Gracious Father, guard Thy children
From
the foe’s destructive power;
Save,
O save them, Lord, from falling
In
this dark and trying hour.
Thou
wilt surely prove Thy people,
All
our graces must be tried;
But
Thy world illumes our path-way,
And
in God we still confide.
2
We
are in the time of waiting;
Soon
we shall behold our Lord,
Wafted
far away from sorrow,
To
receive our rich reward.
Keep
us, Lord till Thine appearing,
Pure
unspotted from the world;
Let
Thy Holy Spirit cheer us
Til
Thy banner is unfurled.
3
With
what joyful exaltation
Shall
the saints Thy banner see,
When
the Lord for whom we’ve waited
Shall
proclaim the jubilee!
Freedom
from this world’s populations;
Freedom
from all sin and pain;
Freedom
from the wiles of Satan,
And
from death’s destructive reign.