Arrival and Departure

Now a word came stealing to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
Amid thoughts from visions of night,
when deep sleep falls on mortals,
Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made all my bones shake.
Then a spirit glided past my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled.
It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
Can mortals be righteous before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
Even in His servants He puts no trust;
And His angels He charges with error.
How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
Between morning and evening they are destroyed;
Unobserved, they perish forever.
Their tent-cord is plucked up within them? and they die devoid of wisdom.

Grant that Michael and all your angles may defend your people against Satan and every evil foe and that at the last we may come to that heavenly country where your saints forever sing your praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.