The Treasury Of Sacred Song

The Son of GOD in doing good

Was fain to look to Heaven and sigh:

And shall the heirs of sinful blood

Seek joy unmix'd in charity?

GOD will not let Love's work impart

Full solace, lest it steal the heart;

Be thou content in tears to sow,

Blessing, like JESUS, in thy woe.

The deaf may hear the Saviour's voice,

The fetter'd tongue its chain may break;

But the deaf heart, the dumb by choice,

The laggard soul, that will not wake,

The guilt that scorns to be forgiven; --

These baffle e'en the spells of Heaven;

In thought of these, His brows benign

Not e'en in healing cloudless shine.

No eye but His might ever bear

To gaze all down that drear abyss,

Because none ever saw so clear

The shore beyond of endless bliss:

The giddy waves so restless hurl'd,

The vex'd pulse of this feverish world,

He views and counts with steady sight,

Used to behold the Infinite.

But that in such communion high

He hath a fount of strength within,

Sure His meek heart would break and die,

O'erburthen'd by His brethren's sin:

-- LORD, by Thy sad and earnest eye,

When Thou didst look to Heaven and sigh;

Thy voice, that with a word could chase

The dumb, deaf spirit from his place;

As Thou hast touch'd our ears, and taught

Our tongues to speak Thy praises plain,

Quell Thou each thankless godless thought

That would make fast our bonds again.

From worldly strife, from mirth unblest,

Drowning Thy music in the breast,

From foul reproach, from thrilling fears,

Preserve, good LORD, Thy servants' ears.

From idle words, that restless throng

And haunt our hearts when we would pray,

From Pride's false chime, and jarring wrong,

Seal Thou my lips, and guard the way:

For Thou hast sworn, that every ear,

Willing or loth, Thy trump shall hear,

And every tongue unchainéd be

To own no hope, no GOD, but Thee.