Lord, It Belongs Not to My Care

Lord, it belongs not to my care

Lord, It Belongs Not to My Care is a hymn text by Richard Baxter (1681) in C.M. meter. Found in lsb 757, th 417, tlh 527.

This hymn expresses the Lutheran doctrine of Christian freedom and trust in Divine Providence, reflecting the believer's peace in surrendering life and death to God's will. The text embodies both Law (acknowledgment of human dependence) and Gospel (assurance of God's loving care), central to Lutheran piety.

History & Background

Richard Baxter wrote this hymn in 1681 as part of his devotional poetry during a period of persecution and imprisonment. It was published in his collected works and has been widely used in Protestant hymnody, particularly valued for its expression of Christian resignation and trust in God's sovereignty.

Hymnal Appearances

Lutheran Service Book — 757
Trinity Hymnal — 417
The Lutheran Hymnal — 527

Bulletin Note

Penned by Puritan theologian Richard Baxter (1615–1691), this 1681 hymn distills Protestant confidence in Divine Providence. Its spare, direct language reflects deep pastoral experience and remains a comfort in times of grief and uncertainty.

Preaching Connection

This hymn embodies the Law-Gospel dialectic perfectly: it diagnoses our futile human striving for control, then proclaims the Gospel's liberating truth that our lives are hidden with Christ in God, freeing us to obey and love without fear.

In the Church Year

Suggested in the one-year series

Trinity 24 (1×)

Suggested in the three-year series

Last Sunday of the Church Year (3×)
Proper 16 (1×)
Proper 20 (1×)
Proper 4 (1×)

From LCMS Worship's published hymn suggestions, 2014–2026. The count is how many of those yearly lists suggested this hymn for that day.

AI-assisted draft These study notes were drafted with AI from the hymn text and have not yet been reviewed line by line. Treat them as a starting point and check them against the sources.

Overview

Richard Baxter, the English Puritan pastor of Kidderminster and author of The Saints' Everlasting Rest, wrote the poem from which this cento comes. It leaves life and death to God, asking only grace to love and serve (st. 1); welcomes a long life for obedience or a short one as a laborer's rest (st. 2); and says, in its best-known lines, 'Christ leads me through no darker rooms than He went through before' (st. 3). It longs to see Christ's face (st. 4) and join the saints' praise (st. 5), and ends with a humble confession: 'My knowledge of that life is small… but 'tis enough that Christ knows all, and I shall be with Him' (st. 6).

Central theme: Indifference to whether we live or die, because Christ has gone before through death and we shall be with him

Structure

Six common-meter quatrains. Life or death (1-2) — Christ's darker rooms (3) — longing (4-5) — 'enough that Christ knows all' (6).

Law & Gospel Shape

Gospel: grace gives love and service (1); Christ has gone through death first (3); 'I shall be with Him' (6). 'Weary, sinful days' (5) names our state.

Confessional Connections

'This Thy grace must give' — even love and service are God's gift (FC II; Phil 2:13). Christ as forerunner through death (Heb 6:20; 2:14-15) — his death sanctifies ours. 'When grace has made me meet' — Col 1:12: God 'has qualified you to share in the inheritance.' Humility about the afterlife (st. 6) is sound: Scripture reveals little beyond being 'with Christ' (Phil 1:23; AC XVII refuses speculation). Baxter was a Puritan, but nothing here conflicts with the Lutheran Confessions.

Liturgical Use (Study Notes)

Funerals; times of illness; Last Sundays; general.

Historical Notes

From Baxter's Poetical Fragments (1681), under the heading 'The Covenant and Confidence of Faith.' Baxter (1615-1691) was a leading English Puritan pastor and writer.

About the Tune

TLH: ST. BERNARD (Tochter Zion, Cologne, 1741). This text row (969) lists ST. FULBERT; row 915 lists ST. BERNARD.

Scripture References

Phil 1:21-24 Rom 14:7-8 Phil 2:13 Ps 90:10 Eccl 5:12 Heb 2:14-15 Heb 6:20 John 10:9 John 14:6 Col 1:12 Rev 22:4 1 Cor 13:12 Rev 7:9-10 1 Cor 2:9 2 Tim 1:12 Phil 1:23 1 Thess 4:17

Stanza by Stanza

1 Lord, it belongs not to my care…

Lord, it is not my concern whether I die or live; my part is to love and serve you, and your grace must give this.

Phil 1:21 (TLH's text): 'to live is Christ, and to die is gain.' Rom 14:8: 'whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.' Even love and service are given by grace (Phil 2:13).

Scripture: Phil 1:21, Rom 14:7-8, Phil 2:13
Imagery & language: Life or death; grace gives.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — life and death in God's hand.
Connection to previous: Not my care.

providence death grace

2 If life be long, I will be glad…

If life is long, I will be glad that I may obey long; if it is short, no laborer is sad to end his hard day.

Long life as more time for service (Phil 1:22, 24); short life as rest (Rev 14:13; Eccl 5:12, 'sweet is the sleep of a laborer').

Scripture: Phil 1:22-24, Ps 90:10, Eccl 5:12, Rev 14:13
Imagery & language: Long or short; laborer's day.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — contentment.
Connection to previous: Long or short.

vocation death contentment

3 Christ leads me through no darker rooms…

Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he went through first; whoever comes into God's kingdom must enter by this door.

Baxter's most memorable image. Christ has gone through death before us (Heb 2:14-15; 6:20, 'a forerunner on our behalf'). 'This door' — death, now made a passage by Christ, who is himself the door (John 10:9; 14:6).

Scripture: Heb 2:14-15, Heb 6:20, John 10:9, John 14:6, Ps 23:4
Imagery & language: Dark rooms; door.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — Christ the forerunner through death.
Connection to previous: Darker rooms.

death Christ's death theology of the cross

4 Come, Lord, when grace has made me meet…

Come, Lord, when grace has made me fit to see your blessed face; for if your work on earth is sweet, what will your glory be?

'Meet' — fit, qualified: God 'has qualified you to share in the inheritance' (Col 1:12) — by grace, not by our progress. 'They will see his face' (Rev 22:4). The argument from the lesser to the greater: present grace is a foretaste of glory.

Scripture: Col 1:12, Rev 22:4, 1 Cor 13:12, Ps 17:15
Imagery & language: Made meet; blessed face.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — glory foretasted.
Connection to previous: His face.

beatific vision grace heaven

5 Then shall I end my sad complaints…

Then I will end my sad complaints and weary, sinful days, and join the triumphant saints who sing my Savior's praise.

The end of sin and lament (Rev 21:4). The Church triumphant (Rev 7:9-10). 'Sinful days' — the believer remains simul iustus et peccator until death.

Scripture: Rev 21:4, Rev 7:9-10, Rom 7:24-25
Imagery & language: Complaints ended; triumphant saints.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — sin ended, praise begun.
Connection to previous: Joining the saints.

heaven simul iustus et peccator praise

6 My knowledge of that life is small,…

I know little about that life; the eye of faith is dim. But it is enough that Christ knows everything, and I will be with him.

'Now we see in a mirror dimly' (1 Cor 13:12). 'No eye has seen' (1 Cor 2:9). The one sure thing: 'with Christ' (Phil 1:23; 1 Thess 4:17). 'I know whom I have believed' (2 Tim 1:12) — faith rests on Christ, not on detailed knowledge.

Scripture: 1 Cor 13:12, 1 Cor 2:9, Phil 1:23, 1 Thess 4:17, 2 Tim 1:12
Imagery & language: Dim eye of faith; Christ knows all.
Law / Gospel: Gospel — 'I shall be with Him.'
Connection to previous: Enough.

faith heaven humility

Themes

Trust in God's Providence Christian Contentment Separation of Soul and Body Commitment to Christ Peace in Suffering

Look Further

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