“Lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
I’ve a Friend who will not leave me,
Ever walking by my side;
Other friends too often grieve me,
Coldly smile, or harshly chide.
But the Friend who dwelleth near me,
Is my Father—Guard—and Guide;
Ah! ’tis He alone can bear me
Safely over sorrow’s tide.
All the world may think me lonely,
Pitying eyes upon me bend;
But, with this companion only,
Can I need another friend?
Early in the cheerful morning,
Though I seem to walk alone,
He, the proud and lofty scorning,
Walks with me, his own—his own!
Or, when evening darkens o’er me,
Solitary though I seem,
Hope’s bright visions glow before me,
While of heavenly joys I dream.
Nearer, dearer than a brother,
Is my kind Almighty Friend;
Surely then, I need no other,
While he will my steps attend.