Religion

God the Only Refuge of the Troubled Mind

by Anne Steele 1717–1778

From The Works of Mrs. Anne Steele (Boston, 1808)

Religion

Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On thee, when sorrows rise;
On thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies.

While hope revives, though prest with fears,
And I can say, my God,
Beneath thy feet I spread my cares,
And pour my woes abroad'

To thee I tell each rising grief,
For thou alone canst heal;
Thy word can bring a sweet relief
For every pain I feel.

But oh! when gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call thee mine;
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline.

Yet, gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust,
And still my soul would cleave to thee,
Though prostrate in the dust.

Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sov'reign grace
Be deaf when I complain?

No, still the ear of sov'reign grace
Attends the mourner's pray'r;
O may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there.

Thy mercy-seat is open still;
Here let my soul retreat,
With humble hope attend thy will,
And wait beneath thy feet.

MLA

Steele, Anne. “God the Only Refuge of the Troubled Mind.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/steele_anne/79/.

Chicago

Steele, Anne. “God the Only Refuge of the Troubled Mind.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/steele_anne/79/.

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