Chastisement. Zech. 13. 9; Mal. 3. 3; Prov. 3. 11
J. Hart S.M.
1
Gold in the furnace tried
Ne’er loses aught but dross;
So is the Christian purified
And bettered by the cross.
2
Afflictions make us see,
What else would ’scape our sight.
How very foul and dim are we,
And God how pure and bright.
3
[The punished child repents;
The parent’s bowels move;
The offended father soon relents,
And turns with double love.]
4
If God rebuke for pride,
He’ll humble thy proud heart;
If for thy want of love he chide,
That love he will impart.
5
He shall by means like these
Thy stubborn temper break;
Soften thy heart by due degrees,
And make thy spirit meek.
6
His chastening, therefore, prize,
The privilege of a saint;
Their hearts are hard who that despise,
And theirs too weak who faint.
