If now thou wilt his soul require, And purge it first from sin; Thy love hath quicker wings than Death, If in the vale of tears thy will And let him patiently submit O,'let him look to thee alone, Alike resigned to live or die, As most thy name may glorify, THE LORD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST. For who knoweth what is good for man in this life? - Eccles. 6: 12. WHAT, many times I musing asked, is man, If grief and care Keep far from him? he knows not what he can, What cannot bear. He, till the fire hath purged him, doth remain To lack the loving discipline of pain, Yet when my Lord did ask me on what side The grief, whereby I must be purified, As each imagined anguish did appear, Before my soul, I cried, ' O! spare me here, Like one that having need of, deep within, Would hardly bear that it should graze the skin, Nay then but he, who best doth understand, And what can bear, did take my case in hand, THE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. - Psalm 138: 3. SAVIOUR! beneath thy yoke, My wayward heart doth pine; Thy chastisements, my God, are hard to bear, Perishing child of clay! Thy sighing I have heard; Long have I marked thy evil way, How thou hast erred: Yet fear not-by my own most holy name Praise to thee, gracious Lord! I fain would be at rest; And make me blest: My soul would lay her heavy burden down, Stay, thou short-sighted child! There is much first to do; Thy heart, so long by sin defiled, Thy will must here be taught to bend to mine, Yea, Lord, but thou canst soon Perfect thy work in me, Till, like the pure, calm summer moon, A moment shine, that all thy power may trace, Then pass in stillness to my heavenly place. 'Ah! coward soul, confess Thou shrinkest from my cure, Thou tremblest at the sharp distress The foes on every hand, for war arrayed, The process slow of years, Of outward woes and secret tears, Sickness and strife, The idols taken from thee one by one, 'Some gentle souls there are Who yield unto my love, Who, ripening fast beneath my care, But thou stiff-neckéd art, and hard to rule, My Maker and my King! Is this thy love to me? O, that I had the lightning's wing, How can I bear the heavy weight of woes, Thou can'st not, O my child, Thy grief- thy pain: My arms shall be around thee day by day, My smile shall cheer thee on thy heavenward way. In sickness, I will be Watching beside thy bed; In sorrow, thou shalt lean on me Thy aching head: In every struggle thou shalt conqueror prove, O grace beyond compare! O love most high and pure! Only vouchsafe thy grace, that I may live |