[Oh to be like my Lord! Yet must I be]
“There are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit.”— 1 Cor. xii. 4.
Oh to be like my Lord! Yet must I be
Mine own self too,
And to the nature He bestowed on me
Be frankly true.
The olive fruits not as the clustering vine;
Nor may we get
Scent of the rose or lily from woodbine,
Or violet.
The harp may not give forth the trumpet's note;
Nor shalt thou bring
From pipe or tabor tones that softly float
From the harp-string.
False to myself, I were not true to Him;
Nor should I be
More angel, having wings of cherubim
Attached to me.
All creatures have their natural gift and form
In God's great plan,
And nought will give the grasshopper or worm
Stamp of a man.
Even as He made me, so I must be still;
Changed, yet the same,
Holy in heart, and dutiful in will,
And high in aim;
Yet true unto the man that once in me
Was prone to err;
For Faith works not a dull monotony
Of character.
Earth hath not more variety than Heaven,
Though every one
To whom the grace of glory shall be given
Be like its sun.
They differ in their glory, star from star,
And in their might,
Yet all their varying robes of splendour are
His borrowed light.
