The Cyber Hymnal ‎#16596

16596. To Veil Thy Truth

1 To veil Thy truth by dark’n­ing or by hid­ing;
To stand ir­re­so­lute, or shrink ap­palled;
To deal vague words of cus­to­mary chid­ing;
Father! to no such work Thy voice hath called.

2 Our eyes are dim, yet can we seek the du­ty;
Our ears are dull, yet we can shun the wrong;
’Tis not in vain that here, amid the beau­ty
Of Thy deep teach­ings, we have stayed so long.

3 Some wounds have turned to pearls; some limbs of­fend­ing
We had the strength to seize and rend away;
Some pas­sioned earth­ly songs have changed, in end­ing,
To chor­al an­them and tri­um­phant lay.

4 To build of gen­tle hearts Thy church, the peer­less,
To speak the truth in love, what­e’er be­falls,
To make our bro­thers hum­ble, tire­less, fear­less,
This is the work to which Thy Spir­it calls.

5 Some seeds we sow may blos­som in­to flow­ers,
And those bear fruit, to rip­en ’neath Thy sun;
And Thou wilt lead these trem­bling hearts of ours
On to that peace where and aim and deed grow one.

Text Information

• First Line: To veil Thy truth by dark’n­ing or by hid­ing
• Title: To Veil Thy Truth
• Author: Thomas W. Higginson (1847, alt.)
• Meter: 11.10.11.10
• Language: English
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Alternate tunes: ALBANY by J. Albert Jeffery, HOLD THOU MY HAND by Hubert P. Main, PERFECT LOVE by Joseph Barnby

Tune Information

• Name: CONSOLATION
• Arranger: Felix Mendelssohn (1834)
• Meter: 11.10.11.10
• Key: E♭ Major
• Copyright: Public Domain