Scripture Verse

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121:8

Introduction

Words: Ada R. Green­away, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1904.

Music: Cal­va­ry (Stan­ley) Sam­uel Stan­ley, Twen­ty-Four Tunes in Four Parts, cir­ca 1800 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Green­away or Stan­ley (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

For the dear ones part­ed from us
We would raise our hymns of pray­er;
By the ten­der love which watch­eth
Round Thy child­ren ev­ery­where,
Holy Fa­ther, Ho­ly Fa­ther,
Keep them ev­er in Thy care.

Through each tri­al and temp­ta­tion,
Dangers faced by night and day,
By the in­fin­ite com­pas­sion
Pleading for souls that stray,
Loving Sav­ior, Loving Sav­ior,
Keep them in the nar­row way.

In their hours of doubt and sor­row,
When their faith is sore­ly tried,
By the grace di­vine which strength­ens,
Souls for whom the Sav­ior died,
Gracious Spi­rit, gracious Spi­rit,
Be Thou ev­er­more their guide.

In their joys, by friends sur­round­ed,
In their strife, by foes op­pressed,
May Thy bless­ing still be with them,
May Thy pre­sence give them rest,
God Al­migh­ty, God Al­migh­ty,
Father, Son, and Spi­rit blest.