Sung during the Sunday worship at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London (Spurgeon’s).
Hymn 42 version 1 (based on Psalm 42) from our hymn book, Psalms & Hymns of Reformed Worship.
AS pants the hart for cooling streams,
When heated in the chase,
So longs my soul, O God, for Thee,
And Thy refreshing grace.
For Thee, my God, the living God,
My thirsty soul doth pine;
O when shall I behold Thy face,
Thou Majesty divine?
Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Trust God, Who will employ
His aid for thee, and change these sighs
To thankful hymns of joy.
God of my strength, how long shall I
Like one forgotten mourn?
Forlorn, forsaken and exposed
To my oppressor’s scorn?
Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Hope still, and thou shalt sing
The praise of Him Who is thy God,
Thy health’s eternal spring.
Authors: Nahum Tate (1652-1715) and Nicholas Brady (1659-1726)
Tune: Forty-Second Psalm
Composer: Christopher Laws (b.1946)
(This tune is published in ‘Worthy the Lamb’, a recently-produced book of new tunes for Reformed worship, which is available for purchase here: https://bit.ly/2Dv6yEl)