Hymns for the Use of Families, 99

Father, Thy froward children spare,
Who tempt Thee by our daily prayer,
And while we say, Thy will be done,
Alas, we only mean our own.

Yet now permit the sad request
Of parents for their son distress'd,
Nature's infirmity forgive,
If still we ask that he may live.

Prostrate before Thy mercy-seat
We ask; but would our will submit,
Whene'er Thy sovereign will remove
The child, whom next to Thee we love.

We would our earthly bliss resign,
Bestow'd, revoked, by grace Divine,
(If call'd with more than life to part,)
And tear him from our bleeding heart.

But O, before the fix'd decree
Bring forth, may we not cry to Thee,
Our weakness and reluctance own,
And for the faith of Abraham groan?

We want our wishes to suspend,
On Thy decisive word to' attend,
Our wishes at Thy feet we lay,
And calmly weep, and humbly pray.

Yet shall we, Lord, our hearts disguise,
Or hide from Thy all-seeing eyes?
Our hearts, till we Thy counsel know,
Will deprecate the threaten'd blow.

Joy of our eyes, our heart's desire,
Ah, do not now our child require:
Or taking whom Thy mercy gave,
Indulge us with a common grave.

There let our mingled ashes lie,
Where no forlorn survivors sigh,
Where none their ravish'd joys deplore,
And Rachel weeps her loss no more.

There — but we know not what to say,
Father, aright we cannot pray —
But Jesus reads the troubled breast- —
O let His bowels speak the rest!
Saviour, till Thou declare Thy will,
Thy providential mind reveal,