Questions & Answers
He said to his disciples, as they came Back to his side, from mission at his word, Worn by their toil amidst the heedless throng, Sad that so few the wondrous message heard: "Come ye .
Upon the verge of that vast wilderness Which from Akabah's salt-encrusted shore Extends its lonely wastes towards the East Unto the threshold of those watered lands Erstwhile the seat of proud Assyria's power, And southward rock-encircled Petra meets, The sculptured gate of hermit Araby, The shepherds from Judea's terraced hills Guarded their flocks far from abodes of men. There, amid sun-scorched rocks and wind-swept sands, In wadies deep, where scanty herbage grew, Remote from all the world's vain murmurings, Where thought broods undisturbed by jarring note, By jealous strife or frown of tyrant kings, But free and unconfined high heaven greets, The omnipresent God Himself reveals To those receptive of His grace divine.
More steadfast than the mountains are, More boundless than the sea, Compassionate than mother-love, Is love of God for thee; More gracious than the clear sunlight Upon the dewy rose, More restful than the warm hearth-glow Of home, at daylight's close. Know then, this love enfolds thee now, Protects thee with its care; Its grace and tenderness divine Attend thee everywhere.
Teach me Thy will, that I may know How best to follow Thee, In storm or shine, that I may go The way Thou hast for me. Give me the faith I need to climb Earth's steep and rugged way, That I may hear the perfect chime Of Love's immortal lay.
We need not fear that Truth will die! In ages past, nor you nor I Stood by to watch it fall or stand; But still our God's sustaining hand Made sure it never fell! Oh, what a comfort just to know, That on through ages as we go, God's truth makes safe each darksome turn, Where roads may meet, or hatred burn, And men seem near to hell! The word means much; it makes full plain That aching hearts, all earthly pain, But seem—because we know not Love, Nor lift our eyes to look above, Where shines the light for all! Oh, weary wanderer on earth,— Whate'er the time you came to birth,— Man always was, in God, complete; Whose law has never known defeat, Nor change, nor great, nor small!
Fill your eyes with heaven's smile; Let its welcome well attend Every stranger, foe, or friend, Who would come to rest awhile. Fill your heart with heaven's song, That its pulsing may be heard In your every spoken word, That the feeble may be strong.
"Showers of blessing," weary pilgrim, "Showers of blessing" is the vow; God hath spoken it, my brother; Search and find them here and now. Does thy day seem fraught with shadow, And thy step go forth with doubt? Just before thee wait His blessings, And His love is round about.
Thy grace, O loving Father, Thou dost give, As to the thirsty flower the raindrops cool, And by Thy precepts teach us how to live. Thy hand will lead; Thy love will guard us still.
A little flicker at the first it seems, As when a candle in a draft is set; Then, as the door is shut on all material sense, A steadier flame illumes my life. The dimness fades, the darkness I forget; Gone the black shadows which before had wrapped me round, For I the light of all the world have found.
Reaping you must do, or ever you can sow,— Gladness must be yours, or ever you can show That happiness is fruitfulness from good seed in good soil; 'T was some one loved and blessed you with the sowing, and its toil, Hence you must reap and winnow good or ever you can sow. Keeping must be done, or ever you can give,— The blessing you must take that you may truly live! By fathers brave and mothers dear how much good seed was sown; From heaven's grace came kindly showers, and so the seed has grown; By reaping then enrich yourself or ever you can give.