Now let my soul give praise
For Jesus' wondrous goodness
Six and eighty years have gone
And I am really childish now;
A child however cannot say
How the mother has protected it.
Therefore shall I remain quiet,
It goes according to God's will

O child of man, where now have gone
The eighty-seven years?
So many days, so many thousand hours,
Where are they now? O God, they have departed
What is neglected, what was I ordered?
Not one hour can I bring back.
Lord Jesus, Thou must be my judge.
In Thee alone I put my trust,
Oh wrap me in Thy Jesus-name,
Thy will be done, I speak my yea and amen.

Now have eight and eighty years
Of my mortal life gone by,
Faith has always clearly taught me
For a future life to hope.
If doubt comes now to plague me
My Jesus never will forsake me
The ignominy of His crown of thorns
He gives to me as my reward

Each night brings its day,
Each day has its care,
Until the evening says: for the morrow
God, Himself, will amply care.
Oh then rejoice and take new courage,
God does all things right and well
Sander Mack, aged eighty-nine years.

Jesus, name so heavenly fair,
Makes the bitter waters sweet,
Source of light, rich in mercy,
Oh come, destroy the darkness
Jehovah stands a firm foundation
When all things else must pass away.
Justice is God's citadel
On which God has set His throne.
Blessings are given by God's right hand,
But at His left, His sword is sharpened.
He who seeks his refuge in God's house
Must cast out all the evil from his heart.

Before the mountains were created,
And before the world was made,
God loved the Gates of Zion
Just as now and evermore;
And to love us purely
He's inscribed us in the Book of Life
Who signs this in a godly way
Remains forever blessed.
The poor pilgrim whom the mercy of God has sustained until he is ninety years old has still written this with his own hand.

Now again has passed away,
of this short time of life,
Another year, and all its hours
have gone into eternity
So one and sixty years,
just like a single term
Of my allotted time, have slipped away
as one forgets a guest.

If in sadness I've been sitting,
this no longer brings me care
Only when I've acted lightly
does there come to me despair.
Good Lord, teach me to consider
well, the preciousness of time,
And to turn my heart, in faith,
to the joys of eternity.

Sixty-two years have today
Of my pilgrimage gone by,
In which I've experienced
Nothing but God's truth and goodness
All my friends, all my enemies
Have now made their peace with me.
Indeed as often as they met,
Hard it was that they oppressed me.
Up to the wings of Jesus
Did they drive me splendidly,
Who on Zion's steadfast hills,
Blissfully refreshes me,
Making me forget all
That does not taste of love;
For Christ's love, without measure,
Covers even many sins.

Have three and sixty years now vanished
Forever from my life?
Have I experienced this past year
Especial hardship, trouble, need and strife?
Then God has strengthened, in some strange way,
My heart in sadness and in pain.
If one should wish to sentence me,
Help, O Rock Immanuel!
If o'er my head the staff be broken,
Oh then fleeth my poor soul
To Thee, in Thy fortress strong
As Thy ally, poor and needy.

This year, also, has the Lord
Borne me like a Father true,
To and fro on eagles' wings.
Through good and evil days
In many kinds of perils
He ruled for me the hardships
To the glory of His name.