Why Should We Start, and Fear to Die?

Why should we start and fear to die?

What ti­mo­rous worms we mor­tals are!

Death is the gate of end­less joy

And yet we dread to en­ter there.

The pains

the groans

the dy­ing strife

Fright our ap­proach­ing souls away;

Still we shrink back again to life

Fond of our pri­son and our clay.

O! If my Lord would come and meet

My soul should stretch her wings in haste

Fly fear­less through death’s ir­on gate

Nor feel the ter­rors as she passed.

Jesus can make a dy­ing bed

Feel soft as dow­ny pil­lows are

While on His breast I lean my head

And breathe my life out sweet­ly there.