Faith is no weakling, howsoe’er It needeth courage for its task, But strength whose confidence to dare Is that which humbles it to ask A higher help, a higher word To lift it, bid it trust and try, Assured its selfless prayer is heard, Its task beneath a Master’s eye. Faith is the reasoning of heart Toward the Heart-of-hearts which beats In unison with every part Of all it quickens and completes; And with a sense of love and plan Sees only good from truth and right, Wrong as the only ill which can Defeat design and quench the light. Faith is the fortifying gate Which walls us in, our terrors out, Through which we fare to conquer fate Or flee for refuge from our doubt; Faith blows the trumpet, mans the tower, Inspires hope, believes in Heaven And trusts the overruling Power To care for what its will hath given. Faith is the burden-bearer’s stay, The footsore pilgrim’s trusty staff, The victor’s martial panoply, The martyr’s noblest epitaph. Faith is the vision’s inner eye Whose pupil is the seeing soul, Its iris the reflected sky, Its long perspective Spirit’s goal. A FORGIVENESSA pilgrim long devout arrived at last Before the Gate of Paradise, and cast His staff aside triumphantly to press Within the dreamed-of goal. But strange to say, It did not open to his eagerness As knocking he solicited the way. “Nay,” said the Guardian Angel of the Gate, “The proof of thy assurance I await, The sesame and heavenliest word That passes here! Three trials shalt thou have, And if thou hast not found it by the third No privilege to enter canst thou crave.” So sure the Pilgrim was the truest right Must be the one of evangelic might He quickly answered “LOVE!” The Angel’s wing Drooped o’er his countenance as he replied, “Nay, such a plea might any sinner bring Like any saint whose zeal is undenied. “Canst thou not to the name come closer yet Of Goodness’ greatest key?” The Pilgrim let His thoughts go outward in a second quest And slowly made response, “Why, then, ’tis GRACE, The covenant and seal of all the rest, The chain whose lock is Love.” The Angel’s face Was still compassionate as he withheld The entrance, and his pity would have spelled The password in his eyes as he again Made answer, “Grace is truly all our hope In promise and fulfilment, but ’tis when We lay it to our hearts the Gate we ope And our admission most divinely plead; For none can think the word but feels its need And healing touch.” The Pilgrim’s brow grew sad, But as he pondered to his knees he fell And rose as oft before in wonder glad— “Forgiveness!” The Angel answered, “Well!” And stood aside to let him pass. THE GOOD SAMARITANThe Good Samaritan was he Who had compassion not alone Humanely but divinely. We Must look beyond the Healer—see The Sympathizing Savior—be Forgiven, lifted up and shown The heart of Love and in our own Begin to feel the sympathy Which from His humanness had grown To deeds of such divinity. How little ’tis to minister To one poor soul unless we feel The touching brotherhood of care, The sense how easy ’tis to err, To fall, to need another’s prayer, Another’s help! But when we kneel Our fellowfeeling must be real Enough that we can rise and share The burden of our own appeal And help our brother’s cross to bear. He is the Good Samaritan Who loves enough to never wrong, To ever right a brother man— To bind his wounds and shape the plan Of life benignly so he can His neighbor also cheer along. Blest be the mercifully strong! Blest be the human-hearted man Who never quenched a living song! For he is God’s Samaritan. SHEPHERD OF ISRAELShepherd of Israel, hear The calling of thy flock, And when we seek do thou be near To lead us to the Rock Where full and sheltered we At noonday may repose Or find at night security From all our lurking foes! Help us to trust thy care Through green or barren ways And voice our doubts and fears in prayer, Our blessedness in praise! If thorns beset our path, To feel Thou leadest us Is sweet assurance goodness hath A loving purpose thus. Guide us by living streams That rise in mountain height And up where wisdom’s heavenly beams Our spirits bathe in light! Lead us to ranges high, To visions rich and broad, To pinnacles that touch the sky And help us know Thee, God! THE LADDER OF CLOUDThere’s a beautiful ladder of fine-spun cloud That stretches from earth to sky And up and down it the angels crowd With calling and soft reply:— Amrael Children of men, who only by sight Know that the stars exist, There was one that shone o’er the world last night Through an aureole of mist. Mishael They only saw it who had kept The vigil of the seers With inner sense; but ye who slept Knew not the sign of the years. Uriel The spirit of life became a star And we the herald-host; And we sang as the Wise Men gazed afar And the Shepherds Heavenmost; Host Joy to the world! For lo, is born The Gift-Child! Echo on And on forever song of morn, Yet trembling into dawn! Refrain Joy to the pure in heart! For thou Alone dost know the worth And meaning of the Gift, who bow Before the Virgin-birth. Chorus All hail Madonna’s Gift That shall the earth to Heaven uplift! All hail! Rejoice! What softening of angel-voice And light and listening sense Fell hush-like on the last “Rejoice, Madonna-reverence!” The pearly wings the host enshroud, The voices fade away, And the beautiful ladder of fine-spun cloud Becomes the Gate of the Day. THE RISEN CHRIST MEANS VICTORYGo forth and hail the Conqueror With flowers and sacred psalms! The triumph we observe is more Than that of martial palms; For lo! there cometh from the tomb The Lord of life and life-to-be, Around whose feet the lilies bloom; The risen Christ means victory. Go forth and on His living brow Entwine a laurel-wreath; For never was so great as now The glory of His death! The Cross and Sepulchre had been The world’s most damning tragedy But for the conquered curse of sin; The risen Christ means victory. Go forth with precious ointment of Affection to thy dead, With Easter’s glad, believing love That He Who for us bled, Who slept and rose again, is strong To roll corruption’s stone away. And loose the Resurrection Song; The risen Christ means victory! THE EVERLASTING ARMSWhen to our life dark shadows come, Stern crosses, sacrificial cares And other fancied temporal harms, There is eternal refuge from Our terrifying doubts and fears Within the Everlasting Arms. When o’er our souls temptations sweep And goodness loses half its grace As sin pursues us with its charms, There is no refuge left to keep But the eternal hiding-place Within the Everlasting Arms. When through the valley dark and drear We walk or see another sink And death o’ercomes us with alarms, Be then, Eternal Refuge, near To hold us up upon the brink Within the Everlasting Arms! HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEPThe task is done, the sun is set, The evening shadows fall apace, The course is run, and tarries yet The glory only of the race; But ere the guerdon of the toil The fleeting soul shall rise to reap, God maketh it to rest awhile— He giveth his beloved sleep. What though the eyes are closed in death, The tired hands are folded now? Life shall arise, saith living faith. And ministry diviner grow. ’Tis but the hush before the day: The Father bids his angels keep The treasure that we lay away— He giveth his beloved sleep. But not, oh not forever thus Doth death enshroud our silent ones— We know not what transfigures us, What miracle of quickening suns— But we await their healing wings, Their living flash, seraphic sweep, The glory of the King of Kings Who giveth his beloved sleep. THE GLORY DWELLSOh, the glory that we dream of Trembling over Bethlehem! Magi following the beam of Starry prophecy to them! Shepherds startled by the gleam of Heavenly light and angel-hymn! Time hath made the vision holy, But I know that glory dwells Not in manger-village solely, Nor in dream that prophet tells, But wherever there’s a lowly Child-heart, there the glory swells. Pride of earth and pomp of power Dazzle with their tinsel show; But compared to goodness’ dower They’re as only glint to glow. Pride is merely for an hour, Goodness doth to glory grow. THE LIGHT OF LIFEO Light of Life, shine thou Into my soul as doth the Sun of Day Into the world for seeing with mine eyes! Reveal the good and evil—teach me how To stumble not but walk the Living Way That fills earth with the glory of the skies! Let there be spirit-quickenings That thrill the being to responsiveness Lest vision be but human, uninspired! Ah, make it throb until from vision springs Anointed nature to in life express The Grace which makes the Heavenly desired! DESIGNThe universe of rolling spheres Is not for Deity’s display But for a purpose which appears In its supernal harmony. Its mass that in momentum sweeps, Its energy of elements, The order which its system keeps Are aspects of omnipotence; And power working such design Is proof of Presence everywhere Intelligent, supreme, divine, Both in creatorship and care. For in His watchcare of the worlds He-Over-All doth manifest A greater power than that which whirls Them on their way at its behest, A greater purpose than to span The Heavens by His glory lit; For ’tis the more eternal plan Of making all creation fit For fellowship with Nature’s God In higher terms of wisdom, truth And love by perfect will endowed, Whereof the worlds are but the proof. Thou Supersoul, who Spirit art And rulest star-host, wave and wind, Teach us Thy majesty to heart And feel in music perfect Mind! |
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