I can remember Bev Shea singing this song on an EP record way back in time. I got to love the words and he only sang verses 1 2 5 6 and feel verses 3 4 are best omitted. Maybe he felt the same.

I found this song in a small collection of songs, back in the 1950’s, in a bookstore on 95th Avenue, in Chicago. The store was on the north side of 95th, and between Damon and Western. It had a green cover, and about 16 or 20 songs in it. Being a piano player with limited “left hand” skills, I bought the book solely on the basis of the number of notes in the “left hand” as opposed to the proponderence (sp?) of notes in the “G” clef.

http://bfmindia.blogspot.com/2015/08/by-life-or-by-death-by-will-h-houghton.html


So this is life, this world with all its pleasures,
Struggles and tears, a smile, a frown, a sigh,
Friendship so true, and love of kin and neighbor.
Sometimes 'tis hard to live - always, to die

The world moves on, so rapidly the living
The forms of those who disappear replace,
And each one dreams that he will be enduring -
How soon that one becomes the missing face!

In life or death - and life is surely flying,
The crib and coffin carved from the self-same tree.
In life or death--and death so soon is coming -
Escape I cannot, there's no place to flee -

But Thou, O God, hast life that is eternal;
That life is mine, a gift through Thy dear Son.
Help me to feel its flush and pulse supernal,
Assurance of the morn when life is done.

Help me to know the value of these hours,
Help me the folly of all waste to see;
Help me to trust the Christ who bore my sorrows,
And thus to yield for life or death to Thee.

In all my days be glorified, Lord Jesus,
In all my ways guide me with Thine own eye;
Just when and as Thou wilt, use me, Lord Jesus,
And then for me 'tis Christ, to live or die.

George Beverly Shea sang this song in the 50's. It's very dear to my Dad, and he can't find the lyrics anywhere. The first line is "So this is life, this world with all its sorrows."