Scripture Verse

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Introduction

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Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1742, page 146.

Music: Dia­de­ma­ta George J. El­vey, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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George J. Elvey (1816–1893)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

My God, my strength, my hope,
On Thee I cast my care,
With humble con­fi­dence look up,
And know Thou hear’st my pray­er.
Give me on Thee to wait,
Till I can all things do;
On Thee, al­migh­ty to cre­ate,
Almighty to re­new.

I want a so­ber mind,
A self-renounc­ing will,
That tram­ples down and casts be­hind
The baits of pleas­ing ill;
A soul in­ured to pain,
To hard­ship, grief, and loss,
Bold to take up, firm to sus­tain,
The con­se­crat­ed cross.

I want a god­ly fear,
A quick-dis­cern­ing eye,
That looks to Thee when sin is near,
And bids the tempt­er fly;
A spirit still pre­pared,
And armed with jea­lous care,
Forever stand­ing on its guard,
And watch­ing un­to pray­er.

I want a true re­gard,
A single, stea­dy aim,
Unmoved by threat­en­ing or re­ward,
To Thee and Thy great name;
This bless­ing above all,
Always to pray, I want:
Out of the deep on Thee to call,
And ne­ver, ne­ver faint.

I rest up­on Thy word;
The pro­mise is for me;
My suc­cor and sal­va­tion, Lord,
Shall sure­ly come from Thee;
But let me still abide,
Nor from my hope re­move,
Till Thou my pa­tient spi­rit guide
Into Thy per­fect love.