CCCLXI. The death of a sinner and the saint

1 What scenes of horror and of dread
Await the sinner's dying bed!
Death's terrors all appear in sight,
Presages of eternal night.

2 His sins in dreadful order rise,
And fill his soul with sad surprise;
Mount Sinai's thunder shuns his ears
And not one ray of hope appears.

3 Tormenting pangs distress his breast,
Where'er he turns he finds no rest;
Death strikes the blow, he groans and cries,
And, in despair and horror, dies.

4 Not so the heir of heav'nly bliss;
His soul is fill'd with conscious peace;
A steady faith subdues his fear;
He sees the happy Canaan near.

5 His mind is tranquil and serene,
No terrors in his looks are seen;
His Saviour's smile dispels the gloom,
And smooths his passage to the tomb.

6 Lord, make my faith and love sincere,
My judgment sound, my conscience clear;
And when the toils of life are past,
May I be found in peace at last.

Text Information
First Line: What scenes of horror and of dread
Title: The death of a sinner and the saint
Meter: L. M.
Language: English
Publication Date: 1799
Topic: Funeral; Saints: Death of; Sinners: Death of
Tune Information
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