Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord

Verse 1
Heavenly Father, sovereign Lord,
Ever faithful to thy word,
Humbly we our seal set to,
Testify that thou art true. (John 3:33)

Verse 2
Lo! For us the wilds are glad, (Ps. 65:12-13)
All in chearful green array’d,
Opening sweets they all disclose;
Bud, and blossom as the rose. (Isa. 35:1)

Verse 3
Hark! The wastes have found a voice,
Lonely desarts now rejoice, (Isa. 35:1, Isa. 42:11, Isa. 51:3, Isa. 52:9)
Gladsom hallelujahs sing,
All around with praises ring. (Isa. 35:2, Isa. 55:12)

Verse 4
Lo, abundantly they bloom, (Isa. 35:2)
Lebanon is hither come, (Isa. 29:17, Hos. 14:5-7)
Carmel’s stores the heavens dispense, (Isa. 35:2)
Sharon’s fertile excellence. (Song of Solomon 2:1, Isa. 35:2)

Verse 5
See these barren souls of ours
Bloom, and put forth fruits and flowers,
Flowers of Eden, fruits of grace, (Isa. 51:3, Ezek. 36:35)
Peace, and joy, and righteousness. (Isa. 32:16-17, Rom. 14:17)

Verse 6
We behold (the abjects we)
Christ th’ incarnate deity, (John 1:14, Col. 2:9, I Tim. 3:16)
Christ in whom thy glories shine,
Excellence of strength divine. (Isa. 35:2, II Cor. 4:6-7)

Verse 7
Ye that tremble at his frown, (Isa. 66:2, Isa. 66:5)
He shall lift your hands cast down;
Christ who all your weakness sees, (Heb. 4:15)
He shall prop your feeble knees. (Job 4:3-4, Isa. 35:3, Heb. 12:12)

Verse 8
Ye of fearful hearts be strong, (Isa. 35:4)
Jesus will not tarry long; (Heb. 10:37, Rev. 22:20)
Fear not, lest his truth should fail, (Ps. 89:33-34, Isa. 35:4, Isa, 55:11, Josh. 21:45)
Jesus is unchangeable. (Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8)

Verse 9
God, your God shall surely come,
Quell your foes, and seal their doom,
He shall come, and save you too: (Isa. 35:4, Ps. 50:3, Isa. 25:9)
We, O Lord, have found thee true. (John 3:33)

Verse 10
Blind we were, but now we see, (Isa. 35:5)
Deaf—we hearken now to thee, (Isa. 35:5, Isa. 29:18, Matt. 11:5, Luke 7:22, Mark 7:37, John 9:25)
Dumb—for thee our tongues employ, (Isa. 35:6)
Lame—and lo! We leap for joy! (Isa. 35:6, Matt. 15:31, Mark 7:35, Acts 3:8)

Verse 11
Faint we were, and parch’d with drought, (Ps. 107:5, Isa. 41:17, Amos 8:13)
Water at thy word gush’d out, (Ex. 17:6, Num. 20:8, Num. 20:11, Ps. 78:15-16, Ps. 78:20, Ps. 105:41, Isa. 48:21)
Streams of grace our thirst refresh,
Starting from the wilderness. (Isa. 35:6, Isa. 43:19-20)

Verse 12
Still we gasp thy grace to know;
Here forever let it flow,
Make the thirsty land a pool, (Ps. 107:35, Isa. 35:7, Isa. 41:18)
Fix the Spirit in our soul. (Ezek. 37:14, John 14:16-17)

Verse 13
Where the antient dragon lay, (Isa. 35:7, Isa. 43:20)
Open for thyself a way, (Isa. 35:8, Isa. 43:19)
There let holy tempers rise,
All the fruits of paradise. (Isa. 35:1-2, Isa. 51:3, Rev. 2:7, Rev. 22:2)

Verse 14
Lead us in the way of peace, (Luke 1:79)
In the path of righteousness, (Ps. 23:3, Prov. 8:20, Prov. 12:28)
Never by the sinner trod, (Isa. 35:8)
Till he feels the cleansing blood. (I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, Rev. 7:14)

Verse 15
There the simple cannot stray, (Isa. 35:8)
Babes, tho’ blind, may find their way, (Isa. 35:5, Isa. 42:16)
Find, nor ever thence depart,
Safe in lowliness of heart.

Verse 16
Far from fear, from danger far, (Isa. 35:4)
No devouring beast is there; (Isa. 35:9, Ezek. 34:25)
There the humble walk secure, (Mic. 6:8)
God hath made their footsteps sure. (Isa. 35:9)

Verse 17
Jesu, mighty to redeem, (Isa. 63:1)
Let our lot be cast with them,
Far from earth our souls remove,
Ransom’d by thy dying love. (Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45, I Tim. 2:5-6)

Verse 18
Leave us not below to mourn,
Fain we would to thee return, (Isa. 35:10, Isa. 51:11, Phil. 1:23)
Crown’d with righteousness arise, (II Tim. 4:8)
Far above these nether skies. (I Thess. 4:16-17)

Verse 19
Come, and all our sorrows chase, (Isa. 35:10, Isa. 51:11)
Wipe the tears from every face, (Isa. 25:8, Rev. 7:17, Rev. 21:4)
Gladness let us now obtain, (Isa. 35:10, Isa. 51:11)
Partners of thy endless reign. (II Tim. 2:12, Rev. 3:21, Rev. 20:6, Rev. 22:5)

Verse 20
Death, the latest foe destroy; (Hos. 13:14, I Cor. 15:26, II Tim. 1:10, Rev. 20:14)
Sorrow then shall yield to joy, (Isa. 35:10, Isa. 51:11)
Gloomy grief shall flee away, (Isa. 35:10, Isa. 51:11, Jer. 31:13, John 16:20, Rev. 21:4)
Swallow’d up in endless day. (Isa. 25:8, Isa. 60:20, I Cor. 15:54, II Cor. 5:4, Rev. 21:23-25, Rev. 22:5)