Christ My Song - 467
From earth retiring - Almost home
(Horatius Bonar/Johannes Thomas Rüegg)
Almost home.
1. From earth retiring,
heavenward aspiring,
all my long day's work below now done;
calmly reclining,
all unrepining,
Jesus, let me lean on thy love alone. PDF - Midi
2. On love relying,
thy love undying,
not a shade can fall upon my soul;
here am I resting,
the joy foretasting
of the life beyond this life's dark goal.
3. Thine arms embracing,
each shadow chasing,
chains of flesh now cease my soul to hold;
pilgrim staff breaking,
royal badge taking,
earth's torn raiment all exchanged for gold.
4. No more low caring,
no more wayfaring;
these soiled sandals loosed and flung away.
Done with the soiling,
done with the toiling,
all my burdens lay I down for aye.
5. Ended the jarring,
past all the warring,
quit I gladly life's rude war-array.
Victory crying,
enemies flying,
thus my armour put I off for aye.
6. Pains yet assails me,
strength ofttimes fails me,
yet my weakness is my strength and rest;
light o'er me stealing,
softly revealing
scenes of glory up amongst the blessed.
7. Head no more sinking,
eyes no more shrinking
from the world's gay glitter here below;
life's cup just draining,
time's star fast waning:
Christ, receive my soul! To thee I go.
8. Earth is retreating,
heaven is me greeting,
hope is lighting up new scenes above;
tranquilly lying,
peacefully dying,
Jesus beckons upward to his love.
Horatius Bonar, Hymns of Faith and Hope III, 1878, 54-56.
(7,6 originally: "Christ Jesus, receive my soul! To thee I go.")