Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land,
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
Hold me with thy powerful hand.

Open now the crystal fountains
Whence the living waters flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.

Feed me with the heavenly manna
In this barren wilderness;
Be my sword, and shield, and banner,
Be the Lord my Righteousness.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.

Amen.

The Welsh are known for their singing. From medieval bards to Welsh Men's Choirs, they are a people particularly gifted in song. It is no surprise, then, that the Welsh revivals of the 1700s brought along with it a revival in hymnody.

When evangelist Howell Harris began to preach personal salvation to his fellow countrymen, he hoped to use songs as a vehicle for his message. However, since there were only a few hymns in the Welsh language, he ingeniously turned to the traditional "Eisteddfod" bard contests to stimulate the writing of new hymns. From these contests emerged a number of usable hymns as well as a young preacher named William Williams who became known as the "Isaac Watts of Wales."

Williams was born to a poor family in Pantycelyn, and intended to become a clergyman for the Sacramentarian Church (or "high church") until he heard Howell Harris's preaching and decided to join the Dissenters. For the next 43 years he traveled 95,900 miles bringing the gospel to his country. Although he was a fine preacher, his 800 or more Welsh hymns are what endeared him most to the people. Of those 800 hymns only one, "Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah," is commonly used in English translation today. --Greg Scheer, 1997