Scripture Verse

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. Exodus 13:21

Introduction

portrait
Johann H. Schein (1586–1630)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Short Hymns on Se­lect Pas­sag­es of the Ho­ly Scrip­tures (Bri­stol, Eng­land: E. Far­ley, 1762), Vol­ume 1, num­ber 138.

Music: Ei­sen­ach Jo­hann H. Schein, 1628. Har­mo­ny by Jo­hann S. Bach (1685–1750) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

Captain of Is­ra­el’s host, and guide
Of all who seek the land above,
Beneath Thy sha­dow we abide,
The cloud of Thy pro­tect­ing love;
Our strength Thy grace, our rule Thy Word;
Our end, the glo­ry of the Lord.

By Thine un­err­ing Spi­rit led,
We shall not in the de­sert stray,
The light of man’s di­rect­ion need,
Or miss our pro­vi­den­tial way;
As far from dan­ger as from fear,
While love, al­migh­ty love, is near.