In December of 1832 and 1833, Gilbert and Phebe Ann Cunningham Beebe lost two children, first 1-year old James Moore Beebe and then 6-year old Robert George Beebe about a year later. “The following lines were written on the death of two children, the one expired without a struggle or groan, – the other languished in severe distress for eleven weeks.”
From the death of these children Beebe, a Baptist elder, wrote the following lines. I believe these lines could be a fine church hymn on the providence and sovereignty of God. For that reason, I removed stanzas four and five as too specific for congregational use. For the entire poem, look HERE.
The hymn is Long Meter. I suggest the tune Kedron. However, the tunes Hamburg and Hebron are likely more familiar to more congregations, so more useful for that reason.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
Thou ever faithful cov’nant God;
Thy grace impart, that we may feel
Submissive, at thy sovereign will.
2. It is thy right, thou Lord of heaven,
To take from us what thou hast given, –
Remand our offspring to the dust,
And teach our hearts in thee to trust.
3. Twice in the circuit of this year,
Thy chast’nings we’ve been call’d to bear –
Yet all is right; we bless thy name,
Nor of thy Providence complain.
4. But why fond nature dost thou pore* –
Their suf'’rings, languishing are o’er.
And soon of us, it shall be said
They’re mingl’d with the slumb’ring dead.
5. Hush Lord the murm’rings of our mind,
May we through mercy be resign’d,
To all thy will, to all thy ways,
And in affliction give thee praise.
6. Since our dear Lord has mixt the cup
Be still, our souls and drink it up;
Jehovah has our good in view,
He’ll give us grace and bear us through.
By Gilbert Beebe, published in Signs of the Times, December 25, 1833
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