Father, in Thy Presence Now

Father

in Thy pre­sence now

Has been pledged the nup­ti­al vow;

Heart to heart

as hand in hand

Bride and groom

Thy child­ren stand.

God of love! this un­ion bless

Not with earth’s low hap­pi­ness;

But with joys whose heav­en­ly spring

Shall di­vin­er rap­tures bring.

May these blend­ed souls be found

Firm in du­ty’s ac­tive round;

Daily ev­ery bur­den share

Nightly seek Thy sha­dow­ing care.

When against their trem­bling forms

Shoot the ar­rows of life’s storms;

Or when age and sick­ness wait

Heralds at life’s part­ing gate—

In the full­ness of be­lief

May they look be­yond the grief;

And to­ge­ther fear­less tread

In the path where Thou shalt lead.