Nor should our bleeding hearts forget
The almighty, ever-living Friend.
Parent, Protector, Guardian, Guide!
Thou art each tender name in one;
On thee we cast our every care,
And comfort seek from thee alone.
Our Father-God! to thee we look,
Our Rock, our Portion, and our Friend!
And on thy gracious love and truth,
Our sinking souls shall still depend.
Resignation taught by the Example of Christ.
'FATHER divine!' the Saviour cried, While horrors press'd on every side, And prostrate on the ground he lay'Remove this bitter cup away.
'But if these woes must all be borne,
Or helpless man be left forlorn,
I bow my soul before thy throne,
And say, Thy will, not mine, be done!'
Thus our submissive souls would bow,
And, taught by Jesus, lie as low;
Our hearts, and not our lips alone,
Would say, 'Thy will, not ours, be done.'
Consolations of Religion in Affliction.
WHEN Sorrow sinks my spirits down,
And grief o'erwhelms my troubled mind,
Faith cries, Look up to God alone,
A refuge thou in him shalt find:
My soul obeys the sacred word,
And casts her care upon the Lord.
What though affliction's shades surround
My path, yet God is wise and just;
And oft my fainting soul has found
The promise true, in which I trust:
Shall I then doubt his sacred word?
No-let me humbly trust the Lord.
"Tis in the hour of deep distress,
That we religion's comfort prove;
The chastening hand we feel and bless,
Of God, that scourges us in love :
Though nature sinks beneath the rod,
Yet faith reposes still in God.
It is the Lord that strikes the blow;
Let every murmuring thought be still :
Oft has he made my cup o'erflow,
And shall I dare dispute his will?
For ever be the thought abhorr'd:
My soul! still wait thou on the Lord.
Wait, till he bid thy sorrows cease,
Till he thy every care remove;
And though thy troubles fast increase,
Thou need'st not doubt thy Father's love :
Though he delay, yet trust his word;
For true and faithful is the Lord.
Yes, Israel's God was never known
To leave his children in distress;
Mercy and truth surround his throne,
His judgments all are righteousness:
Still shall my soul this truth accord;
I will for ever trust the Lord.
The Discipline of God's Providence.
WHEN I review the devious ways
Through which my feet have trod,
I find incessant cause to bless
And love my guardian God.
Through all the labyrinth of life,
My folly he pursued;
And by some gracious providence,
My rebel heart subdued.
I rarely plann'd, but cause I found
My plan's defeat to bless ;
Oft I lamented an event
Which turn'd to my success.
When labouring under fancied ill,
My spirits to sustain,
He kindly cur'd with wholesome draughts Of deep distress or pain.
Sometimes he brought me near to death; And, pointing to the grave,
Made terror whisper kind advice,
And taught the tomb to save.
'Tis from the seeds in sorrow sown,
The richest harvest rose;
And in my Father's will I've found
An absolute repose.
Self-Examination in Affliction.
Now, in the hour of silent thought, When anxious cares are hush'd and still,
I look within, to see if aught
Opposes, Lord, thy righteous will.
Weakness and pain are bitter draughts,
But God is just and wise and kind
He knows my frame, he sees its faults,
And suits the medicine to the mind.
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Do I then bear this chastening pain
With soul submissive, will resign'd;
Striving at all times to maintain
That temper which in Christ I find?
Omniscient God! thine eye surveys
Each secret and each open sin :
Aid me to search and try my ways;
And guard me from each foe within.
434.
O LORD! my best desires fulfil,
And help me to resign
Life, health, and comfort to thy will,
And make thy pleasure mine.
Why should I shrink at thy command,
Whose love forbids my fears:
Or tremble at the gracious hand,
That wipes away my tears?
No, let me rather freely yield
What most I prize to thee,
Who never hast a good withheld,
Nor wilt withhold from me.
Wisdom and mercy guide thy way;
Shall I resist them both?
Short-sighted creature of a day,
And crush'd before the moth!
But ah! my heart within me cries,
Still bind me to thy sway;
Else the next cloud that veils the sky
Drives all these thoughts away.
Retrospect after a Dangerous Illness.
My God! thy service well demands
The remnant of my days;
Why was this fleeting breath renew'd,
But to renew thy praise!
Thy tender mercy, O my God,
Did this weak frame sustain,
When life was hovering o'er the grave,
And nature sunk with pain.
Thou, when the pains of death were felt, Didst chase all slavish fear;
And well my soul could bear those pains, When thou, my help, wast near.
Calmly I watch'd my ebbing life;
I knew thy time was best;
Nor fear'd to obey my Father's call
To his eternal rest.
Into thy hands, my gracious God,
I did myself resign;
And humbly trusted in thy grace,
For pardoning love is thine.
Back from the borders of the grave,
At thy command I come;
Nor would I wish a speedier flight
To my celestial home.
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