[Holy Week]: #11; If He Should Come

If He should come tomorrow, the Meek and Lowly One,
To walk familiar pathways beneath an older sun,
What king would hail His coming, what seer proclaim His birth,
If He should come tomorrow, would He find faith on earth?

If He should come tomorrow, what marvels would He see,
White wings that soar the heavens, great ships that sail the sea,
A million spires arising to praise His holy name,
But human hearts unchastened, and human greed the same.

As in the days of Herod, the money-changers still
In God's own House contriving against the Father's will;
His messengers in exile, corruption on the throne,
And all the little company disbanded and alone.

Oh, let Him come in glory with all the powers of God,
Begirt with shining legions to rule with iron rod,
Till greed be purged forever from out the souls of men;
Lest He who comes tomorrow be crucified again!

--Lilith Lorraine

[Holy Week]: #10; A Little Parable

I made the cross myself whose weight
  Was later laid on me.
This thought is torture as I toil
  Up life's steep Calvary.

To think mine own hands drove the nails!
  I sang a merry song,
And chose the heaviest wood I had
  To build it firm and strong.

If I had guessed--if I had dreamed
  Its weight was meant for me,
I should have made a lighter cross
  To bear up Calvary!

--Anne Reeve Aldrich, 1866-1892

[Holy Week]: #9; In Evil Long I Took Delight

In evil long I took delight,
  Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
  And stopp'd my wild career:
I saw One hanging on a Tree
  In agonies and blood,
Who fix'd His languid eyes on me,
  As near His Cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath
  Can I forget that look:
It seem'd to charge me with His death,
  Though not a word He spoke:
My conscience felt and own'd the guilt,
  And plunged me in despair:
I saw my sins His Blood had spilt,
  And help'd to nail Him there.

Alas! I knew not what I did!
  But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
  For I the Lord have slain!
--A second look He gave, which said,
  "I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
  I die that thou may'st live."

Thus, while His death my sin displays
  In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
  It seals my pardon too.
With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,
  My spirit now is fill'd,
That I should such a life destroy,--
  Yet live by Him I kill'd!

--John Newton, 1725-1807

[Holy Week]: #8; Above the Hills of Time

Above the hills of time the Cross is gleaming,
  Fair as the sun when night has turned to day;
And from it love's pure light is richly streaming,
  To cleanse the heart and banish sin away.
To this dear Cross the eyes of men are turning
  To-day as in the ages lost to sight;
And for the love of Christ men's hearts are yearning
  As shipwrecked seamen yearn for morning light.

The Cross, O Christ, Thy wondrous love revealing,
  Awakes our hearts as with the light of morn,
And pardon o'er our sinful spirits stealing
  Tells us that we, in Thee, have been re-born.
Like echoes to sweet temple bells replying,
  Our hearts, O Lord, make answer to Thy love;
And we will love Thee with a love undying,
  Till we are gathered to Thy home above.

--Thomas Tiplady

[Holy Week]: #7; The Cross Was His Own

They borrowed a bed to lay His head
  When Christ the Lord came down;
They borrowed the ass in the mountain pass
  For Him to ride to town;
But the Crown that He wore and the Cross
    that He bore
  Were His own--
  The Cross was His own.

He borrowed the bread when the crowd He
    fed
  On the grassy mountain saide;
He borrowed the dish of broken fish
  With which He satisfied;
But the Crown that He wore and the Cross
    that He bore
  Were His own--
  The Cross was His own.

He borrowed the ship in which to sit
  To teach the multitude;
He borrowed a nest in which to rest,
  He had never a home so crude;
But the Crown that He wore and the Cross
    that He bore
  Were His own--
  The Cross was His own.

He borrowed a room on His way to the tomb,
  The Passover Lamb to eat;
They borrowed a cave for Him a grave;
  They borrowed a winding sheet;
But the Crown that He wore and the Cross
    that He bore
  Were His own--
  The Cross was His own.

--Author Unknown

[Holy Week]: #6; Knowledge Through Suffering

I knew Thee not, Thou wounded Son of God,
Till I with Thee the path of suffering trod;
Till in the valley, through the gloom of night,
I walked with Thee, and turned to Thee for light.

I did not know the mystery of love,
The love that doth the fruitless branch remove;
The love that spares not e'en the fruitful tree,
But prunes, that it may yet more fruitful be.

I did not know the meaning of the Cross:
I counted it but bitterness and loss:
'Till in Thy gracious discipline of pain
I found the loss I dreaded purest gain.

And shall I cry, e'en on the darkest day,
"Lord of all mercy, take my cross away"?
Nay, in the Cross I saw Thine open face,
And found therein the fulness of Thy grace.

--George Wallace Briggs

[Holy Week]: #5; "The Choice of the Cross"

          Hard it is, very hard,
To travel up the slow and stony road
To Calvary, to redeem mankind; far better
To make but one resplendent miracle,
Lean through the cloud, lift the right hand of power
And with a sudden lightning smite the world perfect.
Yet this was not God's way, Who had the power,
But set it by, choosing the cross, the thorn,
The sorrowful wounds. Something there is, perhaps,
That power destroys in passing, something supreme,
To whose great value in the eyes of God
That cross, that thorn, and those five wounds bear witness.

From "The Devil to Pay"
--Dorothy L. Sayers

[Holy Week]: #4; "...If I Be Lifted Up..."

"And I, If I Be Lifted Up, Shall Draw All Men"

"Three things there are," said one,
"That miracles are--
Dawn, and the setting sun
  And a falling star."

"Two things there be," he said,
"Beyond man's quest:
The white peace of the dead,
  And a heart at rest."

"One only thing," he cried,
"Draws all men still--
A stark cross standing wide
  On a windy hill."

--E.P. Dickie

[Holy Week]: #3; In the Cross of Christ I Glory

In the cross of Christ I glory,
  Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
  Gathers 'round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o'er take me,
  Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me:
  Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming
  Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
  Adds more luster to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
  By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
  Joys that through all time abide.

In the cross of Christ I glory,
  Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
  Gathers 'round its head sublime.

--John Bowring, 1792-1872

[Holy Week]: #2; God's Way

I sought Him in the still, far place where flowers blow
  In sun-bathed soil;
I found Him where the thousand life-streams flow
  Through sin and toil.

I listened for His step within the still, deep-cloistered shrine
  Of secret thought;
I hear it o'er the world's heart tumult, still divine,
  The Voice I sought.

I thought, far off, alone, to feel His presence by my side,
  His joy to gain;
I felt His touch upon life's weary pulse beside
  A bed of pain.

So those who seek the Master following their own way--
  Or gain, or loss--
Will find Him where their dreams of self are laid away,
  And there--a cross.

--Dorothy Clarke Wilson

[Holy Week]: #1; Passover

"Now the blood shall be a sign for you on
the houses where you are. And when I see
the blood, I will pass over you; and the
plague shall not be on you to destroy you
when I strike the land of Egypt."
                                            --Exodus 12:13

When I See the Blood

Christ our Redeemer died on the cross,
Died for the sinner, paid all his due;
All who receive Him need never fear,
Yes, He will pass, will pass over you.

Chorus
When I see the blood, When I see the blood,
When I see the blood, I will pass, I will pass over you.

Chiefest of sinners, Jesus can save,
As He has promised, so will He do!
Oh, sinner, hear Him, trust in His Word,
Then He will pass, will pass over you.

Judgment is coming, all will be there,
Who have rejected, who have refused?
Oh, sinner, hasten, let Jesus in,
Then God will pass, will pass over you.

Oh, what compassion, oh, boundless love!
Jesus hath power, Jesus is true;
All who believe are safe from the storm,
Oh, He will pass, will pass over you.

Chorus
When I see the blood, when I see the blood,
When I see the blood, I will pass, I will pass over you.
--J.G.F.

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

"Hosanna to the Son of David!. . . Hosanna in the highest!"
Matthew 21:9

Hosanna, loud hosanna the little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang;
To Jesus, who had blessed them close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best.

From Olivet they followed 'mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud;
The Lord of men and angels rode on in lowly state,
Nor scorned that little children should on His bidding wait.

"Hosanna in the highest!" that ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heav'n, our King;
O may we ever praise Him with heart and life and voice,
And in His blissful presence eternally rejoice!

--Jenette Threlfall

The Donkey

When fishes flew and forests walked
    And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
    Then surely I was born.

With monstrous head and sickening cry
    And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
    On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,
    Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb
    I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
    One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
    And palms before my feet!

--Gilbert K. Chesterton, 1874-1936

The Triumphal Entry

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came
to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus
sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the
village opposite you, and immediately you will find
a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and
bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to
you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,'
and immediately he will send them." All this was
done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the prophet, saying:

     "Tell the daughter of Zion,
     'Behold, your King is coming to
         you,
     Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
     A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded
them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid
their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a
very great multitude spread their clothes on the
road; others cut down branches from the trees and
spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who
went before and those who followed cried out,
saying:

     "Hosanna to the Son of David!
     'Blessed is He who comes in the name
          of the LORD!'
     Hosanna in the highest!"

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the
city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" So the
multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from
Nazareth of Galilee."

Matthew 21:1-11 NKJV

Palm Sunday

Thy glory dawns, Jerusalem, awake, thy bells to ring!
    Swift fashion thee a crown of gold,
    And bring forth David's throne of old;
  Jerusalem, make ready, make ready for the King!
    From tower and roof thy banners fling,
For down the slopes of Olivet comes riding on, the King!

(Jerusalem speaks:)
    A thorn-bush grows without the wall;
    Of this his crown shall woven be.
    For royal wine prepare we gall,
    For throne a cross on Calvary.

Thy Saviour comes, Jerusalem, make haste, thine altar bring!
    His body for an offering take,
    The heart of all the world to break,
  And on the cross uplifted our God shall own him King!
    Ye lands afar, His triumph sing,
For with the love of all mankind our God shall crown him King!

--John J. Moment

Lord, Come Away!

  Lord, come away;
  Why dost Thou stay?
Thy road is ready and Thy paths made
    straight
With longing expectation wait
The consecration of Thy beauteous feet.
Ride on triumphantly; behold! we lay
Our lusts and proud will in Thy way,
Hosannah! welcome to our hearts: Lord,
    here
Thou hast a temple too, and full as dear
As that of Sion; and as full of sin--
Nothing but thieves and robbers dwell
    therin;
Enter, and chase them forth, and cleanse the
    floor,
Crucify them, that they may never more
  Profane that holy place
  Where Thou hast chose to set Thy face.
And then if our still tongues shall be
Mute in the praises of Thy deity,
  The stones out of the temple wall
  Shall cry aloud and call
Hosannah! and Thy glorious footsteps greet.

--Jeremy Taylor, 1613-1667

Be Patient

They are such dear familiar feet that go
Along the path with ours--feet fast or slow
But trying to keep pace; if they mistake
Or tread upon some flower that we would take
Upon our breast, or bruise some reed,
Or crush poor hope until it bleed,
We must be mute;
Not turning quickly to impute
Grave fault: for they and we
Have such a little way to go, can be
Together such a little while upon the way--
We must be patient while we may.

So many little faults we find.
We see them for not blind
Is love. We see them, but if you and I
Perhaps remember them, some by and by,
They will not be
Faults then, grave faults, to you and me,
But just odd ways, mistakes, or even less--
Remembrances to bless.
Days change so many things, yes, hours;
We see so differently in sun and showers!
Mistaken words tonight
May be so cherished by tomorrow's light--
We shall be patient, for we know
There's such a little way to go.

--George Klingle

Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river,
  And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix forever
  With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
  All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle--
  Why not I with thine?

See the mountains kiss high heaven,
  And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower would be forgiven
  If it disdain'd its brother:
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
  And the moonbeams kiss the sea;--
What are all these kissings worth,
  If thou kiss not me?

--Percy Bysshe Shelley

BANKRUPT

One midnight, deep in starlight still,
I dreamed that I received this bill:
(------IN ACCOUNT WITH LIFE------)
Five thousand breathless dawns all new;
Five thousand flowers fresh in dew;
Five thousand sunsets wrapped in gold;
One-million snow-flakes served ice-cold;
Five quiet friends; one baby's love;
One white-mad sea with clouds above;
One hundred music-haunted dreams
Of moon-drenched roads and hurrying streams;
Of prophesying winds, and trees;
Of silent stars and browsing bees;
One June night in a fragrant wood;
One heart that loved and understood.
I wondered when I waked at day,
How--how in God's name--I could pay!

--Cortlandt W. Sayres

The Bar

The Saloon is sometimes called a Bar,
  A Bar to heaven, a door to hell
Whoever named it, named it well;
  A Bar to manliness and wealth
A door to want and broken health;
  A Bar to honor, pride and fame
A door to grief and sin and shame;
  A Bar to hope, a bar to prayer
A door to darkness and despair;
  A Bar to honored useful life
A door to brawling, senseless strife;
  A Bar to all that's true and brave
A door to every drunkard's grave;
  A Bar to joys that home imparts
A door to tears and aching hearts;
  A Bar to heaven, a door to hell
Whoever name it, named it well!

--By a convict serving a life term in
Joliet Prison, Illinois.

If You Had a Friend

If you had a friend strong, simple, true,
Who knew your faults and who understood;
Who believed in the very best of you,
And who cared for you as a father would;

If you had a friend like this, I say,
So sweet and tender, so strong and true
You'd try to please him in every way
And live at your bravest, now wouldn't you?

His worth would shine in the words you praised
You'd shout his praises--yet--now how odd?
You tell me you haven't got such a friend
You haven't?--I wonder--What of God?

--Robert Lewis

The Sincere Man

What gifts of speech a man may own,
  What grace of manners may appear,
Have little worth unless his heart
  Be honest, forthright and sincere.

The sincere man is like a rock,
  As true as time; with honest eye
He looks you squarely in the face
  Nor turns aside to make reply.

Nothing is hidden; there is no sham,
  No camouflage to caution care,
No ifs or buts to haunt the mind,
  Or secret doubts to linger there.

A crystal candor marks his speech,
  With conscience clear he goes his way,
He does the thing he thinks is right
  Nor cares a whit what others say.

Give me a man that is sincere,
  And though a wealth of faults attend,
I shall clasp his hand in mine
  And claim him as a trusted friend!

--Alfred Grant Walton

RESOLVE

To keep my health!
To do my work!
To live!
To see to it I grow and gain and give!
Never to look behind me for an hour!
To wait in weakness, and to walk in power;
But always fronting onward to the light,
Always and always facing toward the right.
Robbed, starved, defeated, fallen wide astray--
On, with what strength I have!
Back to the way!

--Charlotte Perkins Stetson Gilman

My Creed

This is my creed: To do some good,
  To bear my ills without complaining,
To press on as a brave man should
  For honors that are worth the gaining;
To seek no profits where I may,
  By winning them, bring grief to others;
To do some service day by day
  In helping on my toiling brothers.

This is my creed: To close my eyes
  To little faults of those around me;
To strive to be when each day dies
  Some better than the morning found me;
To ask for no unearned applause,
  To cross no river until I reach it;
To see the merit of the cause
  Before I follow those who preach it. . . .

To keep my standards always high,
  To find my task and always do it:
This is my creed--I wish that I
  Could learn to shape my action to it.

--S. E. Kiser

Rescue the Perishing

"Snatch others from the fire and save them." Jude 23

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Refrain
Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Tho' they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently,
He will forgive if they only believe.

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Cords that are broken will vibrate once more.

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it--
Strength for your labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them,
Tell the poor wand'rer a Savior has died.

Refrain
Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

--Fanny J. Crosby

Take Time To Live

Take time to live;
The world has much to give,
Of faith and hope and love:
Of faith that life is good,
That human brotherhood
Shall no illusion prove;
Of hope that future years
Shall bring the best, in spite
Of those whose darkened sight
Would stir our doubts and fears;
Of love, that makes of life,
With all its griefs, a song;
A friend, of conquered wrong;
A symphony, of strife.
Take time to live,
Nor to vain mammon give
Your fruitful years.

Take time to live;
The world has much to give
Of sweet content; of joy
At duty bravely done;
Of hope, that every sun
Shall bring more fair employ.
Take time to live,
For life has much to give
Despite the cynic's sneer
That all's forever wrong;
There's much that calls for song.
To fate lend not your ear.
Take time to live;
The world has much to give.
--Thomas Curtis Clark

Lesson of the Water Mill

Listen to the water mill:
  Through the livelong day
How the clanking of the wheel
  Wears the hours away;

And a proverb haunts my mind
  As a spell is cast:
"The mill will never grind
  With the water that has passed."
Take the lesson to thyself,
  Loving heart and true;
Golden years are fleeting by,
  Youth is passing, too;
Learn to make the most of life;
  Lose no happy day;
Time will never bring thee back
  Chances swept away.
Leave no tender word unsaid;
  Love while life shall last;
"The mill will never grind
  with the water that has passed."

Take the proverb to thine heart,
  Take! Oh, hold it fast:
"The mill will never grind
  With the water that has passed!"
--Sarah Doudney

The Art of Living

  Many men know the laws of mathematics and are skilled
in the arts, but most men know very little about the laws
governing life, the art of living. One may be able to build
an airplane and circle the globe and yet be entirely ignorant
of the simple art of how to be happy, successful, and con-
tent. When studying the arts, place first upon the list the
art of living.
                                                     --Author Unknown

VISION

There have been times when I have looked at life
From out the eyes of sorrow, and have felt
The utter loneliness of black night vigils.
There have been times when I have wept hot tears
And tasted of their salt
And drunk the dregs of sadness to the end.

There have been times--and then another's heartache,
So deep and rending as to mock my own,
Has cut, flamelike, across my blurring vision,
Dwarfing my paltry tragedies to nought.
                                         --Elizabeth N. Hauer

Life's Mirror

There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true,
Then give the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

Give love, and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your utmost need,
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your word and deed.

Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind;
And honor will honor meet;
And a smile that is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.

Give pity and sorrow to those who mourn,
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thought outborne
Though the sowing seemed but vain.

For life is the mirror of king and slave,
'Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

--Madeline Bridges

SONG

Love that is hoarded, moulds at last
  Until we know some day
The only thing we ever have
  Is what we give away.

And kindness that is never used
  But hidden all alone
Will slowly harden till it is
  As hard as any stone.

It is the things we always hold
  That we will lose some day;
The only things we ever keep
  Are what we give away.

--Harold C. Sandall

The Anvil--God's Word

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then with twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed--the hammers gone.

--Author Unknown

The Tone of Voice

It's not so much what you say
As the manner in which you say it;
It's not so much the language you use
As the tone in which you convey it;
"Come here!" I sharply said,
And the child cowered and wept.
"Come here," I said--
He looked and smiled
And straight to my lap he crept.
Words may be mild and fair
And the tone may pierce like a dart;
Words may be soft as the summer air
But the tone may break my heart;
For words come from the mind
Grow by study and art--
But tone leaps from the inner self
Revealing the state of the heart.
Whether you know it or not,
Whether you mean or care,
Gentleness, kindness, love, and hate,
Envy, anger, are there.
Then, would you quarrels avoid
And peace and love rejoice?
Keep anger not only out of your words--
Keep it out of your voice.

--Author Unknown

First Impressions

It is not right to judge a man
  By hasty glance or passing whim,
Or think that first impressions can
  Tell all there is to know of him.

Who knows what weight of weariness
  The man we rashly judge may bear,
The burden of his loneliness.
  His blighted hopes, his secret care.

A pompous guise or air of pride
  May only be an outward screen,
A compensation meant to hide
  A baffled will, a grief unseen.

However odd a person seems,
  However strange his ways may be,
Within each human spirit gleams
  A spark of true divinity.

So what can first impressions tell?
  Unthinking judgments will not do,
Who really knows a person well
  May also come to like him too!

--Alfred Grant Walton

Jesus Paid It All

"...you are not your own; For you were bought at
a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in
your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

I hear the Savior say, "Thy strength indeed is small!
Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine
all in all."

Refrain
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain--
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow'r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots and melt the heart of stone.

For nothing good have I whereby Thy grace to claim--
I'll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv'ry's Lamb.

And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save," my lips shall still repeat.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain--He washed it white as snow.

--Elvina M. Hall

A Day

What does it take to make a day?
A lot of love along the way:
It takes a morning and a noon,
A father's voice, a mother's croon;
It takes some task to challenge all
The powers that a man may call
His own: the powers of mind and limb;
A whispered word of love; a hymn
Of hope--a comrade's cheer--
A baby's laughter and a tear;
It takes a dream, a hope, a cry
Of need from some soul passing by;
A sense of brotherhood and love;
A purpose sent from God above;
It takes a sunset in the sky,
The stars of night, the winds that sigh;
It takes a breath of scented air,
A mother's kiss, a baby's prayer.
That is what it takes to make a day:
A lot of love along the way.

--William L. Stidger

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He be-
came poor, that you through His poverty might be-
come rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9

Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it, Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, Setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Refrain

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name!

Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned, Saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder, Giving me liberty,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power Making him God's dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Refrain

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name!

--Haldor Lillenas

How Firm a Foundation

"God's solid foundation stands firm. . .The Lord
knows those who are His." 2 Timothy 2:19

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply:
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!"

--Rippon's Selection of Hymns, 1787

Faith Is the Victory

Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise,
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.

Refrain
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O, glorious victory, That overcomes the world.

His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith they, like a whirlwind's breath,
Swept on o'er ev'ry field;
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.

On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array;
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray;
Salvation's helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble 'neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv'n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav'n,
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We'll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus' conquering name.

Refrain
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O, glorious victory, That overcomes the world.

--John H. Yates

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all;
Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all!

Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him Lord of all!

Let ev'ry kindred, ev'ry tribe, On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe, And crown Him Lord of all;
To Him all majesty ascribe, And crown Him Lord of all!

O that with yonder sacred throng We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song, And crown Him Lord of all;
We'll join the everlasting song, And crown Him Lord of all!

--Edward Perronet

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise His name--I'm fixed upon it--
Name of God's redeeming love.

Hither to Thy love has blest me;
Thou hast bro't me to this place;
And I know Thy hand will bring me
Safely home by Thy good grace.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Bought me with His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

--Robert Robinson; adapted by
Margaret Clarkson

Time's Hand Is Kind

For those who place their blooms on new-made graves
  And feel that life holds nought but emptiness,
Know that time's hand in kindness ever saves
  The heart from too much sorrow and distress.

Yet all deep wounds heal slowly, it would seem,
  But gradually the yearning pain will cease. . . .
Thus will your grief become a hallowed dream
  And, in its stead, will come a strange new peace.

--Margaret E. Bruner

Is It A Dream?

Is it a dream, and nothing more--this faith
That nerves our brains to thought, our hands to work
For that great day when wars shall cease, and men
Shall live as brothers in a unity
Of love--live in a world made splendid?

Is it a dream--this faith of ours that pleads
And pulses in our hearts, and bids us look,
Through mists of tears and time, to that great day
When wars shall cease upon the earth, and men,
As brothers bound by love of man and God,
Shall build a world as gloriously fair
As sunset skies, or mountains when they catch
The farewell kiss of evening on their heights?

In our hearts this question, in our minds
The haunting echoes of the song of war;
When will the nations cure the itching palm?
Change curse of pride to love of peace?
How long before such peace can pass our lips,
Can claim our minds and drive out all distrust?
When shall our fingers dare to drop the sword,
While with unquestioning eyes we reach two hands
In open comradeship to all the world?

--G.A. Studdert-Kennedy

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the LORD'S house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And peoples shall flow to it.

Many nations shall come and say,
"Come, and let us go up to the mountain
of the LORD, To the house of the God
of Jacob; He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths."
for out of Zion the law shall go forth,
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between many peoples,
And rebuke strong nations afar off;
They shall beat their swords into plowhares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.

But everyone shall sit under his vine
and under his fig tree,
And no one shall make them afraid;
For the mouth of the LORD of hosts
has spoken.

For all people walk each in the name
of his god, But we will walk in the name
of the LORD our God Forever and ever.

Micah 4:1-5 NKJV

ALONE

There should be two words, dearest, one made up
  Of all glad sounds that ever breathed on earth;
Of all the ecstasies that fill joy's cup,
  Of love, and peace, and happiness, and mirth.

The other, like a weary, wailing sigh,
  Full of sad tones in longing, hungry strain,
Hopeless, despairing, just a baffled cry
  Of love and loneliness and blank, numb pain.

One I would love--the other I would fear,
  These two words, chosen with consummate art;
One meaning we're alone together, dear,
  The other meaning we're alone--apart.

--Carolyn Wells

AWAY

I weary of these noisy nights,
  Of shallow jest and coarse "good cheer,"
Of jazzy sounds and brilliant lights.
  Come, Love, let us away from here.

Let us lay down this heavy load;
  And, side by side, far from the town,
Drive on some lovely country road;
  And, wondering, watch the sun go down.

What time is left to us, come, Love.
  The woods, the fields, shall make us whole;
The nightly pageantry above
  Our little world, keep sweet our soul.

No peace this city's madness yields--
  A tawdry world in cheap veneer.
Out there the lovely woods and fields.
  Come, Love, let us away from here.

--Max Ehrmann

Be Hopeful

Be hopeful, friend, when clouds are dark and days are
   gloomy, dreary,
Be hopeful even when the heart is sick and sad and weary.
Be hopeful when it seems your plans are all opposed and
   thwarted;
Go not upon life's battlefield despondent and fainthearted.
And, friend, be hopeful of yourself. Do bygone follies haunt
   you?
Forget them and begin afresh. And let no hindrance daunt
   you.
Though unimportant your career may seem as you begin it,
Press on, for victory's ahead. Be hopeful, friend, and win it.

--Strickland Gillilan

The Greater Gift

It was a dismal day when chilling rain
Like icy tears coursed down the window pane,
The clouds were dark and I was hedged about
With darker moods, but these were put to rout,
When to my ears there came a tapping sound,
So low at first as to be almost drowned
By other noises--then it grew more clear,
Until I knew some cherished friend was near;
And opening the door I heard your voice,
Soft-cadenced, kind, that made my heart rejoice;
You came to me because you sensed my need
Of comradeship, as if to intercede
With something of your spirit as a shield,
And yet you bore a gift--I saw revealed
A deeper motive . . . did you not foresee
That I had need of faith, serenity?
Two gifts you left, one was a healing token,
Yet of this greater gift no word was spoken.

--Margaret E. Bruner