O Thou, Before Whose Presence

O Thou before whose pre­sence

Naught ev­il may come in

Yet who dost look in mer­cy

Down on this world of sin

O give us no­ble pur­pose

To set the sin bound free

And Christ­like ten­der pi­ty

To seek the lost for Thee.

Fierce is our subtle foe­man:

The forc­es at his hand

With woes that none can num­ber

Despoil the plea­sant land;

All they who war against them

In strife so keen and long

Must in their Sav­ior’s ar­mor

Be strong­er than the strong.

So hast Thou wrought among us

The great things that we see!

For things that are we thank Thee

And for the things to be.

For bright hope is up­lift­ing

Faint hands and fee­ble knees

To strive be­neath Thy bless­ing

For great­er things than these.

Lead on

O love and mer­cy

O pur­ity and pow­er

Lead on till peace eter­nal

Shall close this bat­tle hour:

Till all who prayed and strug­gled

To set their breth­ren free

In tri­umph meet to praise Thee

Most ho­ly Tri­ni­ty.