O how the thought of God attracts
And draws the heart from earth
And sickens it of passing shows
And dissipating mirth!

’Tis not enough to save our souls,
To shun th’eternal fires;
The thought of God will rouse the heart
To more sublime desires.

God only is the creature’s home,
Though rough and strait the road;
Yet nothing less can satisfy
The love that longs for God.

O utter but the Name of God,
Down in your heart of hearts,
And see from the world at once
All tempting light depart!

A trusting heart, a yearning eye,
Can win their way above,
If mountains can be moved by faith,
Is there less power in love?

Within Thy temple, Lord,
We on Thy mercies dwell;
Far as Thy Name is known,
There doth Thy praise excel:
Thy praises sound through every land,
And right Thy scepter shall command.

Let Zion’s mount rejoice,
Let Judah’s daughters praise
The Lord with cheerful voice,
For judgment He displays;
Go round the walls on Zion’s mount,
Go round her splendors to recount.

The towers of Zion tell,
Her palaces survey,
Mark all her bulwarks well,
And to your children say:
This God forever shall abide,
E’en unto death, our God and Guide.

Be Thou my Guardian and my Guide;
And hear me when I call;
Let not my slippery footsteps slide,
And hold me lest I fall.

The world, the flesh, and Satan dwell
Around the path I tread;
O, save me from the snares of hell,
Thou Quickener of the dead.

And if I tempted am to sin,
And outward things are strong,
Do Thou, O Lord, keep watch within,
And save my soul from wrong.

Still let me ever watch and pray,
And feel that I am frail;
that if the tempter cross my way,
Yet he may not prevail.

Father of love, our Guide and Friend,
O lead us gently on,
Until life’s trial time shall end,
And heav’nly peace be won.

We know not what the path may be
As yet by us untrod;
But we can trust our all to Thee,
Our Father and our God.

If called, like Abraham’s child, to climb
The hill of sacrifice,
Some angel may be there in time;
Deliverance shall arise.

Or, if some darker lot be good,
O teach us to endure
The sorrow, pain or solitude,
That makes the spirit pure.

Christ by no flowery pathway came;
And we, His followers here,
Must do Thy will and praise Thy Name,
In hope, and love and fear.

And, till in Heav’n we sinless bow,
And faultless anthems raise,
O Father, Son, and Spirit, now,
Accept our feeble praise.

From God shall naught divide me,
For He is true for aye
And on my path will guide me,
Who else should often stray.
His right hand holdeth me;
For me He truly careth,
My burdens ever beareth,
Wherever I may be.

When man’s help and affection
Shall unavailing prove,
God grants me His protection
And shows His power and love.
He helps in every need,
From sin and shame redeems me,
From chains and bonds reclaims me,
Yea, e’en from death I’m freed.

God shall be my Reliance
In sorrow’s darkest night;
Its dread I bid defiance
When He is at my right.
I unto Him commend
My body, soul, and spirit—
They are His own by merit—
All’s well then at the end.

Oh, praise Him, for He never
Forgets our daily need;
Oh, blest the hour whenever
To Him our thoughts can speed;
Yea, all the time we spend
Without Him is wasted,
Till we His joy have tasted,
The joy that hath no end.

Yea, when the world shall perish
With all its pride and power,
Whatever worldlings cherish
Shall vanish in that hour.
But though in death they make
The deepest grave our cover,
When there our sleep is over,
Our God will us awake.

What though I here must suffer
Distress and trials sore,
I merit ways still rougher;
And yet there is in store
For me eternal bliss,
Yea, pleasures without measure,
Since Christ is now my Treasure,
And shall be evermore.

God makes a path, provides a guide,
And feeds in wilderness;
His glorious Name, while breath remains,
O that I may confess.

Lost many a time, I had no guide,
No house but hollow tree;
In stormy winter night, no fire,
No food, no company.

In Him I found a house, a bed,
A table, company;
No cup so bitter but made sweet,
Where God shall sweetening be.

God of compassion, in mercy befriend us;
Giver of grace for our needs all availing;
Wisdom and strength for each day do Thou send us,
Patience untiring and courage unfailing.

Wandering and lost, Thou hast sought us and found us,
Stilled our rude hearts with Thy Word consoling,
Wrap now Thy peace, like a mantle, around us,
Guarding our thoughts and our passions controlling.

How shall we stray, with Thy hand to direct us,
Thou Who the stars in their courses art guiding?
What shall we fear, with Thy power to protect us,
We who walk forth in Thy greatness confiding?

Through each perplexing care and strife,
That marks the checkered path of life,
My Savior’s guiding hand I see,
And know that still He leadeth me.

Refrain

He leadeth me, he leadeth me,
Let this my theme of rapture be!
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
My Savior’s guiding hand I see.

Though trials great before me rise,
Though clouds of sorrow veil my skies,
Unmoved the coming storm I see,
For God my Savior leadeth me.

Refrain

He leadeth me, O joy divine!
The glory His, the cross be mine,
Since He who suffered on the tree
In tender mercy leadeth me.

Refrain

With Him, my soul’s eternal Guide,
What can I wish or want beside?
In life or death my song shall be,
My loving Savior leadeth me.

Refrain

Holy Spirit, faithful Guide, ever near the Christian’s side;
Gently lead us by the hand, pilgrims in a desert land.
Weary souls fore’er rejoice, while they hear that sweetest voice,
Whispering softly, “Wanderer, come, follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”

Ever present, truest Friend, ever near Thine aid to lend,
Leave us not to doubt and fear, groping on in darkness drear.
When the storms are raging sore, hearts grow faint and hopes give o’er.
Whispering softly, “Wanderer, come, follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”

When our days of toil cease, waiting still for sweet release,
Nothing left but heaven and prayer, wondering if our names are there;
Wading deep the dismal flood, pleading naught but Jesus’ blood,
Whispering softly, “Wanderer, come, follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”

I little see, I little know,
Yet I can fear no ill;
He who hath guided me till now
Will be my leader still.

No burden yet was on me laid
Of trouble or of care,
But He my trembling step hath stayed,
And given me strength to bear.

I know not what beyond may lie,
But look, in humble faith,
Into a larger life to die,
And find new birth in death.

He will not leave my soul forlorn;
I still must find Him true,
Whose mercies have been new each morn
And every evening new.

Upon His providence I lean,
As lean in faith I must;
The lesson of my life hath been
A heart of grateful trust.

And so my onward way I fare
With happy heart and calm,
And mingle with my daily care
The music of my psalm.

Like a shepherd, tender, true,
Jesus leads, Jesus leads,
Daily finds us pastures new,
Jesus leads, Jesus leads;
If thick mists are o’er the way,
Or the flock ’mid danger feeds,
He will watch them lest they stray,
Jesus leads, Jesus leads.

All along life’s rugged road
Jesus leads, Jesus leads,
Till we reach yon blest abode,
Jesus leads, Jesus leads;
All the way, before He’s trod,
And He now the flock precedes,
Safe into the fold of God,
Jesus leads, Jesus leads.

Thro’ the sunlit ways of life
Jesus leads, Jesus leads,
Thro’ the warrings and the strife
Jesus leads, Jesus leads;
When we reach the Jordan’s tide,
Where life’s bound’ry line recedes,
He will the spread the waves aside,
Jesus leads, Jesus leads.

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home,
When life’s toils are ended
And parting days have come;
Sin no more shall tempt me,
Ne’er from Thee I’ll roam,
If Thou’lt only lead me, Father,
Lead me gently home.

Refrain

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently
Lest I fall upon the wayside,
Lead me gently home.

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home,
In life’s darkest hours, Father,
When life’s troubles come;
Keep my feet from wand’ring,
Lest from Thee I roam,
Lest I fall upon the wayside,
Lead me gently home.

Refrain

Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
O’er the world’s tempestuous sea;
Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
For we have no help but Thee;
Yet possessing every blessing
If our God our Father be.

Savior, breathe forgiveness o’er us;
All our weakness Thou dost know;
Thou didst tread this earth before us,
Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
Lone and dreary, faint and weary,
Through the desert Thou didst go.

Spirit of our God, descending,
Fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
Love with every passion blending,
Pleasure that can never cloy;
Thus provided, pardoned, guided,
Nothing can our peace destroy.

Step by step, O loving Savior,
In Thine own appointed way,
In the path which Thou hast chosen,
Lead us on, from day to day.

Refrain

Lead us on, O lead us ever,
Till we all Thy face shall see:
For our hope is in Thy mercy,
We are trusting only Thee.

Lead us on, though stormy billows
Wild and dark before us rise;
Let Thy precious bow of promise
Shine resplendent from the skies.

Refrain

Lead us on, our souls defending,
Till the latest storm is past,
And we hear our loved ones singing,
“Welcome, welcome home at last!”

Refrain

You are traveling on a railway,
Winding through this maze of life,
Climbing up the hills of trial,
Into vales of sin and strife;
But there’s one who knows the journey,
He can surely take you through;
Jesus knows the way to glory,
He will safely carry you.

Refrain

Jesus, Savior, blessèd Keeper,
Guide us on to Heav’n above;
Where the saints throughout the ages
Will unite in songs of love.

Curves will meet you as you journey,
You will meet with wrecks of time;
You will cross the bridge of sadness,
You will reach some heights sublime.
Never fear, for Christ is with you,
And He knows the way so plain;
Keep your eye on your dear Savior,
He will banish fear and pain.

Refrain

Wind and rain some days will hinder,
Skies will darken, sickness come;
You will want to travel freely
To a friend or heav’nly home;
Put your trust in Christ the Savior,
Well He knows this line and rail;
He will never leave you lonely
For His love will never fail.

Refrain

You will cross the bridge of mercy
And the river of delight,
You will climb the hills supernal,
You shall gain the hills of light;
Soon the home so freely given
Will be seen on “glory’s shore”;
You have reached the heav’nly station,
Ne’er to leave forevermore.

Refrain

Life is like a mountain railroad, with an engineer that’s brave;
We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave;
Watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels; never falter, never quail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Refrain

Blessèd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

You will roll up grades of trial; you will cross the bridge of strife;
See that Christ is your Conductor on this lightning train of life;
Always mindful of obstruction, do your duty, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Refrain

You will often find obstructions; look for storms of wind and rain;
On a fill, or curve, or trestle, they will almost ditch your train;
Put your trust alone in Jesus; never falter, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Refrain

As you roll across the trestle, spanning Jordan’s swelling tide,
You behold the Union Depot into which your train will glide;
There you’ll meet the Superintendent, God the Father, God the Son,
With the hearty, joyous, plaudit, “Weary pilgrim, welcome home!”

Refrain

Lord and Savior, true and kind,
Be the Master of my mind;
Bless, and guide, and strengthen still
All my powers of thought and will.

While I ply the scholar’s task,
Jesus Christ, be near, I ask;
Help the memory, clear the brain,
Knowledge still to seek and gain.

Here I train for life’s swift race;
Let me do it in Thy grace;
Here I arm me for life’s fight;
Let me do it in Thy might.

Thou hast made me mind and soul;
I for Thee would use the whole;
Thou hast died that I might live;
All my powers to Thee I give.

Striving, thinking, learning, still,
Let me follow thus Thy will,
Till my whole glad nature be
Trained for duty and for Thee.

To Thine eternal arms, O God,
Take us, Thine erring children, in;
From dangerous paths too boldly trod,
From wandering thoughts and dreams of sin.

Those arms were round our childhood’s ways,
A guard through helpless years to be;
O leave not our maturer days!
We still are helpless without Thee.

We trusted hope and pride and strength;
Our strength proved false, our pride was vain;
Our dreams have faded all at length—
We come to Thee, O Lord, again!

A guide to trembling steps yet be!
Give us of Thine eternal power!
So shall our paths all lead to Thee,
And life still smile, like childhood’s hour.