For Thy mercy and Thy grace

Henry Downton, 1818–85

1  For Thy mercy and Thy grace,
  Constant through another year,
Hear our song of thankfulness;
  Jesus, our Redeemer, hear.

2  Lo! our sins on Thee we cast,
  Thee, our perfect Sacrifice;
And, forgetting all the past,
  Press towards our glorious prize.

3  Dark the future: let Thy light
  Guide us, bright and morning Star:
Fierce our foes, and hard the fight;
  Arm us, Savior, for the war.

4  In our weakness and distress,
  Rock of strength, be Thou our Stay;
In the pathless wilderness
  Be our true and living Way.

5  Who of us death’s awful road
  In the coming year shall tread?
With Thy rod and staff, O God,
  Comfort Thou his dying bed.

6  Keep us faithful, keep us pure,
  Keep us evermore Thine own;
Help, O help us to endure;
  Fit us for the promised crown.

7  So within Thy palace gate
  We shall praise, on golden strings,
Thee the only Potentate,
  Lord of lords, and King of kings.