ELHB Hymn 346

O God, Thou faithful God

Johann Heermann (1630)

Hymn Text

346. O God, Thou faithful God

Text and metadata are organized from Hymnary’s ELHB index pages and ELHL1918 instance pages.

1 O God, Thou faithful God,
Thou Fount that ever flowest,
Without whom nothing is,
Whom all good gift bestowest,
A pure and healthy frame
O give me, and within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unhurt by sin.
2 And grant me, Lord, to do,
With ready heart and willing,
Whate'er Thou shalt command:
My calling here fulfilling;
To do it when I ought,
With all my strength; and bless
The work I thus have wrought,
For Thou must give success.
3 O let me never speak
What bounds of truth exceedeth:
Grant that no idle word
From out my mouth proceedeth;
And grant, when in my place
I must and ought to speak,
My words due power and grace;
Nor let me wound the weak.
4 If dangers gather round,
Still keep me calm and fearless;
Help me to bear the cross,
When life is dark and cheerless;
Let me subdue my foe
By words and actions kind;
When counsel I would know,
Good counsel let me find.
5 And let me with all men,
As far as in me lieth,
In peace and friendship live;
And if thy gift supplieth
Me wealth and honor fair,
Then this refuse me not,
That naught be mingled there
Of goods unjustly got.
6 And if a longer life
Be here on earth decreed me,
And Thou through many a strife
To age at last wilt lead me,
Thy patience on me shed,
Avert all sin and shame,
And crown my hoary head
With pure untarnished fame.
7 Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
Do Thou my soul receive,
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting-place
Beside a Christian's grave;
And let it sleep in peace.

Source noted on Hymnary: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #346