In grateful songs your voices raise

In grateful songs your voices raise,
All people here below,
To Him whom angels ever praise,
In heav’n His glory show.

With gladsome songs now fill the air
To God our chiefest Joy,
Who worketh wonders ev’rywhere,
Whose hands great things employ;

Who from the womb to latest years
Upholds the life He gave;
Who when no help from man appears
Himself appears to save;

Who though our way His heart oft grieves,
Maintains a gracious mood,
Remits the pains, the sin forgives,
And doth us nought but good.

Oh, may He give a joyous heart,
The mind from sorrow keep,
And cast all care, fear, grief, and smart
Into the ocean deep.

And may His blessing ever rest
On Israel’s favour’d head;
May all we do by Him be bless’d,
May His salvation spread.

May love and goodness toward us flow,
In bounteous streams each day,
And every anxious care we know,
Be chas’d by Him away.

As long as beats each throbbing heart,
Our Saviour may He be,
Our portion when from earth we part,
To all eternity.

When sinks the heart, when strength decays,
By Him our eyes be press’d,
Then may we see His open face,
In everlasting rest.

Paul Gerhardt’s Spiritual Songs, 1867