Shall I, for fear of feeble man,
The Spirit’s course in me restrain?
Or, undismayed, in deed and word
Be a true witness for my Lord?
Awed by a mortal’s frown, shall I
Conceal the Word of God most high?
How then before Thee shall I dare
To stand, or how Thine anger bear?
Savior of men, Thy searching eye
Doth all my inmost thoughts descry;
Doth aught on earth my wishes raise,
Or the world’s pleasures, or its praise?
The love of Christ doth me constrain
To seek the wandering souls of men;
With cries, entreaties, tears, to save,
To snatch them from the gaping grave.
Give me Thy strength, O God of power;
Then let winds blow, or thunders roar,
Thy faithful witness will I be:
‘Tis fixed; I can do all through Thee!
About the Writer: John Joseph Winckler, a German Pietist, was born in Saxony in 1670. He was at first a pastor at Magdeburg, then a chaplain in the Protestant army, accompanying the troops to Holland and Italy. He was known for his great courage and convictions. He died in 1722.
Key Verse: A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor. –Proverbs 14:25