The Mountain Spring And Other Poems | Page 2

aright and aloft?
'Tis this--that the hard breath of winter's chill blast Alone can this mantle of loveliness cast;?And thus our sharp winds of trial may prove?Angels to weave us bright garments of love.
ANSWERED
Ye realms of beauty from afar,?What speak ye to the saddened soul??What is the message of each star?As ever ceaselessly ye roll??Thus do ye answer: "We declare?God's glory; and to you 'tis given?To cast on him your every care,?For he hath wound the clock of heaven."
Ye hoary hills which have looked down?On all the centuries of time,?Have felt their touch without a frown,?And with indifference sublime,?What would ye speak, if understood,?Of life with all its woes and ills??'Tis this: to all they work for good?Who love the maker of the hills.
ALONE
Genesis 28:10-22.
The sun had set. He was alone;?Mid twilight shadows he would rest.?He laid his head upon a stone?To woo sweet slumber for his guest.
Perhaps within those midnight hours?His rugged bed was cold and chill,?But wrapped in Dreamland's mystic powers,?He knew no danger, felt no ill.
A vision in his dreams appeared!?Angels were stepping to and fro?Upon a ladder which, upreared,?Aided their ministry below.
And then God spake in words which said?What future ages would unfold,?The soil on which he made his bed?Was his, by prophecy foretold.
He further heard that holy voice?Predict that through his tribe would be?Blessings in which all should rejoice,?Blessings which all the world should see.
Through Jacob would the gift be given?Of Jesus to this sinful earth;?God signified within this vision?Glad news of our Redeemer's birth;
The star of Bethlehem would shine,?That star of joy and peace and love,?Our bleeding sacrifice divine?To cleanse our hearts, our guilt remove.
If faith and praise in us abound?Toward Israel's God, angels are near;?His word declares they camp around?All those who look to him in fear.
When Jacob woke, the ground he trod?Seemed holy; and he named his stone?"Bethel," which means "the house of God."?With heaven so near, was he alone?
NO OTHER
_Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved._--Acts 4:12.
Swiftly we float upon time's tide?Adown the stream of years.?Sometimes past hills of joy we glide,?Sometimes through vales of tears.
Age follows youth, which, ere we know,?Has vanished like a dream,?And takes its glamour from the glow?Of mem'ry's silvery gleam.
There is no halt; and more and more?There seems an open sea?Reaching us with its ceaseless roar--?It is eternity.
There is one Pilot that we need,?One who can safely steer,?One who at heaven's court can plead,?And all our journey cheer.
'Tis Jesus Christ; and all who see?In him the truth, the way,?Are in possession of the key?To heaven's eternal day.
WEALTH
He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them.--Psalm 39:6.
O soul, it is not thine,?But lent to thee in trust?That thou may'st make God's glory shine,?Secured from moth and rust.
Thou can'st not take one mite?Except as thou dost give?And waft it in the golden light?Where heaven's glories live.
Go look for those in need--?The hungry and the cold.?Kind words and actions are the seed?Which yield their fruits of gold.
Give to the heathen world?Knowledge of Christ our Lord;?Pray that his banner be unfurled;?Send forth, his priceless word.
He lived for us and died,?And intercedes above.?His blood, a sacrificial tide,?Redeems us by his love.
"Barbarian, bond and free,?The wise and the unwise"--?'Tis ours to give and theirs to see?Salvation's blood-bought prize.
We know not 'neath the sky?Who'll gather of our store,?But if we lay it up on high,?'Tis ours forevermore.
THE CAPTIVES
Psalm 137.
Captives by Babel's limpid streams,?We hung our harps on willows there;?Wept over Zion; and our dreams,?Waking or sleeping, she did share.
Our victors, with their battle arms,?Derided, jeered, and scorned our tears;?Required mirth, diversion's charms,?To thus allay their guilty fears.
"Sing us a song" is their demand,?"Yea, sing us one of Zion's songs!"?How can our voices thus expand?To what to us and God belongs?
How can we on this heathen shore,?Surrounded by idolatry,?Sing songs that unto us are more?Than all their glittering pageantry?
Jerusalem, should we forget,?We pray our hearts and tongues be still!?Jerusalem! Oh, may we yet?Worship upon thy holy hill.
Babylon, thou art to be destroyed!?Thy doom's foretold in prophecy;?And happy be the means employed?To hurl thee to thy destiny.
THE LIVING WATER
I that speak unto thee am he.--John 4:26.
She left her home that morn?In fair Samaria's land,?All heedless of her state forlorn,?Sin-bound, both heart and hand.?With prejudicial pride?She scorned the meek request?Of One who sat the well beside,?With heat and thirst opprest.?"Thou art a Jew," she said,?"And asketh drink of me??Samaria's daughter was not bred?To deal with such as thee."?She would not yield a sip?E'en if its maker sued,?While he from love, with thirsting lip,?Sought and her heart renewed.?He made her ask for life,?Eternal life through him,?And "living water" was the type?To her perception dim.?O yes! She fain would taste?And never thirst again,?And never cross the burning waste?In weariness and pain!?Her