1 WHY those fears! Behold 'tis Jesus
Holds the helm, and guides the ship;
Spread the sails, and catch the breezes
Sent to waft us through the deep,
To the regions
Where the mourners cease to weep.
2 Though the shore we hope to land on,
Only by report is known,
Yet we freely all abandon,
Led by that report alone,
And with Jesus,
Through the trackless deep move on.
3 Led by faith, we brave the ocean;
Led by faith, the storm defy;
Calm amidst tumultuous motion,
Knowing that the Lord is nigh:
Waves obey Him,
And the storms before Him fly.
4 Rendered safe by His protection,
We shall pass the watery waste,
Trusting to His wise direction
We shall gain the port at last;
And with wonder
Think on toils and dangers past.
5 Oh, what pleasures there await us!
There the tempests cease to roar:
There it is that those who hate us
Can molest our peace no more:
Trouble ceases
On that tranquil, happy shore.
It's from Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture, third edition (1809), under the title 'Stilling the Sea'.