Who Knows How Soon My Days Are Ended

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Who knows how soon my days are ended

Author: Aemilie Juliane, Gräfin von Schwarzburg Rudolstadt; Translator: Herman H. Brueckner
Published in 4 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Who knows how soon my days are ended?
My days are few and time speeds on.
How swiftly, in this world of changes,
May death approach and life be gone.
O God, for Jesus' sake I pray
That I in peace may pass away.

2 So teach me, Lord, my days to number
That when the hour of death appears,
The wounds of Christ may be my refuge,
Nor may I spare repentant tears.
O God, for Jesus' sake I pray
That I in peace may pass away.

3 Help me to put my house in order,
That I may ever ready be
To leave this world and say in meekness:
Lord, as Thou wilt, deal Thou with me.
O God, for Jesus' sake I pray
That I in peace may pass away.

4 O Father, let my sins be covered
With Jesus' blood and righteousness;
By faith this spotless garment wearing,
I find relief from all distress.
O God, for Jesus' sake I pray
That I in peace may pass away.

5 From Jesus naught my soul can sever,
Nor life nor death can do me harm:
Him as my Lord and God confessing,
I shall with ease my foes disarm.
O God, for Jesus' sake I pray
That I in peace may pass away.

Source: American Lutheran Hymnal #301

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Author: Aemilie Juliane, Gräfin von Schwarzburg Rudolstadt

Emilie Juliane was daughter of Count Albert Friedrich of Barby and Mühlingen (on the Elbe, near its junction with the Saale). During the Thirty Years' war her father and family had to seek refuge in the Heidecksburg, the castle of his uncle, Count Ludwig Günther of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt, and Emilie was born at the Heidecksburg, Aug. 16, 1637. After the death of her father (1641) and mother (1642), she was adopted by her mother's sister (who was her godmother, and had become the wife of Count Ludwig Günther), and was educated at Rudolstadt with her cousins, under the care of Dr. Ahasuerus Fritsch, and other tutors. She became the wife of her cousin, Albert Anton, July 7, 1665, and died at Rudolstadt, Dec. 3, 1706 (Koch, iv. 56-63; Allg.… Go to person page >

Translator: Herman H. Brueckner

Born: March 11, 1866, Grundy County, Iowa (birth name: Herman Heinrich Moritz Brueckner). Died: January 25, 1942, Hebron, Nebraska (funeral held in Beatrice, Nebraska). Buried: St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, Waverly, Iowa. After ordination in 1888, Brueckner pastored in Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. He later moved to Iowa City, Iowa, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Iowa State University in 1917. In 1926, he joined the faculty of Hebron College in Nebraska. In 1938, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree on him. He retired as professor emeritus from Hebron College in 1941. Sources: Erickson, p. 254 Findagrave, accessed 14 Nov 2016 Hustad, p. 213 Stulken, p.… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Who knows how soon my days are ended
Title:	Who Knows How Soon My Days Are Ended
German Title:	Wer weiss, wie nahe mir mein Ende
Author:	Aemilie Juliane, Gräfin von Schwarzburg Rudolstadt
Translator:	Herman H. Brueckner
Meter:	9.8.9.8.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain