Lord, Thou Hast Searched and Seen Me Through

Lord

Thou hast searched and seen me thro’

Thine eye com­mands with pierc­ing view

My ris­ing and my rest­ing hours

My heart and flesh with all their pow­ers.

My thoughts

be­fore they are my own

Are to my God dis­tinct­ly known;

He knows the words I mean to speak

Ere from my op­en­ing lips they break.

Within Thy circ­ling pow­er I stand;

On ev­ery side I find Thy hand;

Awake

asleep

at home

abroad

I am sur­round­ed still with God.

Amazing know­ledge

vast and great!

What large ex­tent! what lof­ty height

My soul

with all the pow­ers I boast

Is in the bound­less pros­pect lost.

O may these thoughts pos­sess my breast

Where e’er I rove

where e’er I rest!

Nor let my weak­er pas­sions dare

Consent to sin

for God is there.

Could I so false

so faith­less prove

To quit Thy serv­ice and Thy love

Where

Lord

could I Thy pre­sence shun

Or from Thy dread­ful glo­ry run?

If up to Heav’n I take my flight

’Tis there Thou dwell’st en­throned in light

Or dive to hell

there ven­geance reigns

And Sa­tan groans be­neath Thy chains.

If

mount­ed on a morn­ing ray

I fly be­yond the west­ern sea

Thy swift­er hand would first ar­rive

And there ar­rest Thy fu­gi­tive.

Or should I try to shun Thy sight

Beneath the spread­ing veil of night

One glance of Thine

one pierc­ing ray

Would kin­dle dark­ness into day.

O may these thoughts pos­sess my breath

Where e’er I rove

where e’er I rest!

Nor let my weak­er pas­sions dare

Consent to sin

for God is there.

The veil of night is no dis­guise

No screen from Thy all-search­ing eyes;

Thy hand can seize Thy foes as soon

Through mid­night shades as blaz­ing noon.

Midnight and noon in this agree

Great God

they’re both alike to Thee;

Not death can hide what God will spy

And hell lies nak­ed to His eye.

O may these thoughts pos­sess my breast

Where e’er I rove

wher­e’er I rest!

Nor let my weak­er pass­ions dare

Consent to sin

for God is there.