When Thickly Beat the Storms of Life

When thickly beat the storms of life,
And heavy is the chastening rod,
The soul, beyond the waves of strife,
Views the eternal Rock—her God.

What hope dispels the spirit’s gloom,
When sinking ’neath affliction’s shock?
Faith, through the vista of the tomb,
Points to the everlasting Rock.

Is there a man who cannot see
That joy and grief are from above?
O let him humbly bend the knee,
And own his Father’s chastening love.

Hope, grace, and truth, with gentle hand,
Shall lead a bleeding Savior’s flock,
And show them, in the promised land,
The shelter of th’eternal Rock.

Author: Unknown

No clear attribution in standard 19th-century hymnals or to well-known authors such as Toplady, Watts, or Wesley. The style and language are consistent with early-to-mid 19th century evangelical hymnody, but the specific text does not match any widely anthologized work.