Thou Knowest Poem by Martin Farquhar Tupper

God my Father, God my Friend,
Whose love doth all my thoughts transcend,
Without beginning, without end,
Lord! Thou knowest;

Every step upon my way,
Every moment, night and day,
It supports me still to say,
Lord! Thou knowest.

All the past before Thee set
As a present liveth yet;
Thou rememberest - I forget,
Lord! Thou knowest;

Still at the time I did my best,
With whatever faults confess'd,
And to Thee I left the rest,
Lord! Thou knowest;

Men and modes and matters change
With a panoramic range,
As in visions passing strange,
Lord! Thou knowest;

Yet I trust at each new phase,
Conscience chose the right always,
Taught of Thee through prayer and praise,
Lord! Thou knowest.

What might after seem half wrong,
Look'd like duty, steering strong,
As my bark was swept along,
Lord! Thou knowest;

And the sorrows and the cares,
And vexations unawares,
Whereof human frailty fares,
Lord! Thou knowest;

Yea, the slidings back of sin
Were but wounds whereby to win
Humbling victories within,-
Lord! Thou knowest;

And Thy kind all-seeing eye,
Taking count of all things nigh,
Judged, forgave, and pass'd them by,-
Lord! Thou knowest.

In Thy sight a guilty man
On each inch of life's short span,
Yet I trust Thee, as I can,-
Lord! Thou knowest;

For in every grief and loss,
Still I counted all things dross,
For the treasure of Thy cross,-
Lord! Thou knowest.