It may be pain, it may be shame,
Deep anguish it may be;
Yet, shall my prayer be still the same,
O Lord, that I may see!
Show me Thy law, those precepts wise
My every step should guide;
Then let me view with clearest eyes
My practice side by side.
Show me my vows, and let me long
That triple bond survey,
To see that every link is strong,
And strengthening day by day.
Show me my duties, one by one;
Unshrinking let me see
What was omitted, and what done
For other end than Thee.
Show me myself without disguise,
As clearly, I entreat,
As when death's hand shall ope my eyes
Before Thy judgment-seat!
But, dearest Lord, my weakness pleads,
Let not Thy light stop there;
The vision of my own misdeeds
Were else too hard to bear;
Show me Thyself, Thy tender Heart
In all its love display,
One ray of heavenly light impart
To chase earth's glare away:
The truths of faith, the joys of love,
And virtue's solid bliss,
The glories of the world above,
The hollowness of this;
The sweetness of Thy service, Lord,
The honor and the joy,
Oh! how could anything be hard
In such a proud employ!
All this, and many a lesson more,
Make clear and plain to me;
Oh, I entreat Thee, o'er and o'er,
"My God, that I may see!"
Persevere.
Persevere in thoroughly conquering yourself in the small daily contradictions you receive. Make the bulk of your desires about this; know that God wishes nothing from you at present save that. Busy not yourself, then, in doing anything