O my soul, why dost thou grieve,
Why dost mourn so bitterly,
That more freely God doth give
Gifts to others than to thee?
In thy God delight thy heart,
He's the good enduring part.
Of the human race have none
In this world to be a right,
All, yea each created one,
But a guest is for a night.
God in His house Lord is still,
Gifts divideth as He will.
Know, thou art not therefore here,
That thou should'st possess the earth;
Look thou up to heav'n so clear,
There's thy gold of priceless worth,
There is honour, there is joy,
Without envy or alloy!
Great the folly his who grieves
For a little vanity,
When God to him freely gives
Treasures of eternity.
Is the handredweight thy gain?
Thou canst then despise the grain.
All thy fair possessions see,
That are valued by thy heart,
None of them can go with thee
When from earth thou must depart.
Thou must leave them here below,
When death's door thou passest through.
The soul's nourishment, God's grace,
And the Saviour's precious blood,
Ne'er through time in worth decrease,
But remain for ever good.
Earthly goods must pass away,
Soul-goods never can decay.
Still art thou so blind, alas!
Thinking -- but all erringly,
Eyes hast thou, but in the glass
Of the word thou dost not see.
Child of man! fix there thine eyes,
For it is a peerless prize.
Count thy fingers every one,
And thine other members o'er,
They are precious, they're thine own,
Lov'd by thee than treasure more,
Gold could never from thee buy
E'en the least, though men should try.
Search and ask thine inmost heart,
'Twill instruct thee what of good
Daily falleth to thy part,
By God's bounteous hand bestow'd;
Than the sand upon the shore
More, and yet desir'st thou more!
Did thy Heav'nly Father see
That it would be for thy good,
What desires so eagerly
Thy misguided flesh and blood,
He would ne'er thee joyless leave,
But would of His bounty give.
God to thee is full of love,
Faithful and sincere is He,
When thou wishest aught, He'd prove
Of what kind thy wish may be:
If 'tis good, He will bestow,
If 'tis ill, He'll answer -- no.
Meanwhile doth His Spirit give
Manna to thy fainting heart,
Food by which the angels live,
Grace to deck thee doth impart,
For His portion chooseth thee,
Thou shalt share salvation free.
Look then to thy God above,
Sad and troubled countenance!
Cease to sigh, faith's virtue prove,
By thy clear and joyous glance!
While thy sky is overcast
By affliction, hold it fast!
And as Heav'n's adopted son,
Thy rebellious will restrain;
Touch thy harp, let 'fore God's throne
Grateful songs resound again.
More at all times doth God give
Than thou'rt worthy to receive.
Live thou ever in God's fear,
As thou journeyest to heav'n,
Take whate'er befalls thee here
As a gift in wisdom giv'n.
Are they evil days, thou'lt see
God and Heav'n endure for thee.
UNDER THE VEXATIONS OF THE WICKED PROSPEROUS WORLD.
Ah! lovely innocence, how evil art thou deem'd,
How lightly oft thy work by all the world's esteem'd! Thou servest God, thy Lord, and to His word thou cleavest; For this, from men thou nought but scorn and hate receivest.
Right on thy road thou go'st, flee'st from the crooked way; Another steppeth in and bears the prize away,
Increaseth his small store, his chests and barns he filleth; Thou'rt poor with all thy house, scarce earn'st what hunger stilleth.
The wicked one thou chid'st, who walks not righteously, Another practiseth a sweet hypocrisy
That love and praise secures, and him on high upraises, While in the lurch the world thee leaves, and much abases.
Thou say'st that virtue is the Christian's fairest crown, But reputation doth the world lay stress upon;
He who will this secure, it saith, must ever labour To suit the times, and live and act just like his neighbour.
Thou boast'st thyself in God, thy tongue doth aye commend The blessing God doth as His children's portion send: "If this be then the case," the world says, "come and show it, The happy fortune thou hast had, we'd see and know it."
Stand firm, thou pious heart, stand firm, thy faith retain! 'Mid disappointment sore thy God will true remain,
Commit thy ways to Him, let Him protect and guide thee, Thou'lt triumph at the last o'er evils that betide thee.
Dost fail to please thy kind? -- It is a sad disgrace! Enough, if on thee smile thy heav'nly Father's face. The worst that man can do is to betray and leave thee; But God is righteous, and His judgment can't deceive thee.
Doth He say, "Thou art Mine, thy way doth please Me well?" Then be thy heart consol'd, let joy thy bosom swell, Cast to the wind the lies by wicked men indited,
Be still, and thou shalt see, by God shall all be righted.
Pride, arrogance, and pomp are ne'er enduring found, Like brightest glass they fall, and break upon the ground; So when the luck of men has mounted up to heaven,
It soon comes crashing down, and on the earth lies riven.
And all ill-gotten wealth, when right our estimate, Is on the heart and mind a dead oppressive weight
That burdens evermore, with pain the conscience wringeth, Its quiet rest disturbs, and into trouble bringeth.
And what have many more than of the poor the sweat? What do they eat and drink, and what gain do they get? They rob the widows' store, spite of their tears them wronging, Who like a thirsty land for sympathy are longing.
Is this felicity? is this magnificence?
Oh! what a sentence dire will God the Judge pronounce Upon the day of doom, when from His throne so loudly It sounds, how shall they seem who strut and boast so proudly!
But thou who now thy God dost honour with whole heart, And never from His ways dost let thy feet depart,
Shalt in the goodly throng, whom God with manna feedeth, With praise and honour clad, walk with Him where he leadeth.
In patience, then, possess thy soul a little while, Do right, and persevere and live all free from guile, Act that the fairest prize in yonder life be given
Thee, from His gracious hand who rules in earth and heaven.
Whate'er on earth betide, from care remain all free, 'Twill fall out for thy good, as God the best may see; Rest thou assur'd, He will no wish of thine deny thee, With joy fulfil thy will, with every good supply thee.
