O Zion, afflicted with wave upon wave,
Whom no mortal power can succour or save;
With sickness surrounded, by terrors dismayed,
In toiling and watching thy strength is decayed.
Loud roaring and swelling, the billows o’erwhelm,
But skillful’s the Pilot that sits at the helm;
His wisdom conducts thee, His power thee defends,
In safety and quiet thy warfare He ends.
‘O fearful, O faithless!’ in mercy He cries;
‘My promise, my truth are they small in thine eyes?
Still, still I am with thee; My promise shall stand;
Through tempest and tossing, I’ll bring thee to land.
Forget thee I will not, I cannot; thy name
Engraved on My heart doth for ever remain;
The palms of My hands whilst I look on I see
The wounds I received when I suffered for thee.
Then trust Me, and fear not; thy life is secure;
My wisdom is perfect, supreme is My power;
In love I correct thee, thy soul to refine,
And cause thee at length in My likeness to shine.
The doubting, the fearful, the weak are My care;
The helpless, the hopeless, I hear their sad prayer;
From all their afflictions My glory shall spring;
The deeper their sorrows, the louder they’ll sing.’
Hymn taken from Sukey Harley by Jane Gilpin
Whom no mortal power can succour or save;
With sickness surrounded, by terrors dismayed,
In toiling and watching thy strength is decayed.
Loud roaring and swelling, the billows o’erwhelm,
But skillful’s the Pilot that sits at the helm;
His wisdom conducts thee, His power thee defends,
In safety and quiet thy warfare He ends.
‘O fearful, O faithless!’ in mercy He cries;
‘My promise, my truth are they small in thine eyes?
Still, still I am with thee; My promise shall stand;
Through tempest and tossing, I’ll bring thee to land.
Forget thee I will not, I cannot; thy name
Engraved on My heart doth for ever remain;
The palms of My hands whilst I look on I see
The wounds I received when I suffered for thee.
Then trust Me, and fear not; thy life is secure;
My wisdom is perfect, supreme is My power;
In love I correct thee, thy soul to refine,
And cause thee at length in My likeness to shine.
The doubting, the fearful, the weak are My care;
The helpless, the hopeless, I hear their sad prayer;
From all their afflictions My glory shall spring;
The deeper their sorrows, the louder they’ll sing.’
Hymn taken from Sukey Harley by Jane Gilpin