Scripture Verse

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
Charles H. Gabriel (1856–1932)

Words: From The Psal­ter (Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia: Unit­ed Pres­by­te­ri­an Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1912), num­ber 164.

Music: Am­eri­cus Charles H. Ga­bri­el, 1901 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Thou art my God, O God of grace,
And earnestly I seek Thy face,
My heart cries out for Thee;
My spirit thirsts Thy grace to taste,
An exile in this desert waste
In which no waters be,
In which no waters be.

I long as in the times of old
Thy power and glo­ry to behold
Within Thy holy place;
Because Thy tender love I see,
More precious far than life to me,
My lips shall praise Thy grace,
My lips shall praise Thy grace.

Thus will I bless Thee while I live,
And with uplifted hands will give
Praise to Thy holy name;
When by Thy bounty well supplied,
Then shall my soul be satisfied,
My mouth shall praise pro­claim,
My mouth shall praise pro­claim.

My lips shall in Thy praise delight
When on my bed I rest at night
And meditate on Thee;
Because Thy hand assistance brings,
Beneath the shadow of Thy wings
My heart shall joyful be,
My heart shall joyful be.