Commit thou all thy griefs
And ways into his hands,
To his sure truth and tender care,
Who heaven and earth commands.

Who points the clouds their course,
Whom winds and seas obey,
He shall direct thy wandering feet,
He shall prepare thy way.

Thou on the Lord rely,
So safe shalt thou go on;
Fix on his work thy steadfast eye
So shall thy work be done.

No profit canst thou gain
By self-consuming care;
To him commend thy cause, his ear
Attends the softest prayer.

Thy everlasting truth,
Father, thy ceaseless love,
Sees all thy children's wants, and knows
What best for each will prove.

Thou everywhere hast sway,
And all things serve thy might;
Thy every act pure blessing is,
Thy path unsullied light.

When thou arisest, Lord,
What shall thy work withstand?
Whate'er thy children want, thou giv'st;
And who shall stay thy hand?

Give to the winds thy fears;
Hope, and be undismayed:
God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head.

Through waves, and clouds, and storms,
He gently clears thy way:
Wait thou his time, so shall this night
Soon end in joyous day.

Still heavy is thy heart?
Still sink thy spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
Bid every care be gone.

What though thou rulest not?
Yet heaven, and earth, and hell
Proclaim, God sitteth on the throne,
And ruleth all things well!

Leave to his sovereign sway
To choose and to command;
So shalt thou wondering own his way,
How wise, how strong his hand.

Far, far above thy thought
His counsel shall appear,
When fully he the work hath wrought
That caused thy needless fear!

Thou seest our weakness, Lord;
Our hearts are known to thee;
O lift thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee!

Let us in life, in death,
Thy steadfast truth declare,
And publish with our latest breath
Thy love and guardian care.

            by Paul Gerhardt, translated
            by John Wesley (normally
            split up into two hynms)   


.....He who once bore our sins, and carried our sorrows, is seated upon a throne of glory, and exercises all power in heaven and on earth.  Thrones, principalities, and powers, bow before Him.  Every event in the kingdom of providence and of grace is under His rule.  His providence pervades and manages the whole, and is as minutely attentive to every part, as if there were only that single object in His view.  From the tallest archangel to the meanest ant or fly, all depend on Him for their being, their preservation, and their powers.  He directs the sparrows where to build their nests, and to find their food.   He overrules the rise and fall of nations, and bends, with an invincible energy and unerring wisdom, all events; so that, while many intend nothing less, in the issue, their designs all concur and coincide in the accomplishment of His holy will.  He restrains with a mighty hand the still more formidable efforts of the powers of darkness; and Satan, with all his hosts, cannot exert their malice a hair's breadth beyond the limits of His permission.  This is He who is the head and husband of His believing people.  How happy are they whom it is His good pleasure to bless!  How safe are they whom He has engaged to protect!  How honoured and privileged are they to whom He is pleased to manifest Himself, and whom He enables and warrants to claim Him as their friend and their portion!  Having redeemed them by His own blood, he sets a high value upon them; He esteems them His treasure, His jewels, and keeps them as the pupil of his eye.  They shall not want; they need not fear; His eye is upon them in every situation, His ear is open to their prayers, and His everlasting arms are under them for their sure support.  On earth He guides their steps, controls their enemies, and directs all His dispensations for their good; while in heaven, He is pleading their cause, preparing them a place, and communicating down to them reviving foretastes of the glory that shall be shortly revealed.                                                                                                                                                                                           John Newton