Early, my God, without delay,
I haste to seek Thy face;
My thirsty spirit faints away
Without Thy cheering grace.

So pilgrims on the scorching sand,
Beneath a burning sky,
Long for a cooling stream at hand,
And they must drink or die.

I’ve seen Thy glory and Thy power
Through all Thy temple shine;
My God, repeat that heav’nly hour,
That vision so divine.

Not all the blessings of a feast
Can please my soul so well,
As when Thy richer grace I taste,
And in Thy presence dwell.

Not life itself, with all her joys,
Can my best passions move,
Or raise so high my cheerful voice,
As Thy forgiving love.

Thus till my last expiring day
I’ll bless my God and King;
Thus will I lift my hands to pray,
And tune my lips to sing.

Now begin the heavenly race—
The Savior calls today;
Let us early seek His face,
And early learn to pray.

Refrain

Hand in hand we’ll journey on,
Reaching forward to the prize,
Hoping, trusting in the Lord,
Where all our vigor lies.

He Who left His Father’s throne,
To suffer, bleed and die,
He Who made our grief his own,
Will every want supply.

Refrain

They who on His Name believe,
And patiently endure,
Life eternal shall receive,
And find His mercy sure.

Refrain

Now begin the heavenly race,
No more, no more delay;
To the healing fount of grace,
Rejoicing, haste away.

Refrain

I hunger and I thirst,
Jesu, my manna be;
Ye living waters, burst
Out of the rock for me.

Thou bruised and broken Bread,
My life-long wants supply;
As living souls are fed,
O feed me, or I die.

Thou true life-giving Vine,
Let me Thy sweetness prove;
Renew my life with Thine,
Refresh my soul with love.

Rough paths my feet have trod
Since first their course began;
Feed me, Thou Bread of God;
Help me, Thou Son of Man.

For still the desert lies
My thirsting soul before;
O living waters, rise
Within me evermore.

My God, permit my tongue
This joy, to call Thee mine;
And let my early cries prevail
To taste Thy love divine.

My thirsty, fainting soul
Thy mercy doth implore;
Not travelers in desert lands
Can pant for water more.

Within Thy churches, Lord,
I long to find my place;
Thy power and glory to behold,
And feel Thy quick’ning grace.

For life without Thy love
No relish can afford;
No joy can be compared to this,
To serve and please the Lord.

To Thee I’ll lift my hands,
And praise Thee while I live;
Not the rich dainties of a feast
Such food or pleasure give.

In wakeful hours at night
I call my God to mind;
I think how wise Thy counsels are,
And all Thy dealings kind.

Since thou hast been my help,
To Thee my spirit flies,
And on Thy watchful providence
My cheerful hope relies.

The shadow of Thy wings
My soul in safety keeps;
I follow where my Father leads,
And He supports my steps.

O God, my God, my all Thou art!
Ere shines the dawn of rising day,
Thy sovereign light within my heart,
Thy all enlivening power display.

For Thee my thirsty soul doth pant,
While in this desert land I live;
And hungry as I am, and faint,
Thy love alone can comfort give.

In a dry land, behold I place
My whole desire on Thee, O Lord;
And more I joy to gain Thy grace,
Than all earth’s treasures can afford.

More dear than life itself, Thy love
My heart and tongue shall still employ
And to declare Thy praise will prove
My peace, my glory, and my joy.

In blessing Thee with grateful songs
My happy life shall glide away;
The praise that to Thy Name belongs
Hourly with lifted hands I’ll pay.

Abundant sweetness, while I sing
Thy love, my ravished heart o’erflows;
Secure in Thee, my God and King,
Of glory that no period knows.

O God, Thou art my God alone;
Early to Thee my soul shall cry;
A pilgrim in a land unknown,
A thirsty land whose springs are dry.

O that it were as it hath been!
When, praying in the holy place,
Thy power and glory I have seen,
And marked the footsteps of Thy grace.

Yet, through this rough and thorny maze,
I follow hard on Thee, my God;
Thy hand, unseen, upholds my ways;
I safely tread where Thou hast trod.

Thee, in the watches of the night,
When I remember on my bed;
Thy presence makes the darkness light,
Thy guardian wings are round my head.

Better than life itself Thy love,
Dearer than all beside to me;
For whom have I in Heaven above,
Or what on earth, compared to Thee?

Praise with my heart, my mind, my voice,
For all Thy mercy I will give;
My soul shall still in God rejoice;
My tongue shall bless Thee while I live.

O Lord, my God, most earnestly
My heart would seek Thy face,
Within Thy holy house once more
To see Thy glorious grace.

Apart from Thee I long and thirst,
And naught can satisfy;
I wander in a desert land
Where all the streams are dry.

The lovingkindness of my God
Is more than life to me;
So I will bless Thee while I live
And lift my prayer to Thee.

In Thee my soul is satisfied,
My darkness turns to light;
And joyful meditations fill
The watches of the night.

My Savior, ’neath Thy sheltering wings
My soul delights to dwell;
Still closer to Thy side I press,
For near Thee all is well.

O saints of old, not yours alone
The search for God shall be;
We take the glory for our own;
Lord, we are seeking Thee.

Not only when ascends the song
And soundeth sweet the word;
Not only with the Sabbath throng,
Our souls would seek the Lord.

We would not to our daily task
Without our God repair,
But in the world His presence ask,
And seek His glory there.

O everywhere, O every day,
The grace is still outpoured;
We work, we watch, we strive, we pray,
Behold Thy seekers, Lord.

Thou art my God, O God of grace,
And earnestly I seek Thy face,
My heart cries out for Thee;
My spirit thirsts Thy grace to taste,
An exile in this desert waste
In which no waters be,
In which no waters be.

I long as in the times of old
Thy power and glory to behold
Within Thy holy place;
Because Thy tender love I see,
More precious far than life to me,
My lips shall praise Thy grace,
My lips shall praise Thy grace.

Thus will I bless Thee while I live,
And with uplifted hands will give
Praise to Thy holy Name;
When by Thy bounty well supplied,
Then shall my soul be satisfied,
My mouth shall praise proclaim,
My mouth shall praise proclaim.

My lips shall in Thy praise delight
When on my bed I rest at night
And meditate on Thee;
Because Thy hand assistance brings,
Beneath the shadow of Thy wings
My heart shall joyful be,
My heart shall joyful be.

When mother love makes all things bright,
When joy comes with the morning light,
When children gather round their tree,
Thou Christmas Babe, we sing of Thee.

When manhood’s brows are bent in thought
To learn what men of old have taught,
When eager hands seek wisdom’s key,
Wise Temple Child, we learn of Thee.

When doubts assail, and perils fright,
When, groping blindly in the night,
We strive to read life’s mystery,
Man of the Mount, we turn to Thee.

When shadows of the valley fall,
When sin and death the soul appall,
One light we through the darkness see—
Christ on the Cross, we cry to Thee.

While Thee I seek, protecting Power,
Be my vain wishes stilled;
And may this consecrated hour
With better hopes be filled.

Thy love the power of thought bestowed;
To Thee my thoughts would soar:
Thy mercy o’er my life has flowed;
That mercy I adore.

In each event of life, how clear
Thy ruling hand I see!
Each blessing to my soul more dear,
Because conferred by Thee.

In every joy that crowns my days,
In every pain I bear,
My heart shall find delight in praise,
Or seek relief in prayer.

When gladness wings my favored hour,
Thy love my thoughts shall fill;
Resigned, when storms of sorrow lower,
My soul shall meet Thy will.

My lifted eye, without a tear,
The gathering storm shall see:
My steadfast heart shall know no fear;
That heart will rest on Thee.

O God, Thy power is wonderful,
Thy glory passing bright;
Thy wisdom, with its deep on deep,
A rapture to the sight.

I see Thee in the eternal years
In glory all alone,
Ere round Thine uncreated fires
Created light had shone.

I see Thee walk in Eden’s shade,
I see Thee all through time;
Thy patience and compassion seem
New attributes sublime.

I see Thee when the doom is o’er,
And outworn time is done,
Still, still incomprehensible,
O God, yet not alone.

Angelic spirits, countless souls,
Of Thee have drunk their fill;
And to eternity will drink
Thy joy and glory still.

O little heart of mine! shall pain
Or sorrow make thee moan,
When all this God is all for thee,
A Father all thine own?