Though her early upbringing was among the Quakers, she was impressed by the sacraments of the Anglican Church, and identified herself with that body in 1842. She wrote hymns in her teens and completed 39 of them by 1863. In order to read the Old Testament in the original, she learned Hebrew. She had a gentle but merry spirit and did helpful work for the “Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society”. Her ninety years of life were a blessing to all who knew her or read her poems and hymns.
My prayer to the promise shall cling — I will not give heed to a doubt; For I ask for the one needful thing, Which I cannot be happy without.
A spirit of lowly repose In the love of the Lamb that was slain, A heart to be touched with his woes, And a care not to grieve Him again —
The peace that my Savior has bought, The cheerfulness nothing can dim, The love that can bring every thought Into perfect obedience to Him —
The wisdom his mercy to own In the way he directs me to take, — To glory in Jesus alone, And to love, and do good for His sake.
All this Thou hast offered to me In the promise whereon I will rest; For faith, O my Savior, in Thee, Is the substance of all my request.
Thy word has commanded my prayer, Thy Spirit has taught me to pray; And all my unholy despair Is ready to vanish away.
Thou wilt not be weary of me, Thy promise my faith will sustain, And soon, very soon, I shall see That I have not been asking in vain.
Source of my spirit’s deep desire For living joys that shall not perish, The patient hope Thy words inspire, Still let Thy tender mercy cherish.
On Thee my humbled soul would wait, Her utmost weakness calmly learning, And see Thy grace its way create, Through thorns and briers which Thou art burning.
Gladly my inmost heart would know The love that now it faintly traces, And see the streams from Zion flow O’er all its waste and desert places.
And still I hope — O not in vain! I know, this ho]y seed possessing, Thou wilt come down like gentle rain, And make the barren ground a blessing.
Sweet is the solace of Thy love, My Heavenly Friend, to me, While through the hidden way of faith I journey home with Thee, Learning by quiet thankfulness As a dear child to be.
Though from the shadow of Thy peace My feet would often stray, Thy mercy follows all my steps, And will not turn away; Yea, thou wilt comfort me at last, As none beneath Thee may.
Oft in a dark and lonely place, I hush my hastened breath, To hear the comfortable words Thy loving Spirit saith; And feel my safety in Thy hand From every kind of death.
O there is nothing in the world To weigh against Thy will; Even the dark times I dread the most Thy covenant filfil; And when the pleasant morning dawns I find Thee with me still.
Then in the secret of my soul, Though hosts my peace invade, Though through a waste and weary land My lonely way he made, Thou, even Thou, wilt comfort me — I need not be afraid.
Still in the solitary place I would awhile abide, Till with the solace of Thy love My heart is satisfied; And all my hopes of happiness Stay calmly at Thy side.
“The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.” — Psalm 16:5.
With a heart full of anxious request, Which my Father in heaven bestowed, I wandered alone, and distressed, In search of a quiet abode. Astray and distracted I cried, — Lord, where would’st Thou have me to be? And the voice of the Lamb that had died Said, Come, my beloved, to ME.
I went — for He mightily wins Weary souls to His peaceful retreat — And He gave me forgiveness of sins, And songs that I love to repeat; And oft as my enemies came, My views of His glory to dim, He taught me to trust in His name, And to triumph by leaning on Him.
Made pure by the blood that He shed, My heart in His presence was free; I was hungry and thirsty — He fed; I was sick, and he comforted me; He gave me the blessing complete — The hope that is with me today, And a quiet abode at his feet, That shall not be taken away.