Songs Old and New ... Collected Edition [by Elizabeth Charles] |
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HAGAR'S WELL. |
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 | Songs Old and New |  |
264
HAGAR'S WELL.
“And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.”
Wronged Hagar, on the desert sands low lying,
Broken at last the spirit once so high,
From thine own child in maddening anguish flying;
Thy only prayer, “Let me not see him die!”
Broken at last the spirit once so high,
From thine own child in maddening anguish flying;
Thy only prayer, “Let me not see him die!”
Once, weeping by the desert well, the angel
Came, and such joyful promise brought to thee,
Thy lips new named it, thenceforth, an Evangel,
“The well of Him who lives and seeth me.”
Came, and such joyful promise brought to thee,
Thy lips new named it, thenceforth, an Evangel,
“The well of Him who lives and seeth me.”
Did anything of that glad promise fail thee?
Thirsting, ay dying! still the son is there!
And hark! by name, once more, from heav'n they hail thee,
Calling thee back, through duty, from despair.
Thirsting, ay dying! still the son is there!
And hark! by name, once more, from heav'n they hail thee,
Calling thee back, through duty, from despair.
265
Back to thy child the loving angel sends thee:
“Lift up the lad and hold him in thy hand.
What ails thee? God hath heard.” All heaven befriends thee,
Folding love's promise in love's sweet command.
“Lift up the lad and hold him in thy hand.
What ails thee? God hath heard.” All heaven befriends thee,
Folding love's promise in love's sweet command.
Slave and forsaken! of their Heavenly City,
The angels (always serving) make thee free;
They see, (or how could Heaven bear the pity?)
They know, they see the Fountain hid from thee.
The angels (always serving) make thee free;
They see, (or how could Heaven bear the pity?)
They know, they see the Fountain hid from thee.
Yet not the angels can reveal the fountains,
However close beside our paths they be;
Wells in all deserts, springs upon all mountains,
But only God can open eyes to see.
However close beside our paths they be;
Wells in all deserts, springs upon all mountains,
But only God can open eyes to see.
Oh, lonely heart, with helpless anguish bursting,
The water in the cup man filled “all spent;”
The well is there, the well for which we're thirsting,
For every need some well, foreseen, and meant.
The water in the cup man filled “all spent;”
The well is there, the well for which we're thirsting,
For every need some well, foreseen, and meant.
Oh, blinded heart, in lonely anguish bursting,
The well is there, the child is by its brink;
We find the well in lifting up the thirsting,
Our thirst is quenched in giving them to drink.
The well is there, the child is by its brink;
We find the well in lifting up the thirsting,
Our thirst is quenched in giving them to drink.
266
For no new wells we ask, no new revealing:
The well is there (for all, for thee, for me);
Only, O God, Thy touch our eyes unsealing,
The old wells, day by day, afresh to see!
The well is there (for all, for thee, for me);
Only, O God, Thy touch our eyes unsealing,
The old wells, day by day, afresh to see!
Wells in all deserts, springs on every mountain,
Our deepest thirst is still for Thee, for Thee!
Light of all eyes, and Fount of all our fountains,
Open our eyes, each day, Thyself to see!
Our deepest thirst is still for Thee, for Thee!
Light of all eyes, and Fount of all our fountains,
Open our eyes, each day, Thyself to see!
St. Michael and All Angels', 1885.
| Songs Old and New | |