Questions & Answers
To-day holds all the joy and good of yesterday, Reflected and expressed; To-morrow, but to-day made manifest. And so the days, each one a glistening pearl In the full strand, Unfold at length unto the seventh,— The Sabbath consciousness of God's great plan, Perfect universe and perfect man,— The day of rest.
How shall I sing the praise Of Him who is the Lord of all my days? How can my tones conform With His, whose clarion rules the raging storm, Though men hear not His voice, nor view His form? Can any creature of a passing day Touch His high footsteps on their heavenly way? We know man lives not here, As leaves that fall with every passing year, As falling leaves that fade, That laugh or weep in sunlight or in shade For one brief hour, then in the dust are laid. Our life in Truth can never faint or fail In God's eternity within the veil.
When day 's begun, And hope with vivid hues illumes the sky, And songs spontaneous rise, and heaven is nigh,— God is thy Sun. At height of day, When self in subtle guise would baffle thee, And Mammon offering bribes says, Worship me,— God is thy stay.
They say you are gone, O lad of mine, Killed in action, the message read. Of what avail is our faith to us now, Since the one we loved is dead? But what is death? And what is Love? 'Twas told us in days of yore By the prophet who lived and healed and taught On that far Galilean shore.
In Thine almighty hand I know that all is well,— The sea, the air, the land. Alike Thy glory tell; My life is hid in Love's protecting power.
A rest remaineth on earth's battle fields To every son of man, a Sabbath rest,— Progressive states of peace to him who yields His all to Principle,—unfoldment, blest With true enlightenment. There is, indeed.
Tis break of day—God's day— And His glad freedom to begin it, With work and recompense And promise in it! A dear, new day— And good is each unfolding minute, With heaven all around, And power to win it. The break of day—God's day— And Love's wide wings to lift and hide us, And grace to drive away The fears that chide us! A new, clean day— With Love's unfailing hand to guide us, The sunrise in our hearts, God's peace beside us.
A Hard , harsh world? Aye; so it seems,—a mart Of husks, of naught that truly satisfies. But why, O man, with shadows deal and lies, When now and evermore a living part Of God's glad world, all shadowless, thou art? Look, there are stars and peaks that starward rise! Look, there are children, roses, sunset skies, And angels on the threshold of thy heart! Thank God for lifting wings of clear, clean thought! Thank God for faith whereby we build above The changeable environs of the clod! Thank God for verities of Spirit wrought! Thank God for good, for Truth! Thank God for Love And Love's unending life! Thank God for God!
If thou wert called upon to-day One dearer than all others—yea, The very heart of love—to slay, As Abraham was called of old, And wrote his faith in deeds of gold, How should thy story then be told? Wouldst thou reply unto the call: Dear Lord, Thou art supreme o'er all, And as Thou wilt it shall befall; Not my will, Lord, but thine be done: Lo, here I offer Thee my son, My heart's delight, my only one? Then shalt thou lift thine eyes to see Obedience liberating thee And bidding loss and lack to flee; While in the thicket a surprise Awaits thine opening, grateful eyes,— Thine own self-love, the sacrifice.
I Thank Thee, Father, for the larger life, For health to live So that to all mankind I may impart What Thou dost give. I thank Thee, Father, for life's lesser joys— Each smile or word That triumphs o'er a sigh or tear to greet Our risen Lord.