Scripture Verse

The Lord will guide you always. Isaiah 58:11

Introduction

portrait
Horatius Bonar
1808–1889

Words: Ho­ra­ti­us Bo­nar, Hymns of Faith and Hope 1857.

Music: St. Ce­ci­lia (Hayne) Leigh­ton G. Hayne, Mer­ton Tune Book 1863 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Hayne (head-and-shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
However dark it be!
Lead me by Thine own hand,
Choose out the path for me.

Smooth let it be or rough,
It will be still the best;
Winding or straight, it leads
Right onward to Thy rest.

I dare not choose my lot;
I would not, if I might;
Choose Thou for me, my God,
So I shall walk aright.

The kingdom that I seek
Is Thine; so let the way
That leads to it be Thine,
Else I must surely stray.

Take Thou my cup, and it
With joy or sorrow fill,
As best to Thee may seem;
Choose Thou my good and ill.

Choose Thou for me my friends,
My sickness or my health;
Choose Thou my cares for me
My poverty or wealth.

Not mine, not mine the choice
In things or great or small;
Be Thou my guide, my strength
My wisdom, and my all.