When the cares of life oppress thee,
And thy spirit longs for rest;
If thy friends should disappoint thee,
E'en the dearest and the best;
Then the time has come for learning
Lessons which are learnt alone
In the Master's secret presence,
All thy sorrows made His own.

Lessons which will, in the learning,
Turn thy bitter into sweet;
Marah shall be left behind thee,
Elim greet thy weary feet.
Who can comfort as He comforts ?
Never sorrow was like His;
'Twas in love for thee He bore it,
Who can offer love like this?

If on bed of pain to languish
He should gently bid thee lie,
Think of His surpassing anguish,
Think of all His agony:
Not a grief but He has measured,
Not a tear He doth not see ;
Oh, as one his mother comforts,
So the Lord will comfort thee !

If some loved one turn and leave thee,
Think how He was left by all;
Well He knows-who else so truly?
What it is in vain to call,
In the hour of deepest sorrow,
For a loving friend to cheer,
And because He knows, has felt it,
He to thee is ever near.

And when thou has learnt the lesson
How to trust a love so strong,
Learning how thy best conception
Of His goodness did Him wrong,
Falling far, how far below it!
Seeing Him, thy song shall be-.
"Oh, the half of all His beauty,
Never hath been told to me !"