“IF THERE BE THEREFORE ANY CONSOLATION IN CHRIST.”
Consolation in Christ? O! Savior divine,
How well canst thou comfort this heart of mine!
I’ve tried thee, and proved thee, and well I know
That rivers of comfort from thee do flow.
Not like the dark waters whose waves are strong,
Are those rivers that gently glide along;
My frail little bark safely guided will be,
Till it reaches eternity’s boundless sea.
No huge rolling billows can me overwhelm,
The God of the ocean is at the helm;
Though the waves may rise, and around me chafe,
When Jesus is with me, all is safe!
O, Savior! there is consolation in thee,
And when I am troubled, ’tis there I flee;
I hide in thy bosom, and there lean my head,
When the bosoms I loved are cold and dead.
And why do I ever forsake thy breast,
And seek upon earth for a place of rest?
Why cannot I learn there is safety alone,
Where for safety and comfort so often I’ve flown?
How foolish, forgetful, and faithless am I,
To fasten my love upon things that must die!
And when they are taken, how well ’tis for me,
That there is consolation, dear Savior, in thee!
April 21, 1841.