Awake, My Soul, to Joyful Lays

Awake

my soul

to joy­ful lays

And sing thy great Re­deem­er’s praise;

He just­ly claims a song from me;

His lov­ing-kind­ness is so free!

He saw me ru­ined in the fall

Yet loved me not­with­stand­ing all;

He saved me from my lost es­tate;

His lov­ing-kind­ness

O how great!

When I was Sa­tan’s ea­sy prey

And deep and debt and bond­age lay

He paid His life for my dis­charge;

His lov­ing-kind­ness is so large.

Thro’ migh­ty hosts of cru­el foes

Where earth and hell my way op­pose

He safe­ly leads my soul along;

His lov­ing-kind­ness is so strong!

When earth­ly friends for­sake me quite

And I have nei­ther skill nor might

He’s sure my help­er to ap­pear;

His lov­ing-kind­ness is so near.

Often I feel my sin­ful heart

Prone from my Je­sus to de­part;

And tho’ I have Him oft for­got

His lov­ing-kind­ness chang­es not!

So

when I pass death’s gloomy vale

And life and mor­tal pow’rs shall fail

Oh may last ex­pir­ing breath

His lov­ing-kind­ness sing in death

Then I shall mount and soar away

To the bright world of end­less day;

Then shall I sing with sweet sur­prise

His lov­ing-kind­ness in the skies.

There with their gold­en harps I’ll join

And with their an­thems min­gle mine

And loud­ly sound on ev­ery chord

The lov­ing-kind­ness of the Lord.