When All Thy Mercies

Words: Joseph Addison · Music: William Gardiner · 1712

Verse 1
When all thy mercies, O my God,
my rising soul surveys,
why, my cold heart, art thou not lost
in wonder, love, and praise?

Verse 2
Thy providence my life sustained
and all my wants redressed,
when in the silent womb I lay,
and hung upon the breast.

Verse 3
To all my weak complaints and cries
thy mercy lent an ear,
ere yet my feeble thoughts had learned
to form themselves in prayer.

Verse 4
Unnumbered comforts to my soul
thy tender care bestowed,
before my infant heart conceived
from whom those comforts flowed.

Verse 5
When in the slipp'ry paths of youth
with heedless steps I ran,
thine arm unseen conveyed me safe,
and led me up to man.

Verse 6
Through hidden dangers, toils, and deaths,
it gently cleared my way,
and through the pleasing snares of vice,
more to be feared than they.

Verse 7
Through ev'ry period of my life
thy goodness I'll pursue;
and after death in distant worlds
the pleasing theme renew.

Verse 8
Through all eternity to thee
a grateful song I'll raise;
but oh! eternity's too short
to utter all thy praise.

Words: Joseph Addison, 1712 | Music: William Gardiner's Sacred Melodies, 1812

God, Mercy of · God, Providence of