The Great Refiner

Take my heart

O great Re­fin­er

Plunge it in the cleans­ing flame:

Heat the fur­nace se­ven times hot­ter

I shall still ad­ore Thy Name.

I shall hail its hun­gry roar­ing

’Twill be mu­sic in mine ear

If

amid its fie­ry an­ger

Thy sweet gen­tle voice I hear.

Yea

I love Thee

great Re­fin­er;

Yea

I love the burn­ing light;

Dearer than the cost­li­est jew­el

Sparkling

beau­ti­ful

and bright!

Is it true that I am wor­thy

Thus to be made pure from dross?

If I was not whol­ly cleans­èd

Wouldst Thou count it as a loss?

Oh

how won­der­ful Thy good­ness

Far be­yond my high­est thought!

I can on­ly take

re­joic­ing

What Thy tend­er care has brought.

Purged and tried as gold or sil­ver

This is what I long to be;

Perfected

and want­ing no­thing—

Work Thine own sweet will in me.

Grand as­sur­ance! Thou art watch­ing

Most in­tent­ly all the while;

Welcome is the fin­ing pro­cess

Carried on be­neath Thy smile;

Or

if Thou in love with­hold­est

Thy felt pre­sence

it is well;

Faith shall tri­umph ov­er feel­ing

Peace shall still with­in me dwell.

Welcome

wel­come ev­ery deal­ing

Pain or plea­sure

joy or woe;

All is sent

O great Re­fin­er

By a lov­ing hand

I know.

Daily cares which fret and grieve me

Small and trif­ling

yet so keen

Are on pur­pose to re­fine me

Though by hu­man eyes un­seen.

Do not let me miss one tri­al

Which would make me pur­er still;

When Thine im­age shin­eth through me

Cease the fin­ing—not un­til!

When the sil­ver gleams and glit­ters

From all earth­ly dross set free

With no stain to mar its beau­ty

Satisfied Thou then shalt be!