After the Death of a Friend, Part 2

O Death, thou art on every side,
Thy thousand gates stand open wide,
The weary to receive:
Yet I can find no rest for me,
I suffer all my misery,
And still alas I live!

Still my imprison'd spirit waits;
In vain for me thy thousand gates
Stand open, day and night,
And other souls their exit make,
On every moment's wings they take
Their everlasting flight.

Envious I hear the passing bell
With sweetly-melancholy knell
Their happy change declare:
But I can see no end of strife,
The' intolerable load of life
I still am forced to bear.

Weary of life, in pain I breathe;
With blind desire I covet death,
But cannot find it nigh;
Unsaved and unredeem'd from sin,
Unchanged, unholy, and unclean,
Yet still I long to die.

Wretch that I am, while unrenew'd
Can I appear, O righteous God,
A sinner in Thy sight?
Nay, but I trust Thy blood shall cleanse
My soul, before Thou take it hence,
And wash my garments white.

When Thou hast spoke my nature clean,
When I have Thy salvation seen,
O Lord my righteousness,
And clasp'd Thee in my loving heart,
Pronounce the welcome word, Depart!
And let me die in peace.