Afflictions Do Not Come Alone

Afflictions do not come alone

A voice at­tends the rod;

By both He to His saints is known

A Fa­ther and a God!

Let not My child­ren slight the stroke

I for chas­tise­ment send;

Nor faint be­neath My kind re­buke

For still I am their friend.

The wick­ed I per­haps may leave

Awhile

and not re­prove;

But all the child­ren I re­ceive

I scourge

be­cause I love.

If there­fore you were left with­out

This need­ful dis­ci­pline;

You might

with cause

ad­mit a doubt

If you

in­deed

were Mine.

Shall earth­ly par­ents then ex­pect

Their child­ren to sub­mit?

And wilt not you

when I cor­rect

Be hum­bled at My feet?

To please them­selves they oft chas­tise

And put their sons to pain;

But you are pre­cious in My eyes

And shall not smart in vain.

I see your hearts

at pre­sent

filled

With grief

and deep dis­tress;

But soon these bit­ter seeds shall yield

The fruits of right­eous­ness.

Break through the clouds

dear Lord

and shine!

Let us per­ceive Thee nigh!

And to each mourn­ing child of Thine

These gra­cious words ap­ply.