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Trust in Providence

From the German.4444 The well-known hymn of Paul Gerhard, “Befiehl du deine Wege,” had been previously translated, (in part at least,) and published in Jacobi’s “Psalmodia Germanica.” Since 1739 at least three other English translations of it have appeared. But for tenderness and solemnity combined none can compare with that of Wesley. Compare Watson’s “Life of Wesley,” Works, vol. 5, p.301; and “Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine” for 1867, p.215.

Commit thou all thy griefs

And ways into His hands;

To His sure truth and tender care,

Who earth and heaven commands.

Who points the clouds their course,

Whom winds and seas obey;

He shall direct thy wandering feet,

He shall prepare thy way.

Thou on the Lord rely,

So safe shalt thou go on;

Fix on His work thy steadfast eye,

So shall thy work be done.

No profit canst thou gain

By self-consuming care:

To Him commend thy cause, His ear

Attends the softest prayer.

Thy everlasting truth,

Father, Thy ceaseless love

Sees all Thy children’s wants, and knows

What best for each will prove.

And whatsoe’er Thou will’st,

Thou dost, O King of kings;

What Thy unerring wisdom chose

Thy power to being brings.

Thou everywhere hast way,

And all things serve Thy might;

Thy every act pure blessing is,

Thy path unsullied light.

When Thou arisest, Lord,

What shall Thy work withstand?

When all Thy children want Thou giv’st,

Who, who shall stay Thy hand?

Give to the winds thy fears;

Hope, and be undismay’d;

God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears,

God shall lift up thy head.

Through waves and clouds and storms

He gently clears thy way;

Wait thou His time, so shall this night

Soon end in joyous day.

Still heavy is thy heart?

Still sink thy spirits down?

Cast off the weight, let fear depart,

And every care be gone.

What though thou rulest not?

Yet heaven and earth and hell

Proclaim, God sitteth on the throne

And ruleth all things well!

Leave to His sovereign sway

To choose and to command;

So shalt thou wondering own, His way

How wise, how strong His hand.

Far, far above thy thought

His counsel shall appear,

When fully He the work hath wrought

That caused thy needless fear.

Thou seest our weakness, Lord,

Our hearts are known to Thee;

O, lift Thou up the sinking hand,

Confirm the feeble knee!

Let us in life, in death,

Thy steadfast truth declare,

And publish with our latest breath

Thy love and guardian care!



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