O Lord, turn not Thy face from me,
Who lie in woeful state,
Lamenting all my sinful life
Before Thy mercy-gate.

A gate which opens wide to those
That do lament their sin;
Shut not that gate against me, Lord,
But let me enter in.

And call me not to strict account
How I have sojourned here;
For then my guilty conscience knows
How vile I shall appear.

So come I to Thy mercy gate,
Where mercy doth abound,
Requiring mercy for my sin
To heal my deadly wound.

Mercy, good Lord, mercy I ask;
This is my humble prayer;
For mercy, Lord is all my suit,
O let Thy mercy spare.

That fearful day, that day of speechless dread,
When Thou shalt come to judge the quick and dead—
I shudder to foresee,
O God! what then shall be!

When Thou shalt come, angelic legions round,
With thousand thousands, and with trumpet sound,
Christ, grant me in the air
With saints to meet Thee there!

Weep, O my soul, ere that great hour and day,
When God shall shine in manifest array,
Thy sin, that thou may’st be
In that strict judgment free!

The terror! Hell-fire fierce and unsufficed:
The bitter worm: the gnashing teeth—O Christ,
Forgive, remit, protect;
And set me with the elect!

That I may hear the blessèd voice that calls
The righteous to the joy of heavenly halls.
And, King of Heaven, may reach
The realm that passeth speech!

Enter Thou not in judgment with each deed,
Nor each intent and thought in strictness read:
Forgive, and save me then,
O Thou That lovest men!

Thee, One in Three blest Persons! Lord o’er all!
Essence of essence, Power of power we call:
Save us, O Father, Son,
And Spirit, ever one!

When morning lights the eastern skies,
O Lord, Thy mercy show;
On Thee alone my hope relies,
Let me Thy kindness know.

Teach me the way that I should go;
I lift my soul to Thee;
For refuge from my cruel foe
To Thee, O Lord, I flee.

Thou art my God, to Thee I pray;
Teach me Thy will to heed;
And in the right and perfect way
May Thy good Spirit lead.

For Thy Name’s sake, O gracious Lord,
Revive my soul and bless,
And in Thy faithfulness and love
Redeem me from distress.

O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine, would I be;
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.

Refrain

Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,”
I’m hiding in Thee.

In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,
In times when temptation casts o’er me its power;
In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.

Refrain

How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.

Refrain

Lord, as to Thy dear cross we flee,
And plead to be forgiven,
So let Thy life our pattern be,
And form our souls for heaven.

Help us through good report and ill
Our daily cross to bear,
Like Thee to do our Father’s will,
Our brethren’s grief to share.

Let grace our selfishness expel,
Our earthliness refine,
And kindness in our being dwell,
As free and true as Thine.

If joy shall at Thy bidding fly,
And grief’s dark day come on,
We in our turn would meekly cry,
“Father, Thy will be done.”

Should friends misjudge, or foes defame,
Or brethren faithless prove,
Then, like Thine own, be all our aim
To conquer them by love.

Kept peaceful in the midst of strife,
Forgiving and forgiven,
O may we lead the pilgrim’s life
And follow Thee to Heaven.

O Lamb of God, still keep me
Close to Thy piercèd side;
’Tis only there in safety
And peace I can abide.
What foes and snares surround me,
What lusts and fears within!
The grace that sought and found me
Alone can keep me clean.

’Tis only in Thee hiding
I feel myself secure;
Only in Thee abiding,
The conflict can endure.
Thine arm the victory gaineth
O’er every hateful foe;
Thy love my heart sustaineth
In all its cares and woe.

Soon shall my eyes behold Thee
With rapture face to face;
One half hath not been told me
Of all Thy power and grace.
Thy beauty, Lord, and glory,
The wonders of Thy love,
Shall be the endless story
Of all Thy saints above.

See the shining dewdrops
On the flowers strewed,
Proving as they sparkle,
“God is ever good,
Ever good.”

See the morning sunbeams
Lighting up the wood,
Silently proclaiming,
“God is ever good,
Ever good.”

Hear the mountain streamlet
In its solitude,
With its ripple saying,
“God is ever good,
Ever good.”

He Who came to save us
Shed His precious blood;
Better things it speaketh:
“God is ever good,
Ever good.”

Bring, my heart, thy tribute,
Songs of gratitude;
All things join to tell us,
“God is ever good,
Ever good.”

My stubborn will at last hath yielded;
I would be Thine, and Thine alone;
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
Lord, let in me Thy will be done.

Refrain

Sweet will of God, still fold me closer;
Till I am wholly lost in Thee;
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee.

Refrain

I’m tired of sin, footsore and weary,
The darksome path hath dreary grown,
But now a light has ris’n to cheer me;
I find in Thee my Star, my Sun.

Refrain

Thy precious will, O conqu’ring Savior,
Doth now embrace and compass me;
All discords hushed, my peace a river,
My soul, a prisoned bird, set free.

Refrain

Shut in with Thee, O Lord, forever,
My wayward feet no more to roam;
What pow’r from Thee my soul can sever?
The center of God’s will my home.

Refrain

Within the maddening maze of things,
When tossed by storm and flood,
To one fixed trust my spirit clings;
I know that God is good!

No offering of my own I have,
Nor works my faith to prove;
I can but give the gifts He gave,
And plead His love for love.

I know not where His islands lift
Their fronded palms in air;
I only know I cannot drift
Beyond His love and care.

And so beside the silent sea
I wait the muffled oar;
No harm from Him can come to me
On ocean or on shore.

I know not what the future hath
Of marvel or surprise,
Assured alone that life and death
His mercy underlies.