GOD of my life, how good, how wise,
Thy judgments to my soul have been!
They were but mercies in disguise—
Weaning my heart from paths of sin:
How different now Thy ways appear—
Most merciful when most severe!
Since first the maze of life I trod,
Hast Thou not hedged about my way
My worldly vain designs withstood,
And robb'd my passions of their prey—
Withheld the fuel from the fire,
And cross'd my every fond desire?
Trouble and loss, and grief, and pain,
Have crowded all my forty years;
I never could my wish obtain,
And own at last, with joyful tears,
The man whom God delights to bless,
He never curses with success.
How oft didst Thou my soul withhold,
And baffle my pursuit of fame,
And mortify my lust of gold,
And blast me in my surest aim—
Withdraw my animal delight,
And starve my groveling appetite?
Thy goodness, obstinate to save,
Hath all my airy schemes o'erthrown—
My will Thou wouldst not let me have:
With blushing thankfulness I own
I envied oft the swine their meat,
But could not gain the husks to eat.
Thou wouldst not let Thy captive go,
Or leave me to my carnal will;
Thy love forbade my rest below
Thy patient love pursued me still,
And forced me from my sin to part,
And tore the idol from my heart.
Joy of mine eyes, and more beloved
(Forgive me, gracious God) than Thee;
Thy sudden stroke far off removed,
And stopt my vile idolatry,
And drove me from the idol's shrine,
And cast me at the feet divine.
But can I now the loss lament,
Or murmur at Thy friendly blow?
Thy friendly blow my soul hath rent,
From every seeming good below;
Thrice happy loss! which makes me see
My happiness is all in Thee.
How shall I bless Thy thwarting love,
So near in my temptation's hour!
It flew my ruin to remove
It snatch'd me from my nature's power—
Broke off my grasp of creature-good,
And plunged me in th' atoning blood.
See then at last I all resign—
I yield me up Thy lawful prey:
Take this poor, long-sought soul of mine,
And bear me in Thine arms away,
Whence I may never more remove—
Secure in Thine eternal love.