Scripture Verse

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

Introduction

Words: Anne Steele (1716–1778).

Music: Or­ring­ton Carl F. Zel­ter (1758–1832), ar­ranged by Lo­well Ma­son, The Psal­tery (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Wil­kins, Car­ter, 1845), num­ber 158 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
Carl F. Zelter (1758–1832)

Lyrics

When gloomy thoughts and fears
The trem­bling heart in­vade,
And all the face of na­ture wears
A uni­vers­al shade;

Religion can as­suage
The tem­pest of the soul;
And ev­ery fear shall lose its rage
At her di­vine control.

Through life’s be­wild­ered way,
Her hand unerr­ing leads;
And o’er the path her hea­ven­ly ray
A cheer­ing lus­ter sheds.

When rea­son, tired and blind,
Sinks help­less and afraid,
Thou blest sup­port­er of the mind,
How po­wer­ful is thine aid!

Oh, let me feel thy pow­er,
And find thy sweet re­lief,
To bright­en ev­ery gloomy hour,
And soft­en ev­ery grief.