Dear Father, to Thy mercy-seat
My soul for shelter flies;
’Tis here I find a safe retreat
When storms and tempests rise.

My cheerful hope can never die
If Thou, my God, art near;
Thy grace can raise my comforts high
And banish every fear.

My great Protector and my Lord,
Thy constant aid impart;
Oh, let Thy kind, Thy gracious word
Sustain my trembling heart!

Oh, never let my soul remove
From this divine retreat;
Still let me trust Thy power and love,
And dwell beneath Thy feet.

—Anne Steele (1716–1778)