In my Music Notebook

"The Sentences" 
 William Croft

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord :
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shalt stand
at the latter day upon the earth.
And though after my skin worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God:
whom I shall see for myself,
and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

We brought nothing into this world,
and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live,
and is full of misery.
He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower;
he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay.
In the midst of life we are in death:
of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord,
who for our sins art justly displeased?
Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty,
O holy and most merciful Saviour,
deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me,
Write,
From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord:
even so saith the Spirit:
for they rest from their labours.
Amen.