The Living God

I THIRST for God, to Him my soul aspires,

The living God it is my heart’s desires.

The living God created me

To life. Yea, as I live, spake He,

No living man my face shall see,

Shall see my face and live.

He fashioned all with counsel wise

And purpose wonderful that lies

For ever hidden from our eyes,

The eyes of all who live.

Supreme o’er all His glory reigns,

Extolled on earth in holy strains,

Blessed is He whose hand maintains

The soul of all who live.

He separated Israel’s seed

To teach them statutes, which indeed

If that a man do hear and heed,

His soul by them shall live.

Can pure and just themselves declare

They who of dust created were?

Lo, in Thy sight, O Lord, we dare

Call no man just who lives.

Like serpent’s poison venomous,

The sinful passion dwells in us,

Can then from evil cankerous

Be any free that live?

But they the cords of sin who break

May yet the evil path forsake,

Ere in that house their rest they take,

That waits for all who live.

Call us in mercy unto Thee

Again Thy witnesses to be,

O Thou, who openest graciously

Thy hand to all that live.