Scripture Verse

Whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. Matthew 7:24–25

Introduction

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Samuel Longfellow
(1819–1892)

Words: Sam­uel Long­fel­low, Hymns of the Spir­it (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Tick­nor & Fields, 1864), num­ber 550.

Music: Kück­en Fried­rich W. Kück­en (1810–1882) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Friedrich W. Kücken (1810–1882)

Lyrics

God of truth! Thy sons should be
Firmly ground­ed up­on Thee;
Ever on the Rock abide,
High above the chang­ing tide.

Theirs is the un­wa­ver­ing mind,
No more tossed with ev­ery wind;
No more doth their ’stab­lished heart
From the liv­ing God de­part.

Father, strength­en Thou my will;
With Thine own stead­fast­ness fill;
Rooted, ground­ed, may I be,
Fixed in Thy sta­bi­li­ty.

Henceforth may I nob­ly stand;
Build no long­er on the sand;
But de­fy temp­ta­tion’s shock,
Firmly ground­ed on the Rock.