The everlasting absence of God intolerable.

That awful day will surely come,

Th' appointed hour makes haste,

When I must stand before my Judge,

And pass the solemn test.

Thou lovely chief of all my joys,

Thou sovereign of my heart!

How could I bear to hear thy voice

Pronounce the sound, "Depart!"

[The thunder of that dismal word

Would so torment my ear,

'Twould tear my soul asunder, Lord,

With most tormenting fear.]

[What! to be banished from my life,

And yet forbid to die!

To linger in eternal pain,

Yet death for ever fly!]

O, wretched state of deep despair!

To see my God remove,

And fix my doleful station where

I must not taste his love.

Jesus, I throw my arms around,

And hang upon thy breast;

Without a gracious smile from thee

My spirit cannot rest.

O, tell me that my worthless name

Is graven on thy hands;

Show me some promise in thy book

Where my salvation stands!

[Give me one kind assuring word

To sink my fears again,

And cheerfully my soul shall wait

Her threescore years and ten.]