Thy Way, not Mine, O Lord

Representative Text

1 Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
however dark it be;
lead me by thine own hand,
choose out the path for me.

2 Smooth let it be or rough,
it will be still the best;
winding or straight, it leads
right onward to thy rest.

3 I dare not choose my lot;
I would not if I might:
choose thou for me, my God,
so shall I walk aright.

4 The Kingdom that I seek
is thine; so let the way
that leads to it be thine,
else I must surely stray.

5 Take thou my cup, and it
with joy or sorrow fill,
as best to thee may seem;
choose thou my good and ill.

6 Choose thou for me my friends,
my sickness or my health;
choose thou my cares for me,
my poverty or wealth.

7 Not mine, not mine, the choice
in things or great or small;
be thou my guide, my strength,
my wisdom, and my all.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #480

Author: Horatius Bonar

Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

Notes

Thy way, not mine [ours] O Lord. H. Bonar. [Resignation.] Appeared in his Hymns of Faith and Hope, 1st Series, 1857, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. It is sometimes given as, "Thy way, not ours, O Lord"; and as Father, Thy way, not mine." There is also an adaptation in three stanzas, beginning, "My portion, Thou! my cup," in the American Church Pastorals, 1864. The original is in extensive use in most English-speaking countries.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

The Book of Common Praise: being the hymn book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #546b
The Cyber Hymnal #6992
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  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
The Sabbath Hymn and Tune Book: for the service of song in the house of the Lord #265e

Instances

Instances (1 - 10 of 10)

AGO Founders Hymnal #59

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #428

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Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #692

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Complete Mission Praise #950

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CPWI Hymnal #480

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #555

Hymns Old and New #521

The Baptist Hymnal #431

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #6992

TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #686

Include 386 pre-1979 instances
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