Thus Far on Life’s Bewildering Path

Thus far on life’s be­wil­der­ing path

Thus far

Thou

Lord

our steps hast led;

Snatched from the world’s pur­su­ing wrath

Unharmed

though floods hung o’er our head;

Like ran­somed Is­ra­el on the shore

Here

then

we pause

look back

ad­ore.

Strangers and pil­grims here be­low

Like all our fa­thers in their day

We to the land of pro­mise go

Lord

by Thine own ap­point­ed way:

Still guide

il­lum­ine

cheer our flight

In cloud by day

in fire by night.

Safety Thy pre­sence is

and rest;

While—as the ea­gle

o’er her brood

Flutters her pin­ions

stirs the nest

Covers

de­fends

pro­vides them food

Bears on her wings

in­structs to fly—

Thy love pre­pares us for the sky.

Protect us through the wil­der­ness

From fie­ry tem­pest

plague

and foe;

With bread from Heav’n Thy peo­ple bless

And liv­ing streams where’er we go:

Nor let our re­bel hearts re­pine

Or fol­low any voice but Thine.

Thy ho­ly law to us pro­claim

But not from Si­nai’s top alone;

Hid in the rock cleft

be Thy name

Thy pow­er and all Thy good­ness shown;

And may we nev­er bow the knee

Or wor­ship any God but Thee.

When we have num­bered all our years

And stand

at length

on Jor­dan’s brink

Though the flesh fail with mor­tal fears

O let not then the spir­it sink;

But

strong in faith

and hope

and love

Plunge through the stream to rise ab­ove.