Scripture Verse

O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt. Matthew 26:39

Introduction

Words: Sar­ah E. Miles, in the Chris­tian Ex­am­in­er, 1827.

Music: Ben­ton, ano­ny­mous, in The Ser­vice of Song for Bap­tist Churches, ed­it­ed by S. L. Cald­well (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Gould & Lin­coln, 1871), page 284 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Miles (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Thou, who didst stoop be­low
To drain the cup of woe,
Wearing the form of full mor­ta­li­ty,
Thy bless­èd la­bors done,
The crown of vic­to­ry won,
Hath passed from earth,
Passed to Thy home on high.

Our eyes be­held Thee not,
Yet hast Thou not for­got
Those who have placed their hope,
Their trust in Thee;
Before Thy Fa­ther’s face
Thou hast pre­pared a place,
That where Thou art,
There they may al­so be.

It was no path of flow­ers
Through this dark world of ours,
Belovèd of the Fa­ther,
Thou didst tread:
And shall we in dis­may
Shrink from the nar­row way,
When clouds and dark­ness
Are around it spread?

O Thou who art our life,
Be with us through the strife,
Thy ho­ly head by earth’s
Fierce storms was bowed;
Raise Thou our eyes above,
To see a Fa­ther’s love,
Beam, like the bow of pro­mise,
Through the cloud.

E’en through the aw­ful gloom
Which hov­ers o’er the tomb,
That light of love our
Guiding star shall be;
Our spir­its will not dread
The sha­dowy way to tread,
Friend, guard­ian, Sav­ior,
Which doth lead to Thee.