Chapter 129
--Helen Bradley.
JESUS, MY G.o.d AND MY ALL
O Jesus! Jesus! dearest Lord!
Forgive me if I say For very love thy sacred name A thousand times a day.
I love thee so, I know not how My transports to control; Thy love is like a burning fire Within my very soul.
O wonderful! that thou shouldst let So vile a heart as mine Love thee with such a love as this, And make so free with thine.
The craft of this wise world of ours Poor wisdom seems to me; Ah! dearest Jesus! I have grown Childish with love of thee!
For thou to me art all in all, My honor and my wealth, My heart's desire, my body's strength, My soul's eternal health.
Burn, burn, O Love! within my heart Burn fiercely night and day, 'Till all the dross of earthly loves Is burned, and burned away.
O light in darkness, joy in grief, O heaven begun on earth!
Jesus! my love! my treasure! who Can tell what thou art worth?
O Jesus! Jesus! sweetest Lord!
What art thou not to me?
Each hour brings joys before unknown, Each day new liberty!
What limit is there to thee, love?
Thy flight where wilt thou stay?
On! on! our Lord is sweeter far To-day than yesterday.
O love of Jesus! blessed love!
So will it ever be; Time cannot hold thy wondrous growth, No, nor eternity.
--Frederick William Faber.
LOVE--JOY
As on a window late I cast mine eye, I saw a vine drop grapes with J and C Anneal'd on every bunch. One standing by Ask'd what it meant. I (who am never loth To spend my judgment) said it seem'd to me To be the body and the letters both Of Joy and Charity. Sir, you have not miss'd, The man replied; it figures JESUS CHRIST.
--George Herbert.
WHY NOT?
Why not leave them all with Jesus-- All thy cares, All the things that fret thee daily, Earth's affairs?
Pour out all thy sin and longing; He has felt Need of human love as thou hast, And has knelt At his Father's feet, imploring, For the day, Strength to guard against temptation By the way.
Why not leave them all with Jesus-- On his breast Find a balm for all earth-suffering, Peace and rest?
Ah! he knows that thou hast striven To walk right; Longs to make the th.o.r.n.y pathway Clear and bright.
See, he
Give to him thyself, thy burden, And thy fears.
JESUS ON THE SEA
When the storm of the mountains on Galilee fell And lifted its waters on high-- And the faithless disciples were bound in the spell Of mysterious alarm--their terrors to quell Jesus whispered, "Fear not: it is I."
The storm could not bury that word in the wave, For 'twas taught through the tempest to fly; It shall reach his disciples in every clime, And his voice shall be near, in each troublous time, Saying, "Be not afraid: it is I."
When the spirit is broken with sickness or sorrow, And comfort is ready to die; The darkness shall pa.s.s and, in gladness to-morrow, The wounded complete consolation shall borrow From his life-giving word, "It is I."
When death is at hand, and the cottage of clay Is left with a tremulous sigh, The gracious forerunner is smoothing the way For its tenant to pa.s.s to unchangeable day, Saying, "Be not afraid: it is I."
When the waters are pa.s.sed, and the glories unknown Burst forth on the wondering eye, The compa.s.sionate "Lamb in the midst of the throne"
Shall welcome, encourage, and comfort his own, And say, "Be not afraid: it is I."
LET US SEE JESUS
We would see Jesus--for the shadows lengthen Across the little landscape of our life; We would see Jesus--our weak faith to strengthen For the last weariness, the mortal strife.
We would see Jesus--for life's hand hath rested With its dark touch on weary heart and brow; And though our souls have many billows breasted Others are rising in the distance now.
We would see Jesus--other lights are paling Which for long years we have rejoiced to see; The blessings of our pilgrimage are failing-- We would not mourn them, for we come to thee.
We would see Jesus--yet the spirit lingers Round the dear object it has loved so long, And earth from earth will scarce unclose its fingers, Our love for thee makes not this love less strong.
We would see Jesus--the strong Rock-foundation Whereon our feet are set by sovereign grace; Not life or death, with all their agitation, Can thence remove us if we seek his face.
We would see Jesus--sense is all too blinding, And heaven appears too dim and far away; We would see Jesus--to gain the sweet reminding That thou hast promised our great debt to pay.
We would see Jesus--that is all we're needing, Strength, joy, and willingness come with the sight; We would see Jesus--dying, risen, pleading-- Then welcome day, and farewell mortal night!
--Anna B. Warner.
A SONG OF LOVE
To thee, O dear, dear Saviour!
My spirit turns for rest; My peace is in thy favor, My pillow on thy breast; Though all the world deceive me, I know that I am thine, And thou wilt never leave me, O blessed Saviour mine!
In thee my trust abideth, On thee my hope relies, O thou whose love provideth For all beneath the skies!
O thou whose mercy found me, From bondage set me free, And then forever bound me With threefold cords to thee!
My grief is in the dullness With which this sluggish heart Doth open to the fullness Of all thou wouldst impart; My joy is in thy beauty Of holiness divine, My comfort in the duty That binds my life to thine.
Alas! that I should ever Have fail'd in love to thee, The only One who never Forgot or slighted me.
O for a heart to love thee More truly as I ought, And nothing place above thee In deed, or word, or thought.