Gracious God, Thy children keep;
JESUS guide Thy silly sheep;
Fix, O fix, our fickle souls;
Lord, direct us: we are fools.
Bid us in Thy care confide;
keep us near Thy wounded side;
From Thee never let us stir,
For Thou know'st how soon we err.
Lay us low before Thy feet,
Safe from pride and self-conceit;
Be the language of our souls,
Lord, direct us: we are fools.
Dang'rous doctrines from without,
Lies and errors round about;
From within a treach'rous heart,
Prone to take the tempter's part.
By Thy word we fain would steer,
Fain Thy Spirit's dictates hear;
Save us from the rocks and shelves;
Save us chiefly from ourselves.
Never, never may we dare,
What we are not, think we are;
Make us well our vileness know;
Keep us very, very low.
May we all our wills resign,
Quite absorb'd and lost in Thine;
Let us walk by Thy right rules;
Lord direct us: we are fools.