I worship thee, sweet Will of God! And all thy ways adore; And every day I live, I seem To love thee more and more.
Thou wert the end, the blessed rule Of our Saviour's toils and tears; Thou wert the passion of His Heart Those three-and-thirty years.
And He hath breathed into my soul A special love of thee, A love to lose my will in His, And by that loss be free.
I love to see thee bring to nought The plans of wily men; When simple hearts outwit the wise, Oh thou art loveliest then!
The headstrong world, it presses hard Upon the church full oft, And then how easily thou turn'st The hard ways into soft.
I love to kiss each print where thou Hast set thine unseen feet; I cannot fear thee, blessèd will, Thine empire is so sweet.
When obstacles and trials seem Like prison-walls to be, I do the little I can do, And leave the rest to thee.
I know not what it is to doubt; My heart is ever gay; I run no risk, for come what will, Thou always hast thy way.
I have no cares, O blessèd will, For all my cares are thine; I live in triumph, Lord, for thou Hast made thy triumphs mine.
And when it seems no chance or change From grief can set me free, Hope finds its strength in helplessness, And gayly waits on thee.
Man's weakness waiting upon God Its end can never miss, For men on earth no work can do More angel-like than this.
Ride on, ride on triumphantly, Thou glorious Will! ride on; Faith's pilgrim sons behind thee take The road that thou hast gone.
He always wins who sides with God, To him no chance is lost; God's will is sweetest to him when It triumphs at his cost.
Ill, that God blesses, is our good, And unblest good is ill; And all is right that seems most wrong, If it be his dear will!
We ask for Peace, O Lord! Thy children ask Thy peace; Not what the world calls rest, That toil and care should cease, That through bright sunny hours Calm Life should fleet away, And tranquil night should fade In smiling day;-- It is not for such Peace that we would pray.
We ask for Peace, O Lord! Yet not to stand secure, Girt round with iron Pride, Contented to endure: Crushing the gentle strings That human hearts should know, Untouched by others' joy Or others' woe;-- Thou, O dear Lord, wilt never teach us so.