If pathless forests meet my view,
I will not doubt or fear;
What has been done that I can do,
My way shall be made clear.

Refrain

I’ve decided, Lord, that I will follow Thee,
Anywhere, anywhere,
Over the land or over the sea,
It matters not where it may be,
For I’ve decided, Lord, to follow Thee,
Anywhere.

No trackless plain my faith can dim,
Despite its vast domain;
But with my faith made strong in Him,
I’ll sing my glad refrain.

Refrain

No sea too deep nor wide for me,
With faith shall I embark;
For He Who walked on Galilee
Will safely guide my bark.

Refrain

So anywhere and everywhere
In pleasure, woe or pain;
My cross alone I do not bear,
Nor do I trust in vain.

Refrain

“Follow Me,” the Master said;
We will follow Jesus:
By His Word and Spirit led,
We will follow Jesus.
Still for us He lives to plead,
At the throne doth intercede,
Offers help in time of need:
We will follow Jesus.

Should the world and sin oppose,
We will follow Jesus:
He is greater than our foes,
We will follow Jesus.
On His promise we depend;
He will succor and defend,
Help and keep us to the end:
We will follow Jesus.

Tho’ the way may dark appear,
We will follow Jesus:
He will make our pathway clear,
We will follow Jesus.
In our daily round of care,
As we plead with God in prayer,
With the cross which we must bear,
We will follow Jesus.

Ever keep the end in view;
We will follow Jesus:
All His promises are true:
We will follow Jesus.
When this earthly course is run,
And the Master says, “Well done!”
Life eternal we’ll have won!
We will follow Jesus.

The Lord is our Shepherd, precious Friend and Guide,
We’ll trust Him ever, trust Him ever, walking by His side;
Be this our endeavor faithfully to show,
Where Jesus leads our willing feet beside Him still shall go.

Refrain

We’ll go, we’ll go, we’ll gladly, gladly go,
Though skies are dark and chilly winds may blow,
The lost to find, or bravely meet the foe,
Wherever Jesus calls us we’ll gladly, gladly go.

Through sunshine or tempest, over land or sea,
Whate’er befalls us, where He calls us, quickly we would be;
The toils that await us though we cannot know,
At His command with heart and hand beside Him we will go.

Refrain

The Lord is our Keeper, watching ever near,
In Him confiding, firm abiding, wherefore should we fear?
We’ll cling to the promise left us here below,
And wheresoe’er He leadeth us beside Him we will go.

Refrain

I longed to be a child of God,
And do my Savior’s will;
And yet the sin that most I feared,
I knew unconquered still.
“Dear Lord,” I said, for as I knelt
I saw Him on the tree—
“This heavy burden on my heart,
I’ll gladly bear for Thee.”

Refrain

So now for Him Who died for me,
I’m willing all to bear
Obedient love will never fail,
To bring the answered prayer.

The cold was lifted from my soul,
My burden rolled away;
The light of joy around me shed,
A calm and heavenly ray.
“Dear Lord,” I said, “I praise Thy Name
For Thy rich grace to me;
My load is gone and now I rest,
In perfect peace with Thee.”

Refrain

I heard a gentle voice within
A whisper soft and mild;
“Thy sin was cancelled by His blood,
Who owns thee for His child.”
“Dear Lord,” I said, “the work is Thine,
And Thine the glory be.
My life, my soul, my every pow’r,
I consecrate to Thee.”

Refrain

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and Heaven are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
What a Savior died to win thee, child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.

How happy are the saints above,
Who once went sorrowing here!
But now they taste unmingled love,
And joy without a tear.

The consecrated cross I’ll bear
Till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there’s a crown for me.

Upon the crystal pavement down
At Jesus’ piercèd feet,
Joyful I’ll cast my golden crown
And His dear Name repeat.

O precious cross! O glorious crown!
O resurrection day!
When Christ the Lord from Heav’n comes down
And bears my soul away.

“Nearer the cross!” my heart can say
I am coming nearer,
Nearer the cross from day to day,
I am coming nearer;
Nearer the cross where Jesus died,
Nearer the fountain’s crimson tide,
Nearer my Savior’s wounded side,
I am coming nearer, I am coming nearer.

Nearer the Christian’s mercy seat,
I am coming nearer;
Feasting my soul on manna sweet
I am coming nearer;
Stronger in faith, more clear I see
Jesus Who gave Himself for me;
Nearer to Him I still would be,
Still I’m coming nearer
Still I’m coming nearer.

Nearer in prayer my hope aspires,
I am coming nearer;
Deeper the love my soul desires,
I am coming nearer;
Nearer the end of toil and care,
Nearer the joy I long to share,
Nearer the crown I soon shall wear;
I am coming nearer;
I am coming nearer.

O Jesu, crucified for man,
O Lamb, all glorious on Thy throne,
Teach Thou our wondering souls to scan
The mystery of Thy love unknown.

We pray Thee, grant us strength to take
Our daily cross, whate’er it be,
And gladly for Thine own dear sake
In paths of pain to follow Thee.

As on our daily way we go,
Through light or shade, in calm or strife,
O may we bear Thy marks below
In conquered sin and chastened life.

And week by week this day we ask
That holy memories of Thy cross
May sanctify each common task,
And turn to gain each earthly loss.

Grant us, dear Lord, our cross to bear,
Till at Thy feet we lay it down,
Win through Thy blood our pardon there,
And through the cross attain the crown.

“Take up thy cross,” the Savior said,
“If thou wouldst My disciple be;
Deny thyself, the world forsake,
And humbly follow after Me.”

Take up thy cross, let not its weight
Fill thy weak spirit with alarm;
His strength shall bear thy spirit up,
And brace thy heart and nerve thine arm.

Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,
Nor let thy foolish pride rebel;
Thy Lord for thee the cross endured,
And saved thy soul from death and hell.

Take up thy cross then in His strength,
And calmly sin’s wild deluge brave,
’Twill guide thee to a better home,
It points to glory o’er the grave.

Take up thy cross and follow Christ,
Nor think til death to lay it down;
For only those who bear the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.

To Thee, great Lord, the One in Three,
All praise forevermore ascend:
O grant us in our home to see
The heavenly life that knows no end.

Thou hast said, exalted Jesus,
“Take thy cross and follow Me”;
Shall the word with terror seize us?
Shall we from the burden flee?
Lord, I’ll take it, Lord, I’ll take it,
And rejoicing, follow Thee.

While this liquid tomb surveying,
Emblem of my Savior’s grave,
Shall I shun its brink, betraying
Feelings worthy of a slave?
No, I’ll enter, no, I’ll enter;
Jesus entered Jordan’s wave.

Blest the sign which thus reminds me,
Savior, of Thy love for me;
But more blest the love that binds me
In its deathless bonds to Thee;
Oh, what pleasure, oh, what pleasure,
Buried with my Lord to be!

Fellowship with Him possessing,
Let me die to earth and sin;
Let me rise t’enjoy the blessing
Which the faithful soul shall win;
May I ever, may I ever
Follow where my Lord has been.

Thou say’st, “Take up thy cross,
O man, and follow Me”;
The night is black, the feet are slack,
Yet we would follow Thee.

But O dear Lord, we cry,
That we Thy face could see!
Thy blessèd face one moment’s space—
Then might we follow Thee!

Dim tracts of time divide
Those golden days from me;
Thy voice comes strange o’er years of change;
How can I follow Thee?

Comes faint and far Thy voice
From vales of Galilee;
Thy vision fades in ancient shades;
How should we follow Thee?

O heavy cross—of faith
In what we cannot see!
As once of yore Thyself restore
And help to follow Thee.

If not as once Thou cam’st
In true humanity,
Come yet as Guest within the breast
That burns to follow Thee.

Within our hearts of hearts
In nearest nearness be:
Set up Thy throne within Thine own;
Go, Lord: We follow Thee.

I must needs go home by the way of the cross,
There’s no other way but this;
I shall ne’er get sight of the gates of light,
If the way of the cross I miss.

Refrain

The way of the cross leads home,
The way of the cross leads home,
It is sweet to know as I onward go,
The way of the cross leads home.

I must needs go on in the blood sprinkled way,
The path that the Savior trod,
If I ever climb to the heights sublime,
Where the soul is at home with God.

Refrain

Then I bid farewell to the way of the world,
To walk in it never more;
For the Lord says, “Come,” and I seek my home,
Where He waits at the open door.

Refrain