MY heart was full of happiness,
Each scene around was bright;
I lean’d on my beloved One,
His candle gave me light;
I thought such joys would still be mine,
Such bliss would never cease,
And gladly said to all around,
That wisdom’s paths are peace.
But soon a cloud obscur’d my path,
A cross before me lay,
I knew it was for me to bear,
And yet I turn’d away;
The voice of my Beloved spake.
Yet stern it seem’d to be,
He pointed to the cross, and said,
“Take it and follow Me.”
Father! O Father, ask not this,
‘Tis more than I can bear;
Lay any other burden on,
But this in mercy spare:
Let me but move one step aside,
And so escape this loss; Father!
Thy feeble child will sink
Beneath this weary cross.
My prayer unheard unheeded sped,
Or was if heard denied,
He hedg’d my way so closely in,
I could not turn aside;
Yet, still I strove to break the fence,
Rebell’d against the rod,
And struggle’d sorely ‘gainst Thy will―
My Saviour and my God.
But He who lov’d me at the first,
Still lov’d me to the end;
And, spite of all my waywardness,
Remain’d my faithful Friend:
He bore with all my loud complaints,
‘Gainst my rebellion strove,
And show’d me that the dreaded cross,
Was sent in faithful love.
I stoop’d―I raked it up, and lo!
My heavy weight was gone,
My Saviour bore the load for me,
I was not left alone;
Then grateful, humbled to the dust,
Once more my path I trod,
Feeling how light the burden is,
Which we can cast on God.
TO PLEASE GOD. ―As we are never able to tell what circumstances will prove, or how persons may change toward us, it is well to trust in, and to be guided by, neither the one nor the other. The safe path, under every condition, is to walk with a single eye so as to please God. Thus we shall find ourselves at peace and rest, though all circumstances around us have changed, and though our dearest friends may have become our bitterest enemies.