I into God's own heart and mind
My heart and mind deliver,
What evil seems, a gain I find,
E'en death is life for ever.
I am His son,
Who spread the throne
Of heaven high above me.
Tho' I bend low
Beneath His blow,
Yet still His heart doth love me.
He ne'er can prove untrue to me,
My Father aye must love me,
And tho' He cast me in the sea,
He only thus would prove me;
In what He good
Doth count, He would
My heart establish ever.
And if I stand,
His mighty hand
Will raise me, and deliver.
Vain had my own pow'r ever been,
To have adorn'd or made me;
In soul and body God is seen,
He form'd and He array'd me,
Plac'd mind and wit
On the soul's seat,
And flesh and bones did give me.
Who thus so free
Supplieth me
Can ne'er mean to deceive me.
Say, where a place to lay my head,
On earth had I attainèd?
Long since had I been cold and dead
Had God not me sustainèd
With His strong arm,
That ever warm,
And glad and healthy maketh.
Whom He gives joy
May praise employ,
What He leaves, falls and breaketh.
Wisdom and understanding true
In Him are ever dwelling;
Time, place, to leave undone or do,
He knoweth, never failing.
He ever knows
When joys, when woes,
Are best for those He loveth.
What He doth here--
Tho' it appear
Ill--to be good aye proveth.
Thou think'st indeed, if thou hast not
What flesh and blood is yearning
To have, that trial mars thy lot,
Thy light to darkness turning.
Of toil and care
Thou hast large share,
Ere thou thy wish attainest,
And dost not see
Whatever thee
Befals, thereby thou gainest.
In truth, He who created thee,
His glory in thee showing,
Hath long ago in His decree
Determin'd--all foreknowing--
What good for thee
And thine will be,
In faithfulness he'll give it.
Curb thou thy will,
Wait! be thou still,
To His good pleasure leave it.
Whate'er to send, seems good to God,
'Twill be at last refreshing,
Altho' thou call'st it cross and load
'Tis fraught with richest blessing.
Wait patiently,
His grace to thee
He'll speedily discover.
All grief and fear
Shall disappear
Like mist the hills spread over.
The field, unless the storm rage high,
Its ripe fruits yieldeth never,
So men were ruin'd utterly
If all were prosp'rous ever.
Though health it gives,
And thus relieves,
The bitter aloe paineth;
So must the heart
With anguish smart,
Ere it to health attaineth.
My God! my God! into Thy hand
I joyfully now yield me,
Keep me, a stranger in the land,
E'en to the end, Lord! shield me.
Deal with me now
As well dost know,
That I may profit by it;
Then more and more
Thy glorious pow'r,
Lord! show, and magnify it.
Wilt cause Thy sun on me to shine,
With pleasure, Lord, I'll share it;
Should trial or mischance be mine,
Then patiently I'll bear it.
Of life the door
Should it before
Me open here stand ever,
Where Thou lead'st me,
I'll joyfully
Go with Thee, shrinking never.
Should I along the path of death,
Through the dark vale be treading,
'Tis well, 'tis the appointed path,
E'en there Thine eyes are leading.
My Shepherd! Thou
Art all below
To such an issue bringing,
That I to Thee,
Eternally,
Shall songs of praise be singing.
COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD, TRUST ALSO IN HIM, AND HE SHALL BRING
IT TO PASS.--PSALM XXXVII. 5.
Commit whatever grieves thee
At heart, and all thy ways,
To Him who never leaves thee,
On whom creation stays.
Who freest courses maketh
For clouds, and air, and wind,
And care who ever taketh
A path for thee to find.
The Lord thou must repose on
If thou wouldst prosper sure,
His work must ever gaze on
If thine is to endure.
By anxious care and grieving,
By self-consuming pain,
God is not mov'd to giving;
By pray'r must thou obtain.
Thy grace that ever floweth,
O Father! what is good,
Or evil, ever knoweth,
To mortal flesh and blood.
What to Thine eye all-seeing,
And to Thy counsel wise
Seems good, doth into being,
O mighty Prince, arise!
For means it fails Thee never,
Thou always find'st a way,
Thy doing's blessing ever,
Thy path like brightest day.
Thy work can no one hinder,
Thy labour cannot rest,
If Thou design'st Thy tender
Children should be bless'd.
Though all the powers of evil
Should rise up to resist,
Without a doubt or cavil
God never will desist;
His undertakings ever
At length He carries through;
What He designs He never
Can fail at all to do.
Hope on, thou heart, grief-riven,
Hope, and courageous be,
Where anguish thee hath driven,
Thou shalt deliv'rance see.
God, from thy pit of sadness
Shall raise thee graciously;
Wait, and the sun of gladness
Thine eyes shall early see.
Up! up! to pain and anguish
A long good night now say;
Drive all that makes thee languish
In grief and woe away.
Thine 'tis not to endeavour
The ruler's part to play,
God sits as ruler ever,
Guides all things well each day.
Let Him alone--and tarry
He is a Prince all wise,
He shall Himself so carry,
'Twill strange seem in thine eyes,
When He as Him beseemeth,
In wonderful decree,
Shall as Himself good deemeth,
O'errule what grieveth thee.
He may awhile still staying
His comforts keep from thee,
And on His part delaying,
Seem to have utterly
Forgotten and forsaken
And put thee out of mind,
Though thou'rt by grief o'ertaken,
No time for thee to find.
But if thou never shrinkest,
And true dost still remain,
He'll come when least thou thinkest,
And set thee free again,
Thee from the load deliver,
That burdeneth thy heart,
That thou hast carried never
For any evil part.
Hail! child of faith, who gainest
The victory alway,
Who honour's crown obtainest,
That never fades away.
God in thy hand will give thee,
One day, the glorious palm;
Who ne'er in grief did leave thee,
To Him thou'lt sing thy psalm.
O Lord no longer lengthen
Our time of misery,
Our hands and feet now strengthen,
And until death may we
By Thee be watched and car'd for,
In faithfulness and love,
So come we where prepar'd for
Us is our bless'd abode.