Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us
- Metre
- 8.7.8.7.8.7
- Written
- 1821
- Copyright
- Public domain
Lyrics
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
o'er the world's tempestuous sea;
guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us
for we have no help but thee;
yet possessing every blessing,
if our God our Father be.
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us;
all our weakness thou dost know;
thou didst tread this earth before us,
thou didst feel its keenest woe;
self denying, death defying,
thou to Calvary didst go.
Spirit of our God, descending,
fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
love with every passion blending,
pleasure that can never cloy:
thus provided, pardoned, guided,
nothing can our peace destroy.
History
James Edmeston first published this hymn in 1821 in the second set of his Sacred Lyrics, in three stanzas, under the heading 'Hymn, Written for the Children of the London Orphan Asylum'. Its three verses are addressed in turn to Father, Son and Spirit: the Father who guides us 'o'er the world's tempestuous sea', the Saviour who 'didst tread this earth before us' and went to Calvary, and the Spirit who fills our hearts 'with heavenly joy', so that 'nothing can our peace destroy'. According to Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology, it gradually grew into favour after its inclusion in the Baptist Psalms & Hymns of 1858. Hymnary.org lists it with tunes including MANNHEIM (Filitz) and DULCE CARMEN.
Edmeston was born on 10 September 1791. Independent by descent — his maternal grandfather, the Revd Samuel Brewer, was pastor of an Independent congregation at Stepney for fifty years — he joined the Church of England at a comparatively early age and later served as churchwarden of St Barnabas, Homerton. An architect and surveyor by profession, he practised on his own account from 1816 until his death, and Sir Gilbert Scott was his pupil. He wrote nearly 2,000 hymns, many of them for children, in collections such as Sacred Lyrics, The Cottage Minstrel (1821) and One Hundred Hymns for Sunday Schools (1821). He died on 7 January 1867.
Performance
This recording by St Martin's Voices runs to about two minutes: a short organ introduction leads into the three verses.
Sources: hymnary.org · St Martin's Voices recording and Words book (23_Words_for_Hymns_for_Lent.docx): 'James Edmeston (1791-1867)', '(Public Domain)'
About St Martin's Voices
The recording on this page is sung by St Martin's Voices, the professional vocal ensemble based at St Martin-in-the-Fields, the church on Trafalgar Square in London. One of the UK's most versatile professional choirs, they sing for services, concerts and broadcasts — including on BBC radio and Classic FM — and have released a number of acclaimed recordings.
Their hymn recordings are made freely available to Anglican parishes through the Church of England's A Church Near You Resource Hub, produced by Andrew Earis, Director of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields, in collaboration with the Royal School of Church Music.