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Good Physicians
WHEN languid frame, or throbbing pulse, | |
| The pride of life subdues, | |
| And colours all its roseate bloom | |
| With sorrow’s soberer hues: | |
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| How sweet to think that he, who stands | 5 |
| Beside our bed of pain, | |
| And thoughtful counts the ebbing sands | |
| Which yet for us remain,— | |
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| Comes in the humble strength of Faith | |
| Such comfort to afford, | 10 |
| As best may help the deeper work | |
| Of his Physician Lord! | |
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| And while with skilful hand he tries | |
| Diseases to control, | |
| Not only sees a mortal frame | 15 |
| But an immortal soul: | |
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| And prays for grace to do his part | |
| In all God’s wondrous plan, | |
| And sanctifies his healing art | |
| To the best good of man. | 20 |
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| Puff’d not with pride of human skill, | |
| With hush’d and awful breath, | |
| He meekly comes to do Thy will, | |
| O Lord of Life and Death: | |
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| Delay the sufferer longer here, | 25 |
| That he may holier be; | |
| Or feel how well man cannot keep | |
| One ripen’d soul from Thee. | |
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| Such simple faith, such childlike trust, | |
| His best degree will prove, | 30 |
| Physician in the schools below | |
| And in Thy school above. | |
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| O that, amid the noble band | |
| Of those who live to heal | |
| The sicknesses which sin hath made | 35 |
| More might be found, who feel— | |
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| That the sick room’s a holy place, | |
| And the sick man is giv’n, | |
| Not to be merely kept on earth, | |
| But sanctified for Heav’n. | 40 |
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| O God! on such a day as this | |
| Let us with special prayer | |
| All those who heal throughout our land | |
| Commend to thy good care. | |
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| Keep them from pestilence by night, | 45 |
| From sickness at noon-day; | |
| Tho’ thousands by their side may fall, | |
| Drive noisome things away; | |
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| And make them hallowed means of good, | |
| In all they think and do, | 50 |
| While truthful to their healing art, | |
| Not unto Thee less true. | |
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| Physicians of the body, they— | |
| By Grace’s soft control | |
| May they become like good St. Luke, | 55 |
| Physicians of the soul! | |
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