If God Himself Be for Me

If God Him­self be for me

I may a host de­fy

For when I pray

be­fore me

My foes con­found­ed fly.

If Christ

the Head

be­friend me

If God be my sup­port

The mis­chief they in­tend me

Shall quick­ly come to naught.

I build on this foun­da­tion

That Je­sus and His blood

Alone are my sal­va­tion

The true eter­nal good;

Without Him

all that pleas­es

Is val­ue­less on earth:

The gifts I owe to Je­sus

Alone my love are worth.

His Ho­ly Spir­it dwell­eth

Within my will­ing heart

Tames it when it re­bel­leth

And soothes the keen­est smart.

He crowns His work with bless­ing

And help­eth me to cry

My Fa­ther! with­out ceas­ing

To Him who reigns on high.

To mine His Spir­it speak­eth

Sweet words of sooth­ing pow­er

How God to Him that seek­eth

For rest

hath rest in store;

How God Him­self pre­par­eth

My her­it­age and lot

And though my bo­dy wear­eth

My Heav’n shall fail me not.