dots-menu
×

Home  »  The Poets’ Bible  »  Gethsemane

W. Garrett Horder, comp. The Poets’ Bible: New Testament. 1895.

Gethsemane

Joseph Anstice (1808–1836)

“Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done.”—LUKE XXII. 42.

NOT in Thine hours of conflict, Lord;

Nor when the tempting fiend was nigh;

Nor when that bitter cup was pour’d,

Thy garden agony:—

Nor then, when uttermost Thy need,

Seem’d light across Thy soul to break,

No seraph form was seen to speed,

No voice of comfort spake;

Till, by thine own revealed word,

The victory o’er the fiend was won;

Till the sweet mournful cry was heard,

“Thy will, not Mine, be done!”

Then to the desert sped the Blest,

And food, and peace, and joy, convey’d;

Then one, more favour’d than the rest,

Glanc’d to the olive shade.

Lord! bring those precious moments back,

When fainting, against sin we strain;

Or in thy counsels fail to track

Aught but the present pain!

In darkness help us to contend;

In darkness, yield to Thee our will;

And true hearts, faithful to the end,

Cheer by Thine Angels still!

‘And, behold, Angels came and ministered unto Him.’—MATT. IV. 11.