O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thine sunshine’s glow its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to hide from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead
And from the ground there blossom red,
Life that shall endless be.
-George Matheson (1842-1902)
___________________________________________________________________________
George Matheson was an eighteen year-old student at Glasgow University in Scotland when his poor eyesight failed completely and he became totally blind. However, despite his handicap, he determined to finish his studies. Greatly aided by a devoted sister who herself learned Greek and Hebrew to help him in his assignments, George even went on to graduate school, and then into Christian ministry. He became pastor of a church in Edinburgh, where his eloquent preaching always attracted large crowds. During his lifetime he was greatly esteemed as one of Scotland’s outstanding preachers.
At the time when George learned of his impending blindness, he had been engaged to marry. Sadly, just before their marriage, his fiancee returned his ring, informing him that she did not want to be married to a blind man. George was devastated. Years later, when George was forty years old, his sister became engaged, and it may be that the occasion reminded him of his own personal disappointment, opening old wounds. On the night of his sister’s wedding in Glasgow, he was alone in his home in Edinburgh. He wrote a prayer that night, that later became this hymn. In an account which he left of that evening, George wrote: “Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering.” K.H. Osbeck wrote in a book on hymn stories, “It is very possible that the lingering memory of this rejection from an earthly lover prompted George Matheson to write this beautiful expression of an eternal love that will never be broken.”
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” (Jeremiah 31:30) May you, dear reader, regardless of whatever suffering you may be experiencing, find rest for your heart in the eternal love of God.
----***----
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thine sunshine’s glow its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to hide from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead
And from the ground there blossom red,
Life that shall endless be.
-George Matheson (1842-1902)
___________________________________________________________________________
George Matheson was an eighteen year-old student at Glasgow University in Scotland when his poor eyesight failed completely and he became totally blind. However, despite his handicap, he determined to finish his studies. Greatly aided by a devoted sister who herself learned Greek and Hebrew to help him in his assignments, George even went on to graduate school, and then into Christian ministry. He became pastor of a church in Edinburgh, where his eloquent preaching always attracted large crowds. During his lifetime he was greatly esteemed as one of Scotland’s outstanding preachers.
At the time when George learned of his impending blindness, he had been engaged to marry. Sadly, just before their marriage, his fiancee returned his ring, informing him that she did not want to be married to a blind man. George was devastated. Years later, when George was forty years old, his sister became engaged, and it may be that the occasion reminded him of his own personal disappointment, opening old wounds. On the night of his sister’s wedding in Glasgow, he was alone in his home in Edinburgh. He wrote a prayer that night, that later became this hymn. In an account which he left of that evening, George wrote: “Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering.” K.H. Osbeck wrote in a book on hymn stories, “It is very possible that the lingering memory of this rejection from an earthly lover prompted George Matheson to write this beautiful expression of an eternal love that will never be broken.”
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” (Jeremiah 31:30) May you, dear reader, regardless of whatever suffering you may be experiencing, find rest for your heart in the eternal love of God.
----***----
When God Wants To Make A Man
When God wants to drill a man, and thrill a man, and skill a man,
When God wants to mold a man to play the noblest part,
When he yearns with all His heart to create so great and bold a man
That all the world should be amazed,
Watch his methods, watch His ways:
How he ruthlessly perfects whom he royally elects;
How he hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him into shapes and forms of clay
Which only God can understand,
While man’s tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands;
Yet God bends but never breaks when man’s good he undertakes;
How He uses whom he chooses,
And with mighty power infuses him,
With every act induces him to try His splendor out,
God knows what He’s about.
- Author unknown
----****----
When God wants to mold a man to play the noblest part,
When he yearns with all His heart to create so great and bold a man
That all the world should be amazed,
Watch his methods, watch His ways:
How he ruthlessly perfects whom he royally elects;
How he hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him into shapes and forms of clay
Which only God can understand,
While man’s tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands;
Yet God bends but never breaks when man’s good he undertakes;
How He uses whom he chooses,
And with mighty power infuses him,
With every act induces him to try His splendor out,
God knows what He’s about.
- Author unknown
----****----
Satisfied
Draw me to Thee, till far within Thy rest,
In stillness of Thy peace, Thy voice I hear –
Forever quieted upon Thy breast,
So loved, so near.
By mystery of Thy touch my spirit thrilled,
O Magnet all divine;
The hunger of my soul forever stilled,
For Thou art mine.
For me, O Lord, the world is all too small,
For I have seen Thy face,
Where Thine eternal love irradiates all
Within Thy secret place.
And therefore from all others, from all else,
Draw Thou my soul to Thee.
Yea, thou hast broken the enchanter’s spell,
And I am free.
Now in the haven of untroubled rest
I land at last.
The hunger, and the thirst, and weary quest
Forever past.
There, Lord, to lose in bliss of Thine embrace
The recreant will;
There in the radiance of Thy blessed face,
Be hushed and still;
There, speechless at Thy pierced feet
See none and nought beside.
And I know but this - that Thou art sweet,
That I am satisfied.
- Gerhard Tersteegan
-----*****-----
Full Surrender
Fearing to launch on "full surrender's" tide,
I asked the Lord, where would its waters glide
My little bark, "To troubled seas, I dread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.
Weeping beside an open grave I stood
In bitterness of soul I cried to God:
"Where leads this path of sorrow that I tread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.
Striving for souls, I loved the world too well;
Then disappointments came; I could not tell
The reason till He said, "I am thine all;
Unto Myself I call."
Watching my heroes - those I loved the best -
I saw them fail; they could not stand the test.
Even by this the Lord through tears not few,
Unto Himself me drew.
Unto Himself! No earthly tongue can tell
The bliss I find, since in His heart I dwell;
The things that charmed me once seem all so naught;
Unto Himself I'm brought.
----*****----
Make Me Thy Fuel
From prayer that asks that I may be
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
From fearing when I should aspire,
From faltering when I should climb higher,
From silken self, O Captain, free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.
From subtle love of softening things,
From easy choices, weakenings,
Not thus are spirits fortified,
Not this way went the Crucified,
From all that dims Thy Calvary,
O Lamb of God, deliver me.
Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
Amy Carmichael
----****----
In the bitter waves of woe
Beaten and tossed about
By the sullen winds that blow
From the desolate shores of doubt,
Where the anchors that faith has cast
Are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
To the things that cannot fail.
And fierce though the fiends may fight
And long though the angels hide,
I know that truth and right
Have the universe on their side;
And that somewhere beyond the stars
Is a Love that is better than fate,
When the night unlocks her bars
I shall see Him - and I will wait.
Washington Gladden
When darkness veils His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
----****----
I walked a mile with Pleasure,
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow,
A ne'er a word said she;
But, oh, the things I learned from her
When sorrow walked with me.
----****----
Sorrow and Love
Self-love no grace in sorrow sees,
Consults her own peculiar ease,
T'is all the bliss she knows;
But nobler aims true love employ,
In self-denial is her joy,
In suffering, her repose.
Sorrow and Love go side by side;
Nor height nor depth can e'er divide
Their heaven-appointed bands;
Those dear associates still are one,
Nor till the race of life is run,
Disjoin their wedded hands.
Thy choice and mine shall be the same,
Inspirer of that holy flame,
Which must forever blaze!
To take the cross and follow Thee,
Where love and duty lead shall be
My portion and my praise.
Jeanne Marie de la Motte-Guyon
----****----
If thou, impatient, dost let slip thy cross
Thou wilt not find it in this world again;
Nor in another; here and here alone
Is given thee to suffer for God's sake.
In other worlds we may more perfectly
Love Him and serve Him, praise Him,
Grow nearer and nearer to Him with delight.
But then we shall not any more
Be called to suffer, which is our appointment here.
Canst thou not suffer, then, one hour or two?
If He should call thee from thy cross today
Saying: "It is finished - that hard cross of thine
For which thou prayest for deliverance."
Thinkest thou not some passion of regret
Would overcome thee? Thou wouldst say,
"So soon? Let me go back and suffer yet awhile
More patiently. I have not yet praised God."
Whensoe'er it comes, that summons that we look for,
It will seem soon, too soon. Let us take heed in time
That God may now be glorified in us.
Ugo Bassi's Sermon in a Hospital
----****----
A Little Farther
A little farther, let me go with Thee
To share the travail of Gethsemane,
O let me watch with Thee this last hour,
And for the conflict prove Thy Spirit's power.
A little farther still, I go with Thee,
Right up the hill to lonely Calvary,
To death of all that robs my life of Thee,
That Thou may'st pour afresh Thy life through me.
A little farther yet until I see
Thy straying sheep who wander far from Thee,
Then love divine shall cause my heart to glow,
And all ablaze for God I forth shall go.
A little farther, seeing just ahead
The very footprints of my Master's tread,
A little farther still, and I shall be
Safe in the Gloryland at home with Thee.
Mary Bazely
----****----
In the center of the circle
Of the will of God I stand;
There can be no second causes
All must come from His dear hand.
All is well! For 'tis my Father
Who my life hath planned.
Shall I pass through waves of sorrow?
Then I know it will be best;
Though I cannot tell the reason,
I can trust, and so am blessed.
God is love, and God is faithful.
So in perfect peace I rest.
With the shade and with the sunshine
With the joy and with the pain
Lord, I trust Thee! Both are needed,
Each Thy wayward child to train.
Earthly loss did we but know it,
Often means our heavenly gain.
----****----
He Giveth More Grace
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction, He addeth his mercies,
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
Annie Johnson Flint
----****----
The Benefits of Suffering
By sufferings only can we know
The nature of the life we live;
The temper of our souls they show,
How true, how pure, the love we give.
To leave my love in doubt would be
No less disgrace than misery!
I welcome, then, with heart sincere,
The cross my Savior bids me take;
No load, no trial, is severe,
That's borne or suffered for His sake:
And thus my sorrow shall proclaim
A love that's worthy of the name.
Jeanne Marie de la Motte-Guyon
----****----
I do not ask that He must prove
His word is true to me,
And that before I can believe
He first must let me see.
It is enough for me to know
'Tis true because He said 'tis so;
On His unchanging word I'll stand
And trust till I can understand.
----****----
Child of my love, lean hard,
And let me feel the pressure of thy care;
I know thy burden , child. I shaped it;
Poised in Mine own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength.
For even as I laid it on I said
"I shall be near, and while she leans on me,
This burden shall be Mine not hers;
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My own love." Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come:
Thou art not near enough. i would embrace thy care;
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou lovest me? I knew it. Doubt not then;
But loving Me, lean hard.
----****----
Be Still, My Soul
Be still, my soul - the Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide -
In every change, he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul - thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul - thy God doth undertake
To guide thy future as He has the past;
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake -
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul - the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul - the hour is hast'ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul - when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed, we shall meet at last.
Katharina von Schlegel
----****----
Turn your troubles into treasure,
Turn your sorrows into song;
Then all men will know the measure
In which you to Christ belong.
When they see your bright behavior
Under provocation great,
They may ask what mighty Savior
Can impart that happy state.
Paul and Silas in the prison
With their feet fast in the stocks,
Praised their glorious Lord arisen
Till the earthquake rent the rocks.
There was none to join their singing,
So the earthquake roared, "Amen!"
And glad chains fell down a'ringing,
As their voices rang again!
O then sing with us His praises
When there seems least cause to praise;
Faith the sweeter anthem raises
When the darkness hides God's ways;
He brings forth His new creation
Only there where ends the old.
Let us praise Him for salvation,
When all feels most dead and cold.
My soul, keep up thy singing,
Turn thy sorrows into song.
Arthur S. Booth-Cliburn
----****----
Sometimes a Light Surprises
Sometimes a light surprises
The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord who rises
With healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
a season of clear shining,
To cheer it after rain.
In holy contemplation,
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God's salvation,
And find it ever new:
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
E'en let the unknown morrow
Bring with it what it may.
It can bring with it nothing
But He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing,
Will clothe His people, too:
Beneath the spreading heavens,
No creature but is fed;
And He who feeds the ravens
Will give His children bread.
William Cowper
----****----
The Ways
To every man there openeth
A way, and ways, and a way.
And the high soul climbs the high way,
And the low soul gropes the low.
And in between on the misty flats
The rest drift to and fro.
But to every man there openeth
A high way and a low -
And every man decideth
The way his soul shall go.
John Oxenham
----****----
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, his hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did ere such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts
----****----
My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
T'is His to lead me there, not mine, but His -
"At any cost, dear Lord, by any road!"
So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,
And love can trust her Lord to lead her there
Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard
Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.
No matter if the way be sometimes dark,
No matter if the cost be ofttimes great,
He knows how I best shall reach the mark,
The way that leads to Him must needs be straight.
One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;
One thing I do, I press toward my Lord;
My God, my glory here from day to day,
And in the glory there my great reward.
----****----
None Other Lamb, None Other Name
None other Lamb, none other name,
None other Hope in heaven or eath or sea,
None other hiding-place from guilt and shame,
None beside Thee.
My faith burns low, my hope burns low;
Only my heart's desire cries out in me,
By the deep thunder of its want and woe,
Cries out to Thee.
Lord, Thou art Life, though I be dead;
Love's Fire Thou art, however cold I be:
Nor heaven have I, nor place to lay my head,
Nor home, but Thee.
Christina Rosetti
----****----
Christ Our Light
O Christ our Light, whom even in darkness we
(So we look up) discern and gaze upon,
O Christ, Thou loveliest Light that ever shone,
Thou light of light, Fount of all lights that be,
Grant us clear vision of Thy Light to see,
Though other lights elude us, or begone
Into the secret of oblivion,
Or gleam in places higher then man's degree.
Who looks on Thee looks full on his desire
Who looks on Thee looks fully on Very Love:
Looking, he answers well, "What lack I yet?"
His heat and cold wait not on earthly fire,
His wealth is not of earth to lose or get;
Earth reels, but he has stored his store above.
Christina Rosetti
----****----
The Pain of Love
Jesus! Why dost Thou love me so?
What hast Thou seen in me
To make my happiness so great,
So dear a joy to thee?
Wert Thou not God, I then might think
Thou hadst no eye to read
The badness of that selfish heart
For which Thine own did bleed.
But Thou art God, and knowest all;
Dear Lord, thou knowest me;
And yet Thy knowledge hinders not
Thy love's sweet liberty.
Ah, how Thy grace hath wooed my soul
With persevering wiles!
Now give me tears to weep; for tears are deeper joy than smiles.
Each proof renewed of Thy great love
Humbles me more and more,
And brings to light forgotten sins,
And lays them at my door.
The more I love Thee, Lord! the more
I hate my own cold heart;
The more Thou woundest me with love,
The more I feel the smart.
What shall I do, then, dearest Lord!
Say, shall I fly from Thee,
And hide my poor unloving self
Where Thou canst never see?
Or shall I pray that Thy dear love
To me might not be given?
Ah, no! love must be pain on earth,
If it be bliss in heaven.
Frederick William Faber
----****----
Thee Will I Love
Thee will I love, my Strength, my Tower,
Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown,
Thee will I love with all my power,
In all Thy works, and Thee alone;
Thee will I love, till the pure fire
Fill my whole soul with chaste desire.
Ah, why did I so late Thee know,
Thee, lovelier than the sons of men!
Ah, why did I no sooner go
To Thee, the only ease in pain!
Ashamed, I sigh and inly mourn,
That I so late to Thee did turn.
I thank Thee, uncreated Sun
That Thy bright beams on me have shined;
I thank Thee who hast overthrown
My foes, and healed my wounded mind;
I thank Thee, whose enlivening voice
Bids my freed heart in Thee rejoice.
Uphold me in the doubtful race,
Nor suffer me again to stray;
Strengthen my feet with steady pace
Still to press forward in Thy way;
My soul and flesh, O Lord of might,
Fill, satiate, with Thy heavenly light.
Give to mine eyes refreshing tears,
Give to my heart chaste, hallowed fires,
Give to my soul, with filial fires,
The love that all heaven's host inspires;
That all my powers, with all their might,
For Thy sole glory may unite.
Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown,
Thee will I love, my Lord, my God;
Thee will I love beneath Thy frown,
Or smile, Thy sceptre, or Thy rod;
What though my flesh and heart decay,
Thee shall I love in endless day.
Johann Scheffler; Tr. John Wesley
As Incense Streaming Forth
Thy name, O Christ, as incense streaming forth
Sweetens our names before God's holy face;
Luring us from the south and from the north
Unto the sacred place.
In Thee God's promise is Amen and Yea.
What art Thou to us? Prize of every lot,
Shepherd and Door, our Life and Truth and Way:
Nay, Lord, what art Thou not?
Christina Rosetti
----****----
The Indwelling Christ
Thou who givest of Thy gladness
Till the cup runs o'er -
Cup whereof the pilgrim weary
Drinks to thirst no more -
Not a-nigh me, but within me
Is Thy joy divine;
Thou, O Lord, hast made Thy dwelling
In this heart of mine.
Need I that a law should bind me
Captive unto Thee?
Captive is my heart, rejoicing
Never to be free.
Ever with me, glorious, awful,
Tender, passing sweet'
One upon whose heart I rest me
Worship at His feet.
With me, wheresoe'er I wander,
That great Presence goes,
That unutterable gladness,
Undisturbed repose.
Everywhere the blessed stillness
Of His Holy Place -
Stillness of the love that worships
Dumb before His face.
To Thy house, O God, my Father,
Thy lost child is come;
Led by wandering lights no longer,
I have found my home.
Over moor and fen I tracked them
Through the midnight blast,
But to find the Light eternal
In my heart at last.
Gerhard Tersteegan
----****----
Am I Not Enough?
Am I not enough, Mine own? Enough,
Mine own, for Thee?
Hath the world its palace towers,
Garden glades of magic flowers,
Where thou fain wouldest be?
Fair things and false are there,
False things but fair.
All shalt thou find at last,
Only in me.
Am I not enough, mine own? I, forever
and alone, I, needing thee?
Gerhard Tersteegan
----****----
A homeless Stranger amongst us came
To this land of death and mourning,
He walked in a path of sorrow and shame,
Through insult, and hate, and scorning.
A Man of sorrows, of toil, and tears,
An outcast Man and a lonely;
But He looked on me and through endless years
Him must I love, him only.
Then from this sad and sorrowful land,
From this land of tears, he departed;
But the light of His eyes, and the touch of His hand,
Had left me broken-hearted.
----****----
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not:
As Thou hast been, Thou forever shalt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin, and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow -
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Thomas O. Chisholm
----****----
Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts
Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts,
Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men,
From the best bliss that earth imparts
We turn unfilled to Thee again.
Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;
Thou savest those that on Thee call:
To them that seek Thee thou art good,
To them that find Thee, all in all.
We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread,
And long to feast upon Thee still;
We drink of Thee, the Fountain-head,
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.
Our restless spirits yearn for Thee,
Where'er our changeful lot is cast, -
Glad when Thy gracious smile we see,
Blest when our faith can hold Thee fast.
O Jesus, ever with us stay;
Make all our moments calm and bright;
Chase the dark night of sin away;
Shed o'er the world Thy holy light.
Bernard of Clairvaux
----****----
How Great Thou Art!
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in -
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin!
The sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Stuart K. Hine
----****----
I have seen His face in blessing
When my eyes were dimmed with tears;
I have felt His hand caressing
When my heart was torn by fears.
When the shadows gathered o'er me,
And the gloom fell deep as night,
In the darkness, just before me,
There were tokens of His light.
I have stepped in waves of sorrow
Till my soul was covered o'er;
I have dreaded oft the morrow
And the path which lay before.
But when sinking in my sadness,
I have felt His helping hand,
And ere daydawn came His gladness
With the courage to withstand.
I was wandering, and he found me,
Brought me from the verge of Hell;
I was bruised, and He bound me,
Sick was I, he made me well.
I was wounded, and He healed me
When a-wearied of the strife;
I was erring, and He sealed me,
Dead, His Spirit gave me life.
By His life's Blood he has claimed me
As a jewel in His sight;
As His own child He has named me,
Brought me forth to walk in light.
So I'm fighting till he calls me,
Walking in the path He trod;
And I care not what befalls me
Living in the life of God.
Samuel Logan Brengle
----****----
God is Working Out His Purpose
Through men whom wordlings count as fools,
Chosen of God, and not of man,
Reared in Thy secret training-schools,
Moves forward Thine eternal plan.
And now, though hidden from our kin,
In Midian's desert, Sinai's hill,
Spirit of God, Thou hast Thy men
Waiting Thy time to do Thy will.
When blazing out upon our night
Flashes the Pentecostal flame,
May I be found with heart alight,
Burning to magnify Thy name.
Not as Thy prophets who declare
The Word that thousands hear and own,
If I may have the smallest share
In setting Christ upon His throne.
Frank Houghton
----****----
What Thou Art to Me
As the Bridegroom to his chosen,
As the king unto his realm,
As the keep unto the castle,
As the pilot to the helm,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
As the fountain in the garden,
As the candle in the dark,
As the treasure in the coffer,
As the manna in the ark,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
As the ruby in the setting,
As the honey in the comb,
As the light within the lantern,
as the father in the home,
So, Lord, Thou art to me.
As the sunshine to the heavens,
As the image to the glass,
As the fruit unto the fig-tree,
As the dew unto the grass,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
John Tauler
----****----
I Consecrate
I consecrate my life to Thee, dear Lord;
To labor with my might, call nothing hard;
Use all my strength with every passing day,
Then ask for more and hasten on my way;
Pluck brands from out the burning while I live,
The Heavenward fall, and falling, heaven receive,
I consecrate my powers of soul and mind;
In Thee my powers shall meet employment find.
My judgment and my will and memory store,
Imaginations, thoughts, shall evermore
Be captive to my Christ, the crucified.
Each all its works perform, yet in Thee hide;
Affection's wealth, pour incense on Thy head,
And grosser appetites forever dead.
I consecrate to do, to go, to dare,
To suffer with my Savior, and to bear
Hardness as soldiers should, on every field -
To run the race, to weakness never yield;
Refuse all honor, ease, or earthly store;
Take up the cross, deny self more and more;
Bend all my energies to save the lost,
And with some stars, gain heaven at any cost.
Vivian A. Dake
In stillness of Thy peace, Thy voice I hear –
Forever quieted upon Thy breast,
So loved, so near.
By mystery of Thy touch my spirit thrilled,
O Magnet all divine;
The hunger of my soul forever stilled,
For Thou art mine.
For me, O Lord, the world is all too small,
For I have seen Thy face,
Where Thine eternal love irradiates all
Within Thy secret place.
And therefore from all others, from all else,
Draw Thou my soul to Thee.
Yea, thou hast broken the enchanter’s spell,
And I am free.
Now in the haven of untroubled rest
I land at last.
The hunger, and the thirst, and weary quest
Forever past.
There, Lord, to lose in bliss of Thine embrace
The recreant will;
There in the radiance of Thy blessed face,
Be hushed and still;
There, speechless at Thy pierced feet
See none and nought beside.
And I know but this - that Thou art sweet,
That I am satisfied.
- Gerhard Tersteegan
-----*****-----
Full Surrender
Fearing to launch on "full surrender's" tide,
I asked the Lord, where would its waters glide
My little bark, "To troubled seas, I dread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.
Weeping beside an open grave I stood
In bitterness of soul I cried to God:
"Where leads this path of sorrow that I tread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.
Striving for souls, I loved the world too well;
Then disappointments came; I could not tell
The reason till He said, "I am thine all;
Unto Myself I call."
Watching my heroes - those I loved the best -
I saw them fail; they could not stand the test.
Even by this the Lord through tears not few,
Unto Himself me drew.
Unto Himself! No earthly tongue can tell
The bliss I find, since in His heart I dwell;
The things that charmed me once seem all so naught;
Unto Himself I'm brought.
----*****----
Make Me Thy Fuel
From prayer that asks that I may be
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
From fearing when I should aspire,
From faltering when I should climb higher,
From silken self, O Captain, free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.
From subtle love of softening things,
From easy choices, weakenings,
Not thus are spirits fortified,
Not this way went the Crucified,
From all that dims Thy Calvary,
O Lamb of God, deliver me.
Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
Amy Carmichael
----****----
In the bitter waves of woe
Beaten and tossed about
By the sullen winds that blow
From the desolate shores of doubt,
Where the anchors that faith has cast
Are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
To the things that cannot fail.
And fierce though the fiends may fight
And long though the angels hide,
I know that truth and right
Have the universe on their side;
And that somewhere beyond the stars
Is a Love that is better than fate,
When the night unlocks her bars
I shall see Him - and I will wait.
Washington Gladden
When darkness veils His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
----****----
I walked a mile with Pleasure,
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow,
A ne'er a word said she;
But, oh, the things I learned from her
When sorrow walked with me.
----****----
Sorrow and Love
Self-love no grace in sorrow sees,
Consults her own peculiar ease,
T'is all the bliss she knows;
But nobler aims true love employ,
In self-denial is her joy,
In suffering, her repose.
Sorrow and Love go side by side;
Nor height nor depth can e'er divide
Their heaven-appointed bands;
Those dear associates still are one,
Nor till the race of life is run,
Disjoin their wedded hands.
Thy choice and mine shall be the same,
Inspirer of that holy flame,
Which must forever blaze!
To take the cross and follow Thee,
Where love and duty lead shall be
My portion and my praise.
Jeanne Marie de la Motte-Guyon
----****----
If thou, impatient, dost let slip thy cross
Thou wilt not find it in this world again;
Nor in another; here and here alone
Is given thee to suffer for God's sake.
In other worlds we may more perfectly
Love Him and serve Him, praise Him,
Grow nearer and nearer to Him with delight.
But then we shall not any more
Be called to suffer, which is our appointment here.
Canst thou not suffer, then, one hour or two?
If He should call thee from thy cross today
Saying: "It is finished - that hard cross of thine
For which thou prayest for deliverance."
Thinkest thou not some passion of regret
Would overcome thee? Thou wouldst say,
"So soon? Let me go back and suffer yet awhile
More patiently. I have not yet praised God."
Whensoe'er it comes, that summons that we look for,
It will seem soon, too soon. Let us take heed in time
That God may now be glorified in us.
Ugo Bassi's Sermon in a Hospital
----****----
A Little Farther
A little farther, let me go with Thee
To share the travail of Gethsemane,
O let me watch with Thee this last hour,
And for the conflict prove Thy Spirit's power.
A little farther still, I go with Thee,
Right up the hill to lonely Calvary,
To death of all that robs my life of Thee,
That Thou may'st pour afresh Thy life through me.
A little farther yet until I see
Thy straying sheep who wander far from Thee,
Then love divine shall cause my heart to glow,
And all ablaze for God I forth shall go.
A little farther, seeing just ahead
The very footprints of my Master's tread,
A little farther still, and I shall be
Safe in the Gloryland at home with Thee.
Mary Bazely
----****----
In the center of the circle
Of the will of God I stand;
There can be no second causes
All must come from His dear hand.
All is well! For 'tis my Father
Who my life hath planned.
Shall I pass through waves of sorrow?
Then I know it will be best;
Though I cannot tell the reason,
I can trust, and so am blessed.
God is love, and God is faithful.
So in perfect peace I rest.
With the shade and with the sunshine
With the joy and with the pain
Lord, I trust Thee! Both are needed,
Each Thy wayward child to train.
Earthly loss did we but know it,
Often means our heavenly gain.
----****----
He Giveth More Grace
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction, He addeth his mercies,
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
Annie Johnson Flint
----****----
The Benefits of Suffering
By sufferings only can we know
The nature of the life we live;
The temper of our souls they show,
How true, how pure, the love we give.
To leave my love in doubt would be
No less disgrace than misery!
I welcome, then, with heart sincere,
The cross my Savior bids me take;
No load, no trial, is severe,
That's borne or suffered for His sake:
And thus my sorrow shall proclaim
A love that's worthy of the name.
Jeanne Marie de la Motte-Guyon
----****----
I do not ask that He must prove
His word is true to me,
And that before I can believe
He first must let me see.
It is enough for me to know
'Tis true because He said 'tis so;
On His unchanging word I'll stand
And trust till I can understand.
----****----
Child of my love, lean hard,
And let me feel the pressure of thy care;
I know thy burden , child. I shaped it;
Poised in Mine own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength.
For even as I laid it on I said
"I shall be near, and while she leans on me,
This burden shall be Mine not hers;
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My own love." Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come:
Thou art not near enough. i would embrace thy care;
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou lovest me? I knew it. Doubt not then;
But loving Me, lean hard.
----****----
Be Still, My Soul
Be still, my soul - the Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide -
In every change, he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul - thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul - thy God doth undertake
To guide thy future as He has the past;
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake -
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul - the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul - the hour is hast'ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul - when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed, we shall meet at last.
Katharina von Schlegel
----****----
Turn your troubles into treasure,
Turn your sorrows into song;
Then all men will know the measure
In which you to Christ belong.
When they see your bright behavior
Under provocation great,
They may ask what mighty Savior
Can impart that happy state.
Paul and Silas in the prison
With their feet fast in the stocks,
Praised their glorious Lord arisen
Till the earthquake rent the rocks.
There was none to join their singing,
So the earthquake roared, "Amen!"
And glad chains fell down a'ringing,
As their voices rang again!
O then sing with us His praises
When there seems least cause to praise;
Faith the sweeter anthem raises
When the darkness hides God's ways;
He brings forth His new creation
Only there where ends the old.
Let us praise Him for salvation,
When all feels most dead and cold.
My soul, keep up thy singing,
Turn thy sorrows into song.
Arthur S. Booth-Cliburn
----****----
Sometimes a Light Surprises
Sometimes a light surprises
The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord who rises
With healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
a season of clear shining,
To cheer it after rain.
In holy contemplation,
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God's salvation,
And find it ever new:
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
E'en let the unknown morrow
Bring with it what it may.
It can bring with it nothing
But He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing,
Will clothe His people, too:
Beneath the spreading heavens,
No creature but is fed;
And He who feeds the ravens
Will give His children bread.
William Cowper
----****----
The Ways
To every man there openeth
A way, and ways, and a way.
And the high soul climbs the high way,
And the low soul gropes the low.
And in between on the misty flats
The rest drift to and fro.
But to every man there openeth
A high way and a low -
And every man decideth
The way his soul shall go.
John Oxenham
----****----
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, his hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did ere such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts
----****----
My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
T'is His to lead me there, not mine, but His -
"At any cost, dear Lord, by any road!"
So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,
And love can trust her Lord to lead her there
Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard
Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.
No matter if the way be sometimes dark,
No matter if the cost be ofttimes great,
He knows how I best shall reach the mark,
The way that leads to Him must needs be straight.
One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;
One thing I do, I press toward my Lord;
My God, my glory here from day to day,
And in the glory there my great reward.
----****----
None Other Lamb, None Other Name
None other Lamb, none other name,
None other Hope in heaven or eath or sea,
None other hiding-place from guilt and shame,
None beside Thee.
My faith burns low, my hope burns low;
Only my heart's desire cries out in me,
By the deep thunder of its want and woe,
Cries out to Thee.
Lord, Thou art Life, though I be dead;
Love's Fire Thou art, however cold I be:
Nor heaven have I, nor place to lay my head,
Nor home, but Thee.
Christina Rosetti
----****----
Christ Our Light
O Christ our Light, whom even in darkness we
(So we look up) discern and gaze upon,
O Christ, Thou loveliest Light that ever shone,
Thou light of light, Fount of all lights that be,
Grant us clear vision of Thy Light to see,
Though other lights elude us, or begone
Into the secret of oblivion,
Or gleam in places higher then man's degree.
Who looks on Thee looks full on his desire
Who looks on Thee looks fully on Very Love:
Looking, he answers well, "What lack I yet?"
His heat and cold wait not on earthly fire,
His wealth is not of earth to lose or get;
Earth reels, but he has stored his store above.
Christina Rosetti
----****----
The Pain of Love
Jesus! Why dost Thou love me so?
What hast Thou seen in me
To make my happiness so great,
So dear a joy to thee?
Wert Thou not God, I then might think
Thou hadst no eye to read
The badness of that selfish heart
For which Thine own did bleed.
But Thou art God, and knowest all;
Dear Lord, thou knowest me;
And yet Thy knowledge hinders not
Thy love's sweet liberty.
Ah, how Thy grace hath wooed my soul
With persevering wiles!
Now give me tears to weep; for tears are deeper joy than smiles.
Each proof renewed of Thy great love
Humbles me more and more,
And brings to light forgotten sins,
And lays them at my door.
The more I love Thee, Lord! the more
I hate my own cold heart;
The more Thou woundest me with love,
The more I feel the smart.
What shall I do, then, dearest Lord!
Say, shall I fly from Thee,
And hide my poor unloving self
Where Thou canst never see?
Or shall I pray that Thy dear love
To me might not be given?
Ah, no! love must be pain on earth,
If it be bliss in heaven.
Frederick William Faber
----****----
Thee Will I Love
Thee will I love, my Strength, my Tower,
Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown,
Thee will I love with all my power,
In all Thy works, and Thee alone;
Thee will I love, till the pure fire
Fill my whole soul with chaste desire.
Ah, why did I so late Thee know,
Thee, lovelier than the sons of men!
Ah, why did I no sooner go
To Thee, the only ease in pain!
Ashamed, I sigh and inly mourn,
That I so late to Thee did turn.
I thank Thee, uncreated Sun
That Thy bright beams on me have shined;
I thank Thee who hast overthrown
My foes, and healed my wounded mind;
I thank Thee, whose enlivening voice
Bids my freed heart in Thee rejoice.
Uphold me in the doubtful race,
Nor suffer me again to stray;
Strengthen my feet with steady pace
Still to press forward in Thy way;
My soul and flesh, O Lord of might,
Fill, satiate, with Thy heavenly light.
Give to mine eyes refreshing tears,
Give to my heart chaste, hallowed fires,
Give to my soul, with filial fires,
The love that all heaven's host inspires;
That all my powers, with all their might,
For Thy sole glory may unite.
Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown,
Thee will I love, my Lord, my God;
Thee will I love beneath Thy frown,
Or smile, Thy sceptre, or Thy rod;
What though my flesh and heart decay,
Thee shall I love in endless day.
Johann Scheffler; Tr. John Wesley
As Incense Streaming Forth
Thy name, O Christ, as incense streaming forth
Sweetens our names before God's holy face;
Luring us from the south and from the north
Unto the sacred place.
In Thee God's promise is Amen and Yea.
What art Thou to us? Prize of every lot,
Shepherd and Door, our Life and Truth and Way:
Nay, Lord, what art Thou not?
Christina Rosetti
----****----
The Indwelling Christ
Thou who givest of Thy gladness
Till the cup runs o'er -
Cup whereof the pilgrim weary
Drinks to thirst no more -
Not a-nigh me, but within me
Is Thy joy divine;
Thou, O Lord, hast made Thy dwelling
In this heart of mine.
Need I that a law should bind me
Captive unto Thee?
Captive is my heart, rejoicing
Never to be free.
Ever with me, glorious, awful,
Tender, passing sweet'
One upon whose heart I rest me
Worship at His feet.
With me, wheresoe'er I wander,
That great Presence goes,
That unutterable gladness,
Undisturbed repose.
Everywhere the blessed stillness
Of His Holy Place -
Stillness of the love that worships
Dumb before His face.
To Thy house, O God, my Father,
Thy lost child is come;
Led by wandering lights no longer,
I have found my home.
Over moor and fen I tracked them
Through the midnight blast,
But to find the Light eternal
In my heart at last.
Gerhard Tersteegan
----****----
Am I Not Enough?
Am I not enough, Mine own? Enough,
Mine own, for Thee?
Hath the world its palace towers,
Garden glades of magic flowers,
Where thou fain wouldest be?
Fair things and false are there,
False things but fair.
All shalt thou find at last,
Only in me.
Am I not enough, mine own? I, forever
and alone, I, needing thee?
Gerhard Tersteegan
----****----
A homeless Stranger amongst us came
To this land of death and mourning,
He walked in a path of sorrow and shame,
Through insult, and hate, and scorning.
A Man of sorrows, of toil, and tears,
An outcast Man and a lonely;
But He looked on me and through endless years
Him must I love, him only.
Then from this sad and sorrowful land,
From this land of tears, he departed;
But the light of His eyes, and the touch of His hand,
Had left me broken-hearted.
----****----
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not:
As Thou hast been, Thou forever shalt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin, and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow -
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Thomas O. Chisholm
----****----
Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts
Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts,
Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men,
From the best bliss that earth imparts
We turn unfilled to Thee again.
Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;
Thou savest those that on Thee call:
To them that seek Thee thou art good,
To them that find Thee, all in all.
We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread,
And long to feast upon Thee still;
We drink of Thee, the Fountain-head,
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.
Our restless spirits yearn for Thee,
Where'er our changeful lot is cast, -
Glad when Thy gracious smile we see,
Blest when our faith can hold Thee fast.
O Jesus, ever with us stay;
Make all our moments calm and bright;
Chase the dark night of sin away;
Shed o'er the world Thy holy light.
Bernard of Clairvaux
----****----
How Great Thou Art!
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in -
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin!
The sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Stuart K. Hine
----****----
I have seen His face in blessing
When my eyes were dimmed with tears;
I have felt His hand caressing
When my heart was torn by fears.
When the shadows gathered o'er me,
And the gloom fell deep as night,
In the darkness, just before me,
There were tokens of His light.
I have stepped in waves of sorrow
Till my soul was covered o'er;
I have dreaded oft the morrow
And the path which lay before.
But when sinking in my sadness,
I have felt His helping hand,
And ere daydawn came His gladness
With the courage to withstand.
I was wandering, and he found me,
Brought me from the verge of Hell;
I was bruised, and He bound me,
Sick was I, he made me well.
I was wounded, and He healed me
When a-wearied of the strife;
I was erring, and He sealed me,
Dead, His Spirit gave me life.
By His life's Blood he has claimed me
As a jewel in His sight;
As His own child He has named me,
Brought me forth to walk in light.
So I'm fighting till he calls me,
Walking in the path He trod;
And I care not what befalls me
Living in the life of God.
Samuel Logan Brengle
----****----
God is Working Out His Purpose
Through men whom wordlings count as fools,
Chosen of God, and not of man,
Reared in Thy secret training-schools,
Moves forward Thine eternal plan.
And now, though hidden from our kin,
In Midian's desert, Sinai's hill,
Spirit of God, Thou hast Thy men
Waiting Thy time to do Thy will.
When blazing out upon our night
Flashes the Pentecostal flame,
May I be found with heart alight,
Burning to magnify Thy name.
Not as Thy prophets who declare
The Word that thousands hear and own,
If I may have the smallest share
In setting Christ upon His throne.
Frank Houghton
----****----
What Thou Art to Me
As the Bridegroom to his chosen,
As the king unto his realm,
As the keep unto the castle,
As the pilot to the helm,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
As the fountain in the garden,
As the candle in the dark,
As the treasure in the coffer,
As the manna in the ark,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
As the ruby in the setting,
As the honey in the comb,
As the light within the lantern,
as the father in the home,
So, Lord, Thou art to me.
As the sunshine to the heavens,
As the image to the glass,
As the fruit unto the fig-tree,
As the dew unto the grass,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
John Tauler
----****----
I Consecrate
I consecrate my life to Thee, dear Lord;
To labor with my might, call nothing hard;
Use all my strength with every passing day,
Then ask for more and hasten on my way;
Pluck brands from out the burning while I live,
The Heavenward fall, and falling, heaven receive,
I consecrate my powers of soul and mind;
In Thee my powers shall meet employment find.
My judgment and my will and memory store,
Imaginations, thoughts, shall evermore
Be captive to my Christ, the crucified.
Each all its works perform, yet in Thee hide;
Affection's wealth, pour incense on Thy head,
And grosser appetites forever dead.
I consecrate to do, to go, to dare,
To suffer with my Savior, and to bear
Hardness as soldiers should, on every field -
To run the race, to weakness never yield;
Refuse all honor, ease, or earthly store;
Take up the cross, deny self more and more;
Bend all my energies to save the lost,
And with some stars, gain heaven at any cost.
Vivian A. Dake