Take my life, O Father, mold it
In obedience to Thy will;
And as rip’ning years unfold it,
Keep it true and childlike still.
Father, keep it pure and holy,
Strong and brave, yet free from strife,
Turning from the paths unholy
Of a vain or sinful life.
Ever let Thy might surround it,
Girding well the inner mind,
Till the cords of love have bound it,
Father, wholly unto Thine.
– Bartol’s Hymns for the Sanctuary (1849)