See, Another Year Is Gone

See! ano­th­er year is gone!

Quickly have the sea­sons passed!

This we en­ter now up­on

May to ma­ny prove our last:

Mercy hi­ther­to has spared

But have mer­cies been im­proved?

Let us ask

am I pre­pared

Should I be this year re­moved?

Some we now no long­er see

Who their mor­tal race have run;

Seemed as fair for life as we

When the for­mer year be­gun;

Some

but who God on­ly knows

Who are here as­sembled now

Ere the pre­sent year shall close

To the stroke of death must bow.

Life a field of bat­tle is

Thousands fall with­in our view;

And the next death bolt that flies

May be sent to me or you:

While we preach

and while we hear

Help us

Lord

each one

to think

Vast eter­ni­ty is near

I am stand­ing on the brink.

If from guilt and sin set free

By the know­ledge of Thy grace;

Welcome

then

the call will be

To de­part and see Thy face:

To Thy saints

while here be­low

With new years

new mer­cies come;

But the hap­pi­est year they know

Is their last

which leads them home.