Welcome, contempt! stern, faithful guide

Verse 1
Welcome, contempt! Stern, faithful guide,
Unpleasing, healthful food!
Hail pride-sprung antidote of pride, (II Cor. 12:7)
Hail evil turn’d to good! (Gen. 50:20, Rom. 8:28)

Verse 2
Thee when with awful pomp array’d
Ill-judging mortals see,
Perverse they fly with coward speed,
To guilt they fly from thee.

Verse 3
Yet if one haply longing stands
To choose a nobler part, (Luke 10:42)
Ardent from sin’s ensnaring bands
To vindicate his heart:

Verse 4
Present to end the doubtful strife,
Thy aid he soon shall feel;
Confirm’d by thee, tho’ warm in life,
Bid the vain world farewell.

Verse 5
Thro’ thee he treads the shining way (Prov. 4:18)
That saints and martyrs trod,
Shakes off the frailty of his clay, (Job 4:19, II Cor. 4:7)
And wings his soul for God.

Verse 6
His portion thou, he burns no more, (Ps. 16:5, Lam. 3:24)
With fond desire to please; (Gal. 1:10)
The fierce, distracting conflict’s o’er
And all his thoughts are peace. (Isa. 26:3, Phil. 4:7)

Verse 7
Sent by almighty pity down,
To thee alone ’tis giv’n
With glorious infamy to crown
The favourites of heav’n. (Matt. 5:11-12, Phil. 1:29)

Verse 8
With thee heav’n’s fav’rite Son, when made
Incarnate, deign’d t’ abide; (John 1:14, Phil. 2:7-8)
To thee he meekly bow’d his head,
He bow’d his head, and dy’d. (John 19:30)

Verse 9
And shall I still the cup decline,
His suff’rings disesteem, (Matt. 20:22-23, Matt. 26:39, Mark 10:38-39, John 18:11)
Disdain to make this portion mine (Ps. 16:5)
When sanctify’d by him?

Verse 10
Or firm thro’ him and undismay’d,
Thy sharpest darts abide? (Eph. 6:16, Heb. 12:3, I Pet. 2:23)
Sharp as the thorns that tore his head, (Matt. 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2)
The spear that pierc’d his side. (John 19:34)

Verse 11
Yes—since with thee my lot is cast,
I bless my God’s decree,
Embrace with joy what he embrac’d, (I Pet. 4:12-13)
And live and die with thee! (Rom. 6:8, II Tim. 2:11-12)

Verse 12
So when before th’ angelic host
To each his lot is giv’n, (Rev. 3:5)
Thy name shall be in glory lost,
And mine be found in heav’n! (Luke 10:20, Phil. 4:3, Rev. 3:5, Rev. 13:8, Rev. 17:8)