Church poetry : or, Christian thoughts in old and modern verse . FUTURE STATE. THE MEDITATION. John Norris. It must be done, my soul, but tis a strange A dismal and mysterious change,When thou shalt leave this tenement of clay,And to an unknown somewhere wing away ;When time shall be eternity, and thouShall be thou knowst not what, and live thou knowstnot how. Amazing state ! no wonder that we dreadTo think of death, or view the all wrappd up in clouds, as if to theeOur very knowledge had could not a more sad retinue find—Sickness and pain before, and darkness all b

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Church poetry : or, Christian thoughts in old and modern verse . FUTURE STATE. THE MEDITATION. John Norris. It must be done, my soul, but tis a strange A dismal and mysterious change,When thou shalt leave this tenement of clay,And to an unknown somewhere wing away ;When time shall be eternity, and thouShall be thou knowst not what, and live thou knowstnot how. Amazing state ! no wonder that we dreadTo think of death, or view the all wrappd up in clouds, as if to theeOur very knowledge had could not a more sad retinue find—Sickness and pain before, and darkness all behind. 268 FUTURE STATE. Some courteous ghost, tell this great secresy, What tis you are and we must warn us of approaching death, and whyMay we not know from you what tis to die ?But you, having shot the gulf, delight to seeSucceeding souls plunge in, with like uncertainty. When lifes close knot, by writ from destiny, Disease shall cut, or age untie ;When after some delays, some dying strife,The soul stands shivering on the ridge of life ;With what a

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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectreligio, bookyear1848