Shall I grieve
If He give
Seasons, too, of sadness?
God is good, and tempers ever
Every hurt;
Me desert
Wholly can He never.

6 Though united world and Devil,
All their power
Can no more
Do than mock and cavil.
Let derision now employ them,
Christ e’en here
Will appear
And ’fore all destroy them.

7 True believers, shrinking never,
Where they dwell,
Should reveal
Their true colors ever.
When approaching death would scare them,
Still should they
Patient stay
And with courage bear them.

8 Death can never kill us even,
But relief
From all grief
To us then is given.
It doth close life’s mournful story,
Make a way
That we may
Pass to heavenly glory.

9 There I’ll reap enduring pleasure,
After woe
Here below
Suffered in large measure.
Lasting good we find here never,
All the earth
Deemeth worth
Vanisheth forever.

10 What is all this life possesseth?
But a hand
Full of sand
That the heart distresseth.
Noble gifts that pall me never,
Christ so free
There gives me
To enjoy forever.

11 Lord! Thou Fount of joy forever,
Thou art mine,
I am Thine,
No one can us sever.
I am Thine, because Thou gavest
Life and blood
For my good,
By Thy death me savest.

12 Thou art mine, I love and own Thee,
Ne’er shall I,
Light of joy,
From my heart dethrone Thee.
Let me, let me soon behold Thee
Face to face,
Thy embrace--
May it soon enfold me!