Words: , 1868, alt. Bode wrote the words for his daugh­ter’s and two sons’ con­firm­a­tion serv­ice. At the time, Bode was a pas­tor in Cas­tle Camps par­ish, Cam­bridge­shire, Eng­land. It was pub­lished in the ap­pend­ix of Psalms and Hymns of the So­ci­e­ty for the Pro­pa­ga­tion of Christ­ian Know­ledge, 1869.

Music: An­gel’s Sto­ry, , in The Meth­od­ist Sun­day School Hymn­book (Lon­don: 1881). Al­ter­nate tune:

  • Llanberis, , in No­vel­lo’s The Psalm­ist, 1835
  • Llanfyllin, tra­di­tion­al Welsh mel­o­dy, pub­lished 1865

O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

O let me feel Thee near me! The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me, around me and within;
But Jesus, draw Thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin.

O let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self will.
O speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

O let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone.
O guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heaven receive me, my Savior and my Friend.