SiteMap

O, For A Faith That Will Not Shrink

1. O for a faith that will not shrink,
Though pressed by ev'ry foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe.

2. That will not murmur or complain
Beneath the chast'ning rod,
But in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon its God.

3. A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without;
That when in danger knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt!

4. That bears, unmoved, the world's dread frown
Nor heeds its scornful smile;
That seas of trouble cannot drown,
Nor Satan's arts beguile.

5. A faith that keeps the narrow way
Till life's last spark is fled,
And with a pure and heavenly ray
Lights up the dying bed.

6. Lord, give us such a faith as this;
And then, whate'er may come,
We'll taste e'en here the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home.

Lyrics: William Hiley Bathurst
Music: John Bacchus Dykes

Tune: ST. AGNES
Meter: C.M.

O, For A Faith That Will Not Shrink

William H. Bathurst, 1796–1877

This hymn text, which is an exposition of Luke 17:5, is from William Bathurst’s Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Use. The song was originally titled “The Power of Faith.” William Hiley Bathurst was an Anglican minister who wrote more than two hundred hymn texts.