The Prisoner of Love By F. W. Orde Ward (F. Harald Wiliams) |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
| 13. |
| 14. |
| 15. |
| 16. |
| 17. |
| 18. |
| 19. |
| 20. |
November 20
THE CROSS FOUNDATION |
| 21. |
| 22. |
| 23. |
| 24. |
| 25. |
| 26. |
| 27. |
| 28. |
| 29. |
| 30. |
|
 | The Prisoner of Love |  |
369
November 20 THE CROSS FOUNDATION
“Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid.”—
1 Cor. iii. 11.
God before birth of sinning, God at the great beginning,
God in the unstoried past
Laid His broad bases deep beyond or death or sleep,
In the Eternal cast;
He might have strung the land and sea on iron bands
Which nothing more could shake,
He might have diggèd low nor suffered ebb and flow
Just for His Wisdom sake;
Or on a thought as thread hung Time's young bridal bed
And rounded it with bliss,
Till at the dreadful meeting of Power and Mercy's greeting
Light burst from the abyss.
God in the unstoried past
Laid His broad bases deep beyond or death or sleep,
In the Eternal cast;
He might have strung the land and sea on iron bands
Which nothing more could shake,
He might have diggèd low nor suffered ebb and flow
Just for His Wisdom sake;
Or on a thought as thread hung Time's young bridal bed
And rounded it with bliss,
Till at the dreadful meeting of Power and Mercy's greeting
Light burst from the abyss.
God set not the foundation thus to His fresh Creation
Whence this our glory shines,
But in the broken Heart of Love from Love apart
He sought the solemn lines.
He took the simple Cross and married gain to loss
In a most tender bond,
And bade its Shadow fall on earth and sky and all
Unto the years beyond.
Nor did he flinch and fail, but drove one bitter nail
To reach the perfect rest,
Though ere that peace was given and ere those arms were riven
It piercèd His own Breast.
Whence this our glory shines,
But in the broken Heart of Love from Love apart
He sought the solemn lines.
He took the simple Cross and married gain to loss
In a most tender bond,
And bade its Shadow fall on earth and sky and all
Unto the years beyond.
370
To reach the perfect rest,
Though ere that peace was given and ere those arms were riven
It piercèd His own Breast.
| The Prisoner of Love | |