Scripture Verse

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. Psalm 63:1

Introduction

portrait
William Gardiner (1770–1853)
British Museum
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Words: Au­thor un­known. Trans­lated from Spa­nish to Eng­lish by John Wes­ley, Psalms and Hymns 1738.

Music: Ger­ma­ny, Sac­red Me­lo­dies, by Will­iam Gar­di­ner, 1815 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
John Wesley (1703–1791)

Wesley writes, on Ap­ril 4, 1737, I be­gan learn­ing Spa­nish, in or­der to con­verse with my Jew­ish pa­rish­ion­ers; some of whom seem near­er the mind that was in Christ than ma­ny of those who call Him Lord.

This hymn may be des­cribed as the first-fruits of Wes­ley’s new branch of know­ledge. He cer­tain­ly lost no time in reap­ing in these fields.

Telford, p. 269

Lyrics

O God, my God, my all Thou art!
Ere shines the dawn of rising day,
Thy sovereign light within my heart,
Thy all enlivening power display.

For Thee my thirsty soul doth pant,
While in this desert land I live;
And hungry as I am, and faint,
Thy love alone can comfort give.

In a dry land, behold I place
My whole desire on Thee, O Lord;
And more I joy to gain Thy grace,
Than all earth’s treasures can afford.

More dear than life itself, Thy love
My heart and tongue shall still employ
And to declare Thy praise will prove
My peace, my glo­ry, and my joy.

In blessing Thee with grateful songs
My happy life shall glide away;
The praise that to Thy name belongs
Hourly with lifted hands I’ll pay.

Abundant sweetness, while I sing
Thy love, my ravished heart o’erflows;
Secure in Thee, my God and king,
Of glo­ry that no pe­ri­od knows.