Thy mercies set us free!

71 Praetorius. C. M.

1 How are thy servants blest, O Lord!
   How sure is their defense!
   Eternal wisdom is their guide,
   Their help Omnipotence.

2 From all our griefs and fears, O Lord!
   Thy mercy sets us free;
   While in the confidence of pray'r
   Our hearts take hold on thee.

3 In midst of dangers, fears, and death,
   Thy goodness I'll adore;
   And praise thee for thy mercies past,
   And humbly hope for more.

4 My life, while thou preserv'st my life,
   Thy sacrifice shall be;
   And, oh! may death, when death shall come,
   Unite my soul to thee!
                         Joseph Addison
                        The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
Hymnary.org insert 4 verses after verse 1 in the version taken from A Collection of Hymns and Prayers, for Public and Private Worship:

2 In foreign realms and lands remote,
   Supported by thy care,
   They pass unhurt thr' burning climes,
   And breathe in tainted air.

3 Thy mercy sweetens ev'ry soil,
   Makes ev'ry region please;
   the hoary frozen hills it warms,
   And smooths the boist'rous seas.

4 Tho' by the dreadful tempest toss'd,
   High on the broken wave,
   They know thou art not slow to hear,
   Nor impotent to save.

5 The storm is laid, the winds retire,
   Obedient to thy will;
   The sea, that roars at thy command,
   At thy command is still.

</idle musing>