You help make Hymnary.org possible. More than 10 million people from 200+ countries found hymns, liturgical resources and encouragement on Hymnary.org in 2025, including you. Every visit affirms the global impact of this ministry.

If Hymnary has been meaningful to you this year, would you take a moment today to help sustain it? A gift of any size—paired with a note of encouragement if you wish—directly supports the server costs, research work and curation that keep this resource freely available to the world.

Give securely online today, or mail a check to:
Hymnary.org
Calvin University
3201 Burton Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Thank you for your partnership, and may the hope of Advent fill your heart.

Lord, When Through Sin I Wander

Representative Text

1 Lord! when through sin I wander
So very far from Thee,
I think in some far country
Thy sinless home must be;
But when with earnest sorrow
I pray Thee to forgive,
Thy pardon is so perfect,
That in Thy Heav’n I live.

2 That Heav’n, Lord, so surrounds me
That when I do the right,
The saddest path of duty
Is lightened by its light;
I know not what its glories
Before Thy throne must be,
But here Thy smiling presence
Is heav’n on earth to me.

3 To love the right and do it,
Is to my heart so sweet,
It makes the path of duty
A shining, golden street
Within Thy heav’nly kingdom:
Lord, let me never stray,
Then Heav’n, within, about me,
Shall compass all my way.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #8479

Author: Charles E. Smith

Smith, Charles, an officer in the National Provincial Bank, born at Hackney, London, Jan. 29, 1844, is the author of “Lord! when through sin I wander" (Holy Labour), and "When in the morning I awake" (Joy and Sorrow alike from God), which were written for Horder's Book of Praise for Children, 1875. The former was revised for Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884. [Rev. W. Garrett Horder] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)  Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Lord, when through sin I wander
Title: Lord, When Through Sin I Wander
Author: Charles E. Smith
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #8479
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)

Instances in all hymnals

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)
TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #8479

Include 11 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.