



           "When My Last Hour Is Close at Hand"

                by Nikolaus Herman, 1480-1561

                                 Text From:

                      THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL

        (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)







        1. When my last hour is close at hand,

        Lord Jesus Christ, attend me;

        Beside me then, O Savior, stand

        To comfort and defend me.

        Into Thy hands I will commend

        My soul at this my earthly end,

        And Thou wilt keep it safely.



        2. My sins, dear Lord, disturb me sore,

        My conscience cannot slumber;

        But though as sands upon the shore

        My sins may be in number,

        I will not quail, but think of Thee;

        Thy death, Thy sorrow, borne for me,

        Thy sufferings, shall uphold me.



        3. I am a branch in Thee, the Vine,

        And hence the comfort borrow

        That Thou wilt surely keep me Thine

        Through fear and pain and sorrow;

        And when I die, I die to Thee,

        Thy precious death hath won for me

        The life that never endeth.



        4. Since Thou the power of death didst rend,

        In death Thou wilt not leave me;

        Since Thou didst into heaven ascend,

        No fear of death shall grieve me.

        For where Thou art, there shall I be

        That I may ever live with Thee;

        That is my hope when dying.



        5. My spirit I commend to Thee

        And gladly hence betake me;

        Peaceful and calm my sleep shall be,

        No human voice can wake me.

        But Christ is with me through the strife,

        And He will bear me into life

        And open heaven before me.



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        Notes:

        Hymn #594 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_

        Text: John 15: 5

        Author: Nikolaus Herman, 1562 (stanzas 1-4)

        Author: Unknown, 1575 (stanza 5)

        Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1869, alt.

        Titled: "Wenn mein Stuendlein vorhanden ist"

        Tune: "Wenn mein Stuendlein"

        1st Published in: _Kirchengesaeng_

        Town: Frankfurt a. M., 1569

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        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg

        by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain.  You may

        freely distribute, copy or print this text.  Please direct any

        comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther

        Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.



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