O God, how good Thou art
To all the pure of heart,
Though life seems vain.
Burdened with anxious care,
I groped in dark despair,
Till in Thy house of prayer,
All was made plain.

Ever, O Lord, with Thee,
All shall be well with me,
Held by Thy hand.
And Thou wilt guide my feet
By Thine own counsel sweet,
Till I, for glory meet,
In glory stand.

In earth or Heaven above
Who is there that I love
Compared with Thee?
My heart may faint with fears,
But God my strength appears,
And will to endless years
My portion be.

O it is good that I
May still to God draw nigh,
As oft before.
The Lord Jehovah blessed,
My refuge and my rest,
Shall be in praised confessed
Forevermore.

God loveth the righteous, His goodness is sure.
He never forsaketh the good and the pure.
Yet once my faith faltered, I envied the proud,
In doubt and disquiet my spirit was bowed.

The wicked are prosperous and firm in their strength,
No pangs do they suffer, though death come at length.
They are not in trouble as other men are,
The plagues of their fellows they view from afar.

In garments of boasting and violence decked,
With wealth more abundant than heart could expect,
They scoff, and the helpless they proudly oppress.
The heavens and the earth they assume to possess.

Despising God’s people, they cause them to drain
The cup of oppression, injustice and pain.
They question God’s knowledge and boldly defy
The might and the justice of God the Most High.

The wicked, grown wealthy, have comfort and peace,
While I, daily chastened, see troubles increase,
And, wronging God’s children, I cried in my pain,
That clean hands are worthless and pure hearts are vain.

I went to God’s temple: my doubts were dispelled.
The end of life’s journey I clearly beheld.
I saw in what peril ungodly men stand,
With sudden destruction and ruin at hand.

As when one waking forgetteth his dream,
So God will despise them, though great they may seem.
My envy was senseless; my grief was for naught.
Because I was faithless, and foolish my thought.

Hold Thou my hand; so weak I am, and helpless,
I dare not take one step without Thy aid;
Hold Thou my hand; for then, O loving Savior,
No dread of ill shall make my soul afraid.

Hold Thou my hand, and closer, closer draw me
To Thy dear self—my hope, my joy, my all;
Hold Thou my hand, lest haply I should wander,
And, missing Thee, my trembling feet should fall.

Hold Thou my hand; the way is dark before me
Without the sunlight of Thy face divine;
But when by faith I catch its radiant glory,
What heights of joy, what rapturous songs are mine!

Hold Thou my hand, that when I reach the margin
Of that lone river Thou didst cross for me,
A heavenly light may flash along its waters,
And every wave like crystal bright shall be.

Hold Thou my hands!
In grief and joy, in hope and fear,
Lord, let me feel that Thou art near:
Hold Thou my hands!

If e’er by doubts
Of Thy good fatherhood depressed,
I cannot find in Thee my rest:
Hold Thou my hands!

Hold Thou my hands!
These passionate hands too quick to smite,
These hands so eager for delight:
Hold Thou my hands!

And when at length,
With darkened eyes and fingers cold,
I seek some last loved hand to hold,
Hold Thou my hands!

In doubt and temptation I rest, Lord, in Thee;
My hand is in Thy hand, Thou carest for me;
My soul with Thy counsel through life Thou wilt guide,
And afterward make me in glory abide.

Refrain

My God, I will extol Thee
And ever bless Thy Name;
Each day will I give thanks to Thee
And all Thy praise proclaim.

In glory Thou only my portion shall be,
On earth for none other I long for but Thee;
My flesh and heart falter, but God is my stay,
The strength of my spirit, my portion for aye.

Refrain

All they that forsake Thee must perish and die,
But near to my Savior most blessèd am I;
I make Thee my refuge, my Lord and my God;
Thy grace and Thy glory I publish abroad.

Refrain

O take my hand, dear Father, and lead Thou me,
Till at my journey’s ending I dwell with Thee.
Alone I cannot wander one single day,
So do Thou guide my footsteps on life’s rough way.

O cover with Thy mercy my poor, weak heart,
Lest I in joy or sorrow from Thee depart.
Permit Thy child to linger here at Thy feet,
Thy goodness blindly trusting with faith complete.

Though oft Thy power but faintly may stir my soul,
With Thee, my Light in darkness, I reach the goal.
Take then my hand, dear Father, and lead Thou me,
Till at my journey’s ending I dwell with Thee.

Why should cross and trial grieve me?
Christ is near with His cheer,
Never will He leave me.
Who can rob me of the Heaven
That God’s Son for my own
To my faith hath given?

Though a heavy cross I’m bearing
And my heart feels the smart,
Shall I be despairing?
God, my Helper, who doth send it,
Well doth know all my woe
And how best to end it.

Hopeful, cheerful, and undaunted
Everywhere they appear
Who in Christ are planted.
Death itself cannot appall them,
They rejoice when the voice
Of their Lord doth call them.

Death cannot destroy forever;
From our fears, cares and tears
It will us deliver.
It will close life’s mournful story,
Make a way that we may
Enter heavenly glory.

What is all this life possesses?
But a hand full of sand
That the heart distresses.
Noble gifts that pall me never
Christ, our Lord, will accord
To His saints forever.

Lord, my Shepherd, take me to Thee.
Thou art mine; I was Thine
Even ere I knew Thee.
I am Thine, for Thou hast bought me;
Lost I stood, but Thy blood
Free salvation bought me.

Thou art mine; I love and own Thee.
Light of Joy, ne’er shall I
From my heart dethrone Thee.
Savior, let me soon behold Thee
Face to face—may Thy grace
Evermore enfold me!

Jesus, Thou art mine forever,
Dearer far than earth to me;
Neither life nor death shall sever
Those sweet ties which bind to Thee.

All were drear to me and lonely
If Thy presence gladdened not;
While I sing to Thee, Thee only,
Mine’s an ever blissful lot.

Thou alone art all my Treasure,
Who hast died that I may live;
Thou conferrest noblest pleasure,
Who dost all my sins forgive.

Brightest gems and fairest flowers
Lose their beauty in Thy frown;
Joy and peace, like balmy showers,
In Thy smile come gently down.

Jesus, Thou art mine forever;
Never suffer me to stray.
Let me in my weakness never
Cast my priceless pearl away.

Lamb of God, I do implore Thee,
Guard, support me, lest I fall.
Let me evermore adore Thee;
Be my everlasting All.