I once was a stranger to grace and to God;
I knew not my danger, I felt not my load;
Tho’ friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree,
“Jehovah Tsidkenu” was nothing to me.

When free grace awoke me by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;
No refuge, no safety, in self could I see:
“Jehovah Tsidkenu” my Saviour must be.

My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;
My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came
To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free:
“Jehovah Tsidkenu” is all things to me.

“Jehovah Tsidkenu!” My treasure and boast;
“Jehovah Tsidkenu!” I ne’er can be lost;
In Thee I shall conquer by flood and by field,
My cable, my anchor, my breastplate and shield!

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say, than to you He hath said,-
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed!
For I am Thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not-I will not desert to his foes;
That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never-no never-no never forsake!"

Though faint, yet pursuing, we go on our way;
The Lord is our Leader, His word is our stay;
Though suffering, and sorrow, and trial be near,
The Lord is our Refuge, and whom can we fear?

He raiseth the fallen, He cheereth the faint;
The weak, and oppressed-He will hear their complaint;
The way may be weary, and thorny the road,
But how can we falter?-our help is in God!

Lo, to His green pastures our footsteps he leads-
His flock in the desert how kindly He feeds,
The lambs in His bosom He tenderly bears,
And brings back the wanderers all safe from the snares.

Though clouds may surround us, Our God is our light;
Though storms rage around us, our God is our might;
So, faint, yet pursuing, still onward we come;
The Lord is our Leader, and heaven is our home!

Our loving Redeemer! we trust in Thy word-
The word which of old called the children to Thee:
Its tones, all so tender, with joy we have heard,
"Forbid not the lambs who would come unto Me."

Our sins were as scarlet; Thou makest us clean-
Washed white, in Thy blood, as the beautiful snow:
The best robe of righteousness on us is seen;
The joy of forgiveness Thou makest us know.

When life is all over, when we are above,
Where cometh no terror, where falleth no tear,
We’ll sing in sweet numbers Thy wonderful love,
With all who in childhood have followed Thee here.

O God, our blest Father, Thou lovest us so,
Thy loved One Thou gavest, our Ransom from woe!
To seek and to save us He came from above-
The Light of Thy bosom, the Son of Thy love!

O Father, in mercy, with meekness, Thy Son
Hath told out Thy pity to sinners undone!
To carry our sorrows He came from above-
The Joy of Thy bosom, the Son of Thy love!

Alone and forsaken, our doom did He bear;
Alone in that dankness, Thy Son and Thine Heir!
The stroke of God’s judgment smote Him from above-
The Son of Thy bosom, the Son of Thy love!

Made Thine through His travail, Thy children shall be
Forever, O Father, with Jesus and Thee!
Forever, O Father, with Jesus above,
At rest on Thy bosom as sons of Thy love!

How kind is the Saviour! how great is His love!
To bless little children He came from above;
He left holy angels and their bright abode,
To live here with children and teach them the road.

He wept in the garden and died on the tree,
To open a fountain for sinners like me:
His blood is that fountain, which pardon bestows,
And cleanses the foulest wherever it flows.

O help us, blest Jesus, more sweetly to praise,
And walk in Thy footsteps the rest of our days!
Then raise us, dear Saviour, to taste of Thy love,
And praise Thee forever, with children above!

For pilgrims and strangers
Who wearily roam,
‘Mid sorrows and dangers,
There’s no place like home,
Where rest waits-the bosom
Of Godhead above-
And yields, in full blossom,
The fragrance of love!

For sons whom a Father
Soon hence, from the gloom,
About Him shall gather,
There’s no place like home,
Where sunshine forever
So beams from God’s face,
His children lack never
The smile of His grace!

For hearts that discover,
Arisen from the tomb,
Their Lord and their Lover,
There’s no place like home,
Where love’s tender story
Shall reach its flood tide,
When Jesus in glory
Receiveth His bride!

Before us Thou goest,
Blest Saviour-but come!
Thou knowest, Thou knowest
There’s no place like home!
Our spirits require Thee,
Here panting in pain-
Our hearts, Lord, desire Thee
As deserts the rain!

My rest is in heaven, my rest is not here:
Then why should I murmur when trials are near?
Be hushed, my spirit, the worst that can come
But shortens the journey and hastens me home.

‘Tis not for me here to be seeking my bliss,
Nor building my hopes in a region like this;
I look for a city which hands have not piled,
I pant for a country by sin undefiled.

The thorn and the thistle around me may grow-
I would not e’en tarry ‘midst roses below;
I ask not a portion, I seek not a rest,
Save that which awaits me of Jesus’ kind breast.

Though trial and danger my progress oppose,
They only make heaven more sweet at the close:
Come joy or come sorrow, whate’er may befall,
A home with my God will make up for it all.