Ye tempted souls, reflect

Ye tempted souls, reflect
Whose name 'tis you profess;
Your Master's lot you must expect -
Temptations more or less.

Dream not of faith so clear
As shuts all doubtings out;
Remember how the devil dared
To tempt e'en Christ to doubt.

"If thou'rt the Son of God,"
(O what an IF was there!)
"These stones here, speak them into food,
And make that Sonship clear."

View that amazing scene!
Say, could the tempter try
To shake a tree so sound, so green?
Good God, defend the dry!

Think not he now will fail
To make us shrink and droop;
Our faith he daily will assail,
And dash our every hope.

That impious IF he thus
At God incarnate threw,
No wonder if he cast at us,
And make us feel it too.

To cause despair's the scope
Of Satan and his powers;
Against hope to believe in hope,
My brethren, must be ours.

Buts, ifs, and hows are hurled
To sink us with the gloom
Of all that's dismal in this world,
Or in the world to come.

But here's our point of rest:
Though hard the battle seem,
Our Captain stood the fiery test,
And we shall stand through him.