383.
God our Refuge in Distress.
1
When none regard our earnest cry,
And earthly cisterns all are dry;
When terrors on our souls have prey'd,
And those who pity cannot aid;
Then, Lord! we turn, (O, hear and bless!)
To thee our refuge in distress!
2
When hopes are blasted; prospects change;
When foes revile, or friends are strange;
Amid vicissitudes and cares,
When earth a wintry aspect wears;
Then, (moving cause, and final end!)
Do thou thy voice, consoling, send.
3
When sickness on our vitals preys;
When the pale cheek disease portrays;
And every day reveals some trace
Of nature's “dull, cold,” resting-place;
Then, O, our Father! may we find
Thy presence to sustain our mind!
4
And when our final foe appears;
(Betray'd, too true! by silent tears;)
When, (death in sight!) our spirit turns
From time, and all its vain concerns!
When Jordan's stormy waves we see,
Then, may we find a friend in thee!
5
And at the last and awful day,
When all things here have passed away!
When the new heavens august shall shine,
And all are lost who are not thine!
With the redeem'd, of every land,
Let us before thy presence stand!
