O God, who dost the motives know

Verse 1
O God, who dost the motives know
From which our various actions flow,
And what we now intend,
If Thee our Lawful Purpose please
Prevent, accompany, and bless
With a successful end.

Verse 2
Unmov’d by avarice or pride
Things honest, Lord, we woud provide
According to thy will,
And, (while thy hand points out our way,)
The providential call obey
And thy designs fulfil.

Verse 3
By thy paternal love decreed
To labour for our daily bread,
Our business we pursue,
In every step look up to Thee,
And ask, with meek docility,
What woudst Thou have us do?

Verse 4
Who dost from man his purpose hide,
If from thy path we turn aside,
Our wandring feet repress,
Stop us impatient to proceed,
Nor let us snatch with eager speed
At dangerous success.

Verse 5
Thine eye perceives the hidden snare,
Beneath a false appearance fair,
Which yet we cannot shun.
Unless we thy direction find,
Who promisest to bring the blind
A way we have not known.

Verse 6
But thro’ the world’s insidious arts,
The labyrinth of human hearts,
Thou wilt thy children lead,
Who biddest us of men beware,
Thou wilt with kind continued care
Supply our every need.

Verse 7
Thee then we joyfully confess,
In all our purposes and ways,
Disposer of thine own,
And satisfied with God our Friend,
Soul, body, and estate commend
Into thy hands alone.

Verse 8
We trust our never failing Guide,
Thou wilt for all our wants provide,
And all our paths attend,
Giver of every gift and grace,
Till happily our earthly race
In life eternal end.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “Prayers for the Divine Blessing on a Temporal Undertaking. Sept 1784.” This hymn is included in the manuscript collection “MS Drew.” It is held in the Wesley Family Papers at the Methodist Library of Drew University (folder 2135-6-4:13). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. It also appears as a loose-leaf manuscript held by the Methodist Archive and Research Centre, The John Rylands Library, The University of Manchester (accession number 1977/583/32). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School.
Publishing: Public Domain