II.

GOD THE REFUGE OF HIS PEOPLE.

X.

COMMIT thou all thy griefs
And ways into His hands,
To His sure truth and tender care,
Who earth and heaven commands:
Who'ppoints the clouds their course,
Whom winds and seas obey,

He shall direct thy wand'ring feet,
He shall prepare thy way.

Thou on the Lord rely,

So, safe, shalt thou go on:

Fix on His work thy stedfast eye,

So shall thy work be done:

No profit can'st thou gain

By self-consuming care,

To Him commend thy cause: His ear

Attends the softest prayer.

Thine everlasting truth,

Father! thy ceaseless love,

Sees all thy children's wants, and knows
What best for each will prove;
And whatsoe'er Thou will'st
Thou dost, O King of kings!
What thine unerring wisdom chose,
Thy power to being brings.

Thou everywhere hast sway,
And all things serve thy might:
Each act of thine pure blessing is-
Thy path, unsullied light:
When Thou arisest, Lord!

What shall thy work withstand?

What all thy children want, thou giv'st,
Who, who shall stay thy hand?

Give to the winds thy fears:
Hope, and be undismay'd:

God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head;

Through waves, and clouds, and storms,

He gently clears thy way:

Wait thou His time, so shall this night
Soon end in joyous day.

Still heavy is thy heart?
Still sinks thy spirit down?
Cast off the weight: let fear depart,
And every care be gone:

What though thou rulest not,

Yet heaven, and earth, and hell Proclaim, God sitteth on the throne, And ruleth all things well.

Leave to his sov'reign sway To choose and to command; So shalt thou, wond'ring, own his way, How wise, how strong his hand : Far, far above thy thought

His counsel shall appear,

When fully he the work hath wrought, Which caus'd thy needless fear.

Thou see'st my weakness, Lord!
My heart is known to Thee!
Oh lift Thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee:

Let me, in life and death,

Thy stedfast truth declare;

And publish, with my latest breath,

Thy love and guardian care.