How Vast Is the Tribute I Owe

How vast is the tri­bute I owe

Of gra­ti­tude

hom­age

and praise

To God

who gives all I pos­sess

The life and the length of my days!

Thou on­ly

great Au­thor of all!

The faith­ful

un­change­able Friend!

Thou on­ly our griefs canst re­move

Thou on­ly from ev­il de­fend.

When sor­rows I dread­ed were come

I poured out my sighs and my tears;

To Him

who alone can re­lieve

My soul breathed her vows and her pray­ers.

My heart throbbed with pain and alarm

And pale­ness my cheek ov­er­spread;

When sick­ness per­vad­ed my frame

My soul on my mak­er was stayed.

When death’s aw­ful im­age was nigh

No mor­tal was able to save;

Thou bright­ened the val­ley of death

And lit up the gloom of the grave.

In mer­cy Thy pre­sence dispels

The shades of ca­la­mi­ty’s night

And turns the sad scene of des­pair

To morn­ing of joy and de­light.

Great source of my com­forts re­stored!

Thou heal­er and balm of my woes!

Thou hope and de­sire of my soul!

Thy mer­cy no plague can op­pose.

How bound­less the gra­ti­tude due

To Thee

O Thou God of my praise!

The fount­ain of all I pos­sess

The life and the light of my days!