As parched in the barren sands

The words

1. 1

   Stanza 1. As parched in the barren sandsBeneath a burning sky,The worthless bramble with’ring stands,And only grows to die.

2. 2

   Stanza 2. Such is the sinner’s aweful case,Who makes the world his trust;And dares his confidence to placeIn vanity and dust.

3. 3

   Stanza 3. A secret curse destroys his root,And dries his moisture up;He lives awhile, but bears no fruit,Then dies without a hope.

4. 4

   Stanza 4. But happy he whose hopes dependUpon the LORD alone;The soul that trusts in such a friend,Can ne’er be overthrown.

5. 5

   Stanza 5. Though gourds should wither, cisterns break,And creature–comforts die;No change his solid hope can shake,Or stop his sure supply.

6. 6

   Stanza 6. So thrives and blooms the tree whose rootsBy constant streams are fed;Arrayed in green, and rich in fruits,It rears its branching head.

7. 7

   Stanza 7. It thrives, though rain should be denied,And drought around prevail;’Tis planted by a river’s sideWhose waters cannot fail.

Olney Hymns (1779), Book 1, Hymn 66. John Newton. Public domain. CCEL transcription with modernized spelling. www.praylock.com/olney-hymns/1-66