Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs Part 12

Be Thou my counsel, that I may Fulfil the good, Lord! ever.

Prove all things well, whate'er is good Give to me, but what flesh and blood Doth choose, withhold it ever.

The highest good, the fairest part, Thy glory is and favour.

Sun of my soul! my chief delight!

Whate'er is pleasing in Thy sight, Oh! may I choose and do it; And what's displeasing unto Thee, May I, O Lord! eschew it.

Is it from Thee? my work then bless; Is it of man? withhold success, And change what I'm resolving.

Dost Thou not work? 'twill come to nought, In failure soon involving.

But should Thine and our enemy Begin to rage revengefully Against the good Thou'rt meaning, My comfort is, Thou canst avert His wrath, me ever screening.

Draw near, and let it easy be, What seems impossible to me, A happy issue give it; What Thou Thyself didst undertake, Thy wisdom did conceive it.

Though hard at first the work may be, And I may through the deepest sea Of bitter grief be pa.s.sing, Oh! may I only driven be To sighs and pray'r unceasing.

Whoever prays and trusteth Thee, With valiant heart shall victor be O'er all that frightens ever, In thousand pieces speedily Grief's heavy stone shall s.h.i.+ver.

The way to good is almost wild, With thorns and hedges is it fill'd; Along this way who goeth He by the Spirit's grace at last What heav'nly joy is knoweth.

I am Thy child, my Father Thou!

Thou hast abundance to bestow, Nought can I find within me; Help, that I may maintain my ground, As victor home, Lord! bring me.

Thine be the glory and the pow'r!

Thy mighty works I'll more and more From heart with rapture swelling, Before Thy folk and all the world, All my life long be telling.

TWOFOLD, FATHER! IS MY PRAYER.--PROV. x.x.x. 7-9.

Twofold, Father! is my pray'r, Twofold the desire I there Lay before Thee, who dost give What's good for us to receive; Grant the pray'r that Thou dost know, Ere my soul to Thee must go From the body's bands below.

Grant that far from me may be Lying and idolatry; Poverty immoderate Give me not, nor riches great; Too great wealth or poverty Is not good, for either may 'Neath the devil's pow'r us lay.

Give to me, my Saviour! give Modest portion while I live; Evermore supply my need, Giving me my daily bread; Little, with contented mood, And a conscience pure and good, Is the best can be bestow'd.

If my cup should overflow, Proud in spirit I might grow, Thee deny with scornful word, Asking who is G.o.d and Lord?

For the heart with pride doth swell, Often knows not when 'tis well, How itself enough t' extol.

Should I bare and naked be, Sunk in too deep poverty, Faithless, I might wickedly Steal my neighbour's property; Force might use and artifice, Follow lawless practices, Never ask what Christian is.

G.o.d! my Treasure and my Light, Neither course for me were right, Either would dishonour Thee, Sink me into h.e.l.l's dark sea; Therefore, give, Lord! graciously, What Thy heart designs for me, Moderate my portion be!

SIRACH'S PRAYER FOR A HAPPY AND TEMPERATE LIFE.

Creator, Father, Prince of might!

Who life to me art giving, Unless Thou guid'st my life aright In vain here am I living.

For while I'm living, I am dead, To sin devoted ever; Whose life in mire of sin is led, The true life he hath never Beheld one moment even.

Then turn on Thy poor child Thy face, In darkness do not leave me; That I may shun sin and disgrace, Good counsel ever give me!

To keep my lips a guard, Lord, send, May no word ever leave them That e'er Thy people could offend Let nought I say e'er grieve them, Nor ever Thee dishonour!

Forbid, Father! that mine ear Upon this earth so evil, Against Thy name and pow'r should hear The wicked rage and cavil.

Let not the poison and the gall Of slanderers defile me; If I such filth should touch at all It surely would beguile me, Might e'en quite overthrow me.

Lord, keep mine eyes, control their glance, May they work evil never; A bold and shameless countenance Keep Thou far from me ever!

What's honest, keeps due boundaries, What angels seek in heaven, What is well-pleasing in Thine eyes, For it by me be striven, All luxury disdaining.

Oh! may I ne'er delighted be By revelling and eating; Be what Thou lov'st belov'd by me, Though others shun it, hating.

The l.u.s.ts wherein the flesh doth roll, To h.e.l.l will draw us ever; The joys the world doth love, the soul And spirit will deliver To torment everlasting.

Oh! happy he who eats heav'n's bread, And heav'nly water drinketh, Who tastes nought else, nought else doth heed, Nought else desires, and thinketh Of that alone which strength can bring, The life we'll live for ever With G.o.d, and with the hosts who sing His praise, in joy that never Shall know an interruption.

FOR CONSTANT CHRISTIAN FRIENDs.h.i.+P.

Jesus! Thou, my dearest Brother, Who dost well to me intend, Thou mine Anchor, Mast, and Rudder, And my truest Bosom-Friend.

To Thee, ere was earth or heaven, Had the race of man been given; Thou, e'en me, poor guest of earth, Chosen hadst before my birth.

Thou art free from guile, Lord! ever Innocent of all that's base; But on this sad earth whenever I in meditation gaze, There I find deception living; Who excelleth in deceiving, Who the best dissemble can, He's the best and wisest man.

Hollow and unfaithful ever Is the friends.h.i.+p of the earth; Seemeth she a man to favour?

'Tis but for the gold he's worth; Are we prosp'rous, do we flourish?

She will smile on us, and nourish; Doth misfortune o'er us low'r?

She forsakes us in that hour.

Drive away from me, and s.h.i.+eld me From such instability; If I, Father, have defil'd me (For I also human be) With this mire, and did I ever Falsehood love, oh! now deliver.

All my guilt I own to Thee, Patience give, and grace to me!

May I ne'er be overtaken By the evils Thou hast said Come on those who've truth forsaken, And with wares deceptive trade; For Thou sayest Thou disownest, As abomination shunnest, Ev'ry hypocrite's false mood, Who talks, but doth not the good.

May my heart be constant ever, Faithful still to every friend; When to grief Thou dost deliver Them, and 'neath the cross they bend, May I even then ne'er shun them, But like unto Thee, Lord, own them, Who, when we were poor and bare, Tended'st us with fondest care.

After Thy will, Saviour, give me One in whom I may confide, Who will faithful counsel give me When my heart is sorely tried; To whom I may freely utter All I feel, with nought to fetter, In the measure I may need, 'Till my heart from care is freed.

Oh! let David's bliss betide me, Give to me a Jonathan Who will come and stand beside me Like a rock, though every man From my company should sever, Who his heart will give me ever, Who'll stand firm in every hour, When sun s.h.i.+nes or tempests low'r.

Out of all the men who're living, Choose me a believing friend, Who to Thee is firmly cleaving, On Thine arm doth aye depend; Who may by Thy will relieve me, Help and comfort ever give me, Help, from sympathizing heart, Comfort, when I feel grief's smart.

When 'tis only the mouth loveth, Then the love is ill bestow'd; Whose love but to good words moveth While he keeps a hateful mood, Whom self-interest rules ever, Who when honey falls, stays never, But escapeth speedily,-- Ever far be such from me!

In my weakness and my sinning, Move my friend to speak to me, By his words of kindness winning, Never as an enemy.

Who reproves in love and sadness Is like him, in days of gladness, Who pours balsam over me That by Jordan floweth free.

Riches great were I possessing, Priceless were my property; Jesus! did Thy hand such blessing Graciously bestow on me, Were such friend, Lord! ever near me, By His constancy to cheer me; Who doth honour Thee, and fear He hath such a treasure near.