Creator, Father, Prince of might! Who life to me art giving, Unless Thou guid'st my life aright In vain here am I living. For while I'm living, I am dead, To sin devoted ever; Whose life in mire of sin is led, The true life he hath never Beheld one moment even. Then turn on Thy poor child Thy face, In darkness do not leave me; That I may shun sin and disgrace, Good counsel ever give me! To keep my lips a guard, Lord, send, May no word ever leave them That e'er Thy people could offend Let nought I say e'er grieve them, Nor ever Thee dishonour! Forbid, Father! that mine ear Upon this earth so evil, Against Thy name and pow'r should hear The wicked rage and cavil. Let not the poison and the gall Of slanderers defile me; If I such filth should touch at all It surely would beguile me, Might e'en quite overthrow me. Lord, keep mine eyes, control their glance, May they work evil never; A bold and shameless countenance Keep Thou far from me ever! What's honest, keeps due boundaries, What angels seek in heaven, What is well-pleasing in Thine eyes, For it by me be striven, All luxury disdaining. Oh! may I ne'er delighted be By revelling and eating; Be what Thou lov'st belov'd by me, Though others shun it, hating. The lusts wherein the flesh doth roll, To hell will draw us ever; The joys the world doth love, the soul And spirit will deliver To torment everlasting. Oh! happy he who eats heav'n's bread, And heav'nly water drinketh, Who tastes nought else, nought else doth heed, Nought else desires, and thinketh Of that alone which strength can bring, The life we'll live for ever With God, and with the hosts who sing His praise, in joy that never Shall know an interruption. FOR CONSTANT CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP. Jesus! Thou, my dearest Brother, Who dost well to me intend, Thou mine Anchor, Mast, and Rudder, And my truest Bosom-Friend. To Thee, ere was earth or heaven, Had the race of man been given; Thou, e'en me, poor guest of earth, Chosen hadst before my birth. Thou art free from guile, Lord! ever Innocent of all that's base; But on this sad earth whenever I in meditation gaze, There I find deception living; Who excelleth in deceiving, Who the best dissemble can, He's the best and wisest man. Hollow and unfaithful ever Is the friendship of the earth; Seemeth she a man to favour? 'Tis but for the gold he's worth; Are we prosp'rous, do we flourish? She will smile on us, and nourish; Doth misfortune o'er us low'r? She forsakes us in that hour.