Scripture Verse

As thy days, so shall thy strength be. Deuteronomy 33:25

Introduction

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns for Times of Trou­ble and Per­se­cu­tion, se­cond edi­tion, en­larged (Lon­don: Stra­han, 1744), pag­es 12–13.

Music: Frey­ling­hau­sen Jo­hann A. Frey­ling­hau­sen, 1704 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Johann A. Freylinghausen (1670–1739)

Lyrics

The dread­ful day is come
To fix a na­tion’s doom!
Who, when God doth this, shall live,
Stand before a right­eous God?
’Gainst the world and Sa­tan strive,
Strive re­sist­ing un­to blood!

Well may our na­ture fear
The fie­ry tri­al near:
Who shall first his Lord be­tray?
Who his mas­ter shall de­ny?
Which of us shall fall away?
Is it, Sav­ior, is it I?

I shall, I sur­ely shall,
Without Thy suc­cor, fall:
Lest, one mo­ment left alone,
I shall make my ru­in sure,
Shamefully my God dis­own,
Thee, and all Thy saints ab­jure.

But Lord, I trust in Thee,
Thou wilt not go from me;
Thee Thy pi­ty shall con­strain
Still with me, ev’n me, t’abide;
Me, the weak­est child of man,
Me for whom Thy pi­ty died.

O that I al­ways may
On Thee my spi­rit stay!
Poor and needy as I am,
Thou dost for my vile­ness care;
Thou hast called me by my name;
Thou wilt all my bur­dens bear.

Thou art the sin­ner’s friend,
I on Thy love depend;
Help for all is laid on Thee;
Faith and hope in Thee I have:
As my day, my strength shall be,
Thou shalt to the ut­most save.

Arm me with Thy great pow­er,
And come the fie­ry hour!
Then I in Thy strength shall say,
(Feeblest of Thy ser­vants I)
I, though all men fall away,
I will ne­ver Thee de­ny.

Ready, through grace, I am
To suf­fer for Thy name;
When Thou dost Thy­self be­stow
On so poor a worm as me,
I shall then to pri­son go,
Gladly go to death with Thee.