He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Psalm 91:11–12
Words: Mary L. Bingham, in Truth in Song (Chicago, Illinois: Clara H. Scott, 1896), number 32.
Music: Extremadura Clara H. Scott, 1896 (🔊 pdf nwc).
If you know where to get a good photo of Bingham (head-and-shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels), or a better one of Scott,
If we could know in times of grief,
How near God’s angels come,
Our hearts would greet, with sweet relief,
These messengers from home,
These messengers from home.
O’er all our ways His charge they keep,
Nor minister in vain;
And if we wake, or if we sleep,
Swift flies the heav’nly train,
Swift flies the heav’nly train.
With silent tread they camp around
To guard his children dear,
Nor e’en a stone upon the ground
To harm them shall appear,
To harm them shall appear.