2 This earth is but a vale of tears, Where grief on every side appears; Sad hours of conflict, toil, and woe Here ebb and flow, Till we are summoned hence to go. 3 Today with joy our hearts beat high; Tomorrow in the grave we lie: Though as the rose we bloom today, We soon decay, And sorrow everywhere hath sway. 4 Lord, may we meditate aright How soon we all must fade from sight, How swiftly from the earth we fly, All born to die, Rich, poor, wise, simple, low and high. 5 Few are our days and sad below, Our daily bread is toil and woe: But God in His good time will send A peaceful end: Death from a foe is made a friend. 6 And though our sins against us rise, His Son belovéd to the grave. 7 This thought in every pain and grief Brings comfort, sweet and full relief, That we shall rise when Christ apNo more in tears, [pears, As now, in these our pilgrim years. 8 O Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who hast redeemed us with Thy blood, Thy precious wounds our refuge be: For rest we flee, O Lord, our only hope, to Thee. We sing the praise of Him who died, Of Him who died up-on the cross; The sin-ner's hope let men de-ride, For this we count the world but loss. 2 Inscribed upon the cross we see 3 The cross, it takes our guilt away, 4 It makes the coward spirit brave, 5 The balm of life, the cure of woe, 2 So vile I am, how dare I hope to stand In the pure glory of that holy land? Yet there are hands stretched out to draw me near. 3 The while I fain would tread the heavenly way, Yet on mine ears the gracious tidings fall, |