1 Give thanks to God, he reigns above;
Kind are his thoughts, his name is love;
His mercy ages past have known,
And ages long to come shall own.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord
The wonders of his grace record;
Israel, the nation whom he chose,
And rescu'd from their mighty foes.
[3 When God's own arm their fetters broke,
And freed them from th' Egyptian yoke,
They trac'd the desert, wand'ring round
A wild and solitary ground.
4 There they could find no leading road,
Nor city for a fix'd abode:
Nor food, nor fountain, to assuage
Their burning thirst or hunger's rage.]
5 In their distress to God they cry'd
God was their Saviour and their guide;
He led their wand'ring march around,
And brought their tribes to Canaan's ground.
6 Thus, when our first release we gain
From sin's old yoke, and Satan's chain,
We have this desert world to pass,
A dang'rous and a tiresome place.
7 He feeds and clothes us all the way,
He guides our footsteps lest we stray,
He guards us with a pow'rful hand,
And brings us to the heav'nly land.
8 O let the saints with joy record
The truth and goodness of the Lord!
How great his works! how kind his ways!
Let ev'ry tongue pronounce his praise.
Text Information | |
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First Line: | Give thanks to God; he reigns above |
Title: | Israel led to Canaan, and Christians to heaven |
Meter: | Long Metre |
Language: | English |
Publication Date: | 1791 |
Scripture: | |
Notes: | First part |