How long wilt Thou forget me,
O Lord, Thou God of grace?
How long shall fears beset me
While darkness hides Thy face?
How long shall griefs distress me
And turn my day to night?
How long shall foes oppress me
And triumph in their might?

O Lord my God, behold me
And hear mine earnest cries;
Lest sleep of death enfold me,
Enlighten Thou mine eyes;
Lest now my foe insulting
Should boast of his success,
And enemies exulting
Rejoice in my distress.

But I with expectation
Have on Thy grace relied;
My heart in Thy salvation
Shall still with joy confide;
And I with voice of singing
Will praise the Lord above,
Who, richest bounties bringing,
Has dealt with me in love.

How long wilt Thou forget me, Lord?
Shall it for ever be?
O how long shall it be that Thou
Wilt hide Thy face from me?

How long take counsel in my soul,
Still sad in heart, shall I?
How long exalted over me
Shall be mine enemy?

O Lord my God, consider well,
And answer to me make:
Mine eyes enlighten, lest the sleep
Of death me overtake:

Lest that mine enemy should say,
Against him I prevailed;
And those that trouble me rejoice,
When I am moved and failed.

But I have all my confidence
Thy mercy set upon;
My heart within me shall rejoice
In Thy salvation.

I will unto the Lord my God
Sing praises cheerfully,
Because He hath His bounty shown
To me abundantly.

How long wilt Thou conceal Thy face?
My God, how long delay?
When shall I feel those heav’nly rays
That chase my fears away?

How long shall my poor laboring soul
Wrestle and toil in vain?
Thy word can all my foes control
And ease my raging pain.

See how the prince of darkness tries
All his malicious arts;
He spreads a mist around my eyes,
And throws his fiery darts.

Be Thou my sun, and Thou my shield,
My soul in safety keep;
Make haste, before mine eyes are sealed
In death’s eternal sleep.

How would the tempter boast aloud
If I become his prey!
Behold, the sons of hell grow proud
At Thy so long delay.

But they shall fly at Thy rebuke,
And Satan hide his head;
He knows the terrors of Thy look,
And hears Thy voice with dread.

Thou wilt display Thy sovereign grace,
Where all my hopes have hung,
I shall employ my lips in praise
And victory shall be sung.

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

On our way rejoicing, as we homeward move,
Hearken to our praises, O Thou God of love!
Is there grief or sadness? Thou our joy shalt be;
Is our sky beclouded? There is light with Thee.

Refrain

On our way rejoicing, as we homeward move,
Hearken to our praises, O Thou God of love!

If with honest hearted love for God and man,
Day by day Thou find us doing all we can,
Thou who givest the seed time, will give large increase,
Crown the head with blessings, fill the heart with peace.

Refrain

On our way rejoicing gladly let us go;
Conquered hath our Leader, vanquished is our foe;
Christ without, our safety, Christ within, our joy;
Who, if we be faithful, can our hope destroy?

Refrain

Unto God the Father joyful songs we sing;
Unto God the Savior thankful hearts we bring;
Unto God the Spirit bow we and adore;
On our way rejoicing now and evermore.

Refrain