The Christian’s Death Song

This afternoon, as I sat inside awaiting the snow to subside, I picked up an old book, “A History of the Baptists In Maine” (by Joshua Millett 1845).

As I thumbed through it, an old newspaper clipping slipped out. I have no idea how old this clipping is, but it is heavily yellowed, with old style script. This newspaper clipping (or ripping, to be clear) was a poem entitled “The Christian’s Death Song” by “Belgrade’s Unknown. The poem went as follows:

“The dying Christian lay on his bed,

The tide of life ebbed low,

His soul from its prison had nearly fled,

And yet it seemed loth to go.

A marble like pallor was on his cheek,

A film was gathering o’er his eye,

His once strong voice was faint and weak,

But he was not afraid to die.

E’en as he died, he tried to sing

A song that he had oft sung of yore;

And though his voice had none of manhood’s ring,

The song was echoed on Heaven’s shore.

As he sung, he seemed to grow strong,

And it otherwise could not well be,

For his song was the beautiful, undying song,

“Nearer, my God to Thee.”

He sung ’till his breath was wafted away

By the breeze that blows from the unknown sea;

And the wish of his life fulfilled, he lay

“Nearer my God, to Thee”.

The savage may have his wild song of death

As tortures hurl him into eternity,

But no grander song comes with departing breath,

Than, “Nearer my God to Thee.” “

What a wonderful old gem. So, what is the morale of the story? Open an old book and you may find such a gem!