A Selection of Hymns ‎#CDXIII

CDXIII. On the dangerous illness of a minister

1 O thou, before whose gracious throne,
We bow our suppliant spirits down,
View the sad breast, the streaming eye,
And let our sorrows pierce the sky.

2 Thou know'st the anxious cares we feel;
And all our trembling lips would tell;
Thou only canst assuage our grief—
And yield our woe-fraught hearts relief.

3 Tho' we have sinn'd and justly dread
The vengeance hovering o'er our head;
Yet, power benign, thy servant spare,
Nor turn aside thy people's prayer.

4 Avert thy swift descending stroke
Nor smite the shepherd of the flock,
Lest o'er the barren waste we stray,
To prowling wolves an easy prey.

5 Restore him sinking to the grave,
Stretch out thine arm, make haste to save;
Back to our hopes and wishes give,
And bid our friend and father live.

6 Bound to each soul by tenderest ties,
In every breast his image lies;
Thy pitying aid O God, impart,
Nor rend him from each bleeding heart.

7 Yet if our supplications fail,
And prayers and tears can naught prevail,
Condemn'd on this dark desert coast,
To mourn our much lov'd leader lost:

8 Be thou his strength, be thou his stay:
Support him thro' the gloomy way,
Comfort his soul, surround his bed,
And guide him thro' the dreary shade.

9 Around him may thy angels wait,
Deck'd with their robes of heavenly state,
To teach his happy soul to rise,
And waft him to their native skies.

Text Information

• First Line: O thou, before whose gracious throne
• Title: On the dangerous illness of a minister
• Meter: L. M.
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1792
• Topic: The Church; Church: Praying for their pastor when ill; Illness of a Minister; Ordination hymns

Tune Information

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