Christ the Christian's Only Hope

Representative Text

1 Gracious God, thy children keep;
Jesus, guide thy silly sheep;
Fix, O fix our fickle souls;
Lord, direct us; we are fools.

2 Bid us in thy care confide;
Keep us near thy wounded side;
From thee let us never stir,
For thou know’st how soon we err.

3 Lay us low before thy feet,
Safe from pride and self-conceit;
Be the language of our souls,
“Lord, protect us; we are fools.”

4 [O defend thy purchased flock;
See, the insulting Ishmaels mock,
Guard us from a world of sin;
Foes without, and worse within.

5 Look upon the unequal war;
Saviour, do not go too far;
Crafty is the foe, and strong;
Saviour, do not tarry long.]

6 By thy word we fain would steer,
Fain thy Spirit’s dictates hear;
Save us from the rocks and shelves,
Save us chiefly from ourselves.

7 Never, never may we dare,
What we’re not to say we are;
Make us well our vileness know;
Keep us very, very low.

Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #706

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Author: J. Hart

Hart, Joseph, was born in London in 1712. His early life is involved in obscurity. His education was fairly good; and from the testimony of his brother-in-law, and successor in the ministry in Jewin Street, the Rev. John Hughes, "his civil calling was" for some time "that of a teacher of the learned languages." His early life, according to his own Experience which he prefaced to his Hymns, was a curious mixture of loose conduct, serious conviction of sin, and endeavours after amendment of life, and not until Whitsuntide, 1757, did he realize a permanent change, which was brought about mainly through his attending divine service at the Moravian Chapel, in Fetter Lane, London, and hearing a sermon on Rev. iii. 10. During the next two years ma… Go to person page >

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