 | The Poetical Works of Frances Ridley Havergal |  |
391
Closing Chords.
393
What Thou Wilt.
Do what Thou wilt! Yes, only do
What seemeth good to Thee:
Thou art so loving, wise, and true,
It must be best for me.
What seemeth good to Thee:
Thou art so loving, wise, and true,
It must be best for me.
Send what Thou wilt; or beating shower,
Soft dew, or brilliant sun;
Alike in still or stormy hour,
My Lord, Thy will be done.
Soft dew, or brilliant sun;
Alike in still or stormy hour,
My Lord, Thy will be done.
Teach what Thou wilt; and make me learn
Each lesson full and sweet,
And deeper things of God discern
While sitting at Thy feet.
Each lesson full and sweet,
And deeper things of God discern
While sitting at Thy feet.
Say what Thou wilt; and let each word
My quick obedience win;
Let loyalty and love be stirred
To deeper glow within.
My quick obedience win;
Let loyalty and love be stirred
To deeper glow within.
Give what Thou wilt; for then I know
I shall be rich indeed;
My King rejoices to bestow
Supply for every need.
I shall be rich indeed;
My King rejoices to bestow
Supply for every need.
394
Take what Thou wilt, belovèd Lord,
For I have all in Thee!
My own exceeding great reward,
Thou, Thou Thyself shalt be!
For I have all in Thee!
My own exceeding great reward,
Thou, Thou Thyself shalt be!
Hope.
What though the blossom fall and die?
The flower is not the root;
The sun of love may ripen yet
The Master's pleasant fruit.
The flower is not the root;
The sun of love may ripen yet
The Master's pleasant fruit.
What though by many a sinful fall
Thy garments are defiled?
A Saviour's blood can cleanse them all;
Fear not! thou art His child.
Thy garments are defiled?
A Saviour's blood can cleanse them all;
Fear not! thou art His child.
Arise! and, leaning on His strength,
Thy weakness shall be strong;
And He will teach Thy heart at length
A new perpetual song.
Thy weakness shall be strong;
And He will teach Thy heart at length
A new perpetual song.
Arise! to follow in His track
Each holy footprint clear,
And on an upward course look back
With every brightening year.
Each holy footprint clear,
And on an upward course look back
With every brightening year.
Arise! and on thy future way
His blessing with thee be!
His presence by thy staff and stay,
Till Thou His glory see.
His blessing with thee be!
His presence by thy staff and stay,
Till Thou His glory see.
395
Fear Not.
Listen! for the Lord hath spoken!
‘Fear thou not,’ saith He;
‘When thou passest through the waters,
I will be with thee.
‘Fear thou not,’ saith He;
‘When thou passest through the waters,
I will be with thee.
‘Fear not! for I have redeemed thee;
All My sheep I know!
When thou passest through the rivers,
They shall not o'erflow.
All My sheep I know!
When thou passest through the rivers,
They shall not o'erflow.
‘Fear not! by thy name I called thee,—
Mine thy heart hath learned;
When thou walkest through the fire,
Thou shalt not be burned.
Mine thy heart hath learned;
When thou walkest through the fire,
Thou shalt not be burned.
Thou art Mine! oh, therefore fear not!
Mine for ever now!
And the flame shall never kindle
On thy sealèd brow.
Mine for ever now!
And the flame shall never kindle
On thy sealèd brow.
‘Thou art precious, therefore fear not,
Precious unto Me!
I have made thee for My glory,
I have lovèd thee.’
Precious unto Me!
I have made thee for My glory,
I have lovèd thee.’
396
The Scripture Cannot be Broken.
Upon the Word I rest,
Each pilgrim day;
This golden staff is best
For all the way.
What Jesus Christ hath spoken,
Cannot be broken!
Each pilgrim day;
This golden staff is best
For all the way.
What Jesus Christ hath spoken,
Cannot be broken!
Upon the Word I rest,
So strong, so sure,
So full of comfort blest,
So sweet, so pure!
The charter of salvation,
Faith's broad foundation.
So strong, so sure,
So full of comfort blest,
So sweet, so pure!
The charter of salvation,
Faith's broad foundation.
Upon the Word I stand!
That cannot die!
Christ seals it in my hand,
He cannot lie!
The word that faileth never!
Abiding ever!
Chorus.
That cannot die!
Christ seals it in my hand,
He cannot lie!
The word that faileth never!
Abiding ever!
The Master hath said it! Rejoicing in this,
We ask not for sign or for token;
His word is enough for our confident bliss,—
‘The Scripture cannot be broken!’
397
‘He Suffered.’
‘He suffered!’ Was it, Lord, indeed for me,The Just One for the unjust, Thou didst bear
The weight of sorrow that I hardly dare
To look upon, in dark Gethsemane?
‘He suffered!’ Thou, my near and gracious Friend,
And yet my Lord, my God! Thou didst not shrink
For me that full and fearful cup to drink,
Because Thou lovedst even to the end!
‘He suffered!’ Saviour, was Thy love so vast
That mysteries of unknown agony,
Even unto death, its only gauge could be,
Unmeasured as the fiery depths it passed?
Lord, by the sorrows of Gethsemane,
Seal Thou my quivering love for ever unto Thee!
Behold Your King.
‘Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow.’—
Lam. i. 12.
Lam. i. 12.
Behold your King! Though the moonlight steals
Through the silvery sprays of the olive tree,
No star-gemmed sceptre or crown it reveals,
In the solemn shade of Gtehsemane.
Only a form of prostrate grief,
Fallen, crushed, like a broken leaf!
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
The depth of love in the depth of woe.
Through the silvery sprays of the olive tree,
No star-gemmed sceptre or crown it reveals,
In the solemn shade of Gtehsemane.
Only a form of prostrate grief,
Fallen, crushed, like a broken leaf!
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
The depth of love in the depth of woe.
398
Behold your King! Is it nothing to you,
That the crimson tokens of agony
From the kingly brow must fall like dew,
Through the shuddering shades of Gethsemane?
Jesus Himself, the Prince of Life,
Bows in mysterious mortal strife;
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
The unknown love in the unknown woe.
That the crimson tokens of agony
From the kingly brow must fall like dew,
Through the shuddering shades of Gethsemane?
Jesus Himself, the Prince of Life,
Bows in mysterious mortal strife;
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
The unknown love in the unknown woe.
Behold your King, with His sorrow crowned,
Alone, alone in the valley is He!
The shadows of death are gathering round,
And the Cross must follow Gethsemane.
Darker and darker the gloom must fall,
Filled is the Cup, He must drink it all!
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
His wondrous love in His wondrous woe.
Alone, alone in the valley is He!
The shadows of death are gathering round,
And the Cross must follow Gethsemane.
Darker and darker the gloom must fall,
Filled is the Cup, He must drink it all!
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
His wondrous love in His wondrous woe.
399
An Easter Prayer.
Oh let me know
The power of Thy resurrection;
Oh let me show
Thy risen life in calm and clear reflection;
Oh let me soar
Where Thou, my Saviour Christ, art gone before;
In mind and heart
Let me dwell always, only, where Thou art.
The power of Thy resurrection;
Oh let me show
Thy risen life in calm and clear reflection;
Oh let me soar
Where Thou, my Saviour Christ, art gone before;
In mind and heart
Let me dwell always, only, where Thou art.
Oh let me give
Out of the gifts Thou freely givest;
Oh let me live
With life abundantly because Thou livest;
Oh make me shine
In darkest places, for Thy light is mine;
Oh let me be
A faithful witness for Thy truth and Thee.
Out of the gifts Thou freely givest;
Oh let me live
With life abundantly because Thou livest;
Oh make me shine
In darkest places, for Thy light is mine;
Oh let me be
A faithful witness for Thy truth and Thee.
Oh let me show
The strong reality of gospel story;
Oh let me go
From strength to strength, from glory unto glory;
Oh let me sing
For very joy, because Thou art my King;
Oh let me praise
Thy love and faithfulness through all my days.
The strong reality of gospel story;
Oh let me go
From strength to strength, from glory unto glory;
Oh let me sing
For very joy, because Thou art my King;
Oh let me praise
Thy love and faithfulness through all my days.
400
Easter Dawn.
It is too calm to be a dream,
Too gravely sweet, too full of power,
Prayer changed to praise this very hour!
Yes, heard and answered! though it seem
Beyond the hope of yesterday,
Beyond the faith that dared to pray,
Yet not beyond the love that heard,
And not beyond the faithful word
On which each trembling prayer may rest,
And win the answer truly best.
Too gravely sweet, too full of power,
Prayer changed to praise this very hour!
Yes, heard and answered! though it seem
Beyond the hope of yesterday,
Beyond the faith that dared to pray,
Yet not beyond the love that heard,
And not beyond the faithful word
On which each trembling prayer may rest,
And win the answer truly best.
Yes, heard and answered! sought and found!
I breathe a golden atmosphere
Of solemn joy, and seem to hear
Within, above, and all around,
The chime of deep cathedral bells,
An early herald peal that tells
A glorious Easter tide begun;
While yet are sparkling in the sun
Large raindrops of the night storm passed,
And days of Lent are gone at last.
I breathe a golden atmosphere
Of solemn joy, and seem to hear
Within, above, and all around,
The chime of deep cathedral bells,
An early herald peal that tells
A glorious Easter tide begun;
While yet are sparkling in the sun
Large raindrops of the night storm passed,
And days of Lent are gone at last.
Unfinished Fragments.
The Master will guide the weary feet,Choosing for each, and choosing aright
The noontide rest in the summer heat:
For some the glory of Alpine height,
401
And the changeful charm of wave and sea;
For some the hush and the soothing spells
Of harvest fields and woodland dells;
For some it may be the quiet gloom
Of the suffering couch in shaded room.
Master, our Master, oh let it be
That our leisure and rest be still with Thee,
With Thee and for Thee each sunny hour [OMITTED]
[‘Arise, depart! for this is not your rest!’]
‘Arise, depart! for this is not your rest!’
The Voice fell strangely on the sleeping fold,
As fell the starlight's quivering gold
Upon the dusky lake's untroubled breast,
And yet the Shepherd's hand had led them there,
And made them to lie down amid the pastures fair.
The Voice fell strangely on the sleeping fold,
As fell the starlight's quivering gold
Upon the dusky lake's untroubled breast,
And yet the Shepherd's hand had led them there,
And made them to lie down amid the pastures fair.
‘Arise ye, and depart!’ The morning rays
Lit up the emerald slope and crystal pool,
Sweet sustenance for many days,
And quiet resting places, calm and cool.
They knew not why, nor whither, yet they went!
His own hand put them forth, and so they were content.
Lit up the emerald slope and crystal pool,
Sweet sustenance for many days,
And quiet resting places, calm and cool.
They knew not why, nor whither, yet they went!
His own hand put them forth, and so they were content.
And so they followed Him, they could not stay
When He had risen, the Shepherd good and fair [OMITTED]
When He had risen, the Shepherd good and fair [OMITTED]
402
Most Blessed for Ever.
Ps. xxi. 6.
The prayer of many a day is all fulfilled,
Only by full fruition stayed and stilled;
You asked for blessing as your Father willed,
Now He hath answered: ‘Most blessed for ever!’
Only by full fruition stayed and stilled;
You asked for blessing as your Father willed,
Now He hath answered: ‘Most blessed for ever!’
Lost is the daily light of mutual smile,
You therefore sorrow now a little while;
But floating down life's dimmed and lonely aisle
Comes the clear music: ‘Most blessed for ever!’
You therefore sorrow now a little while;
But floating down life's dimmed and lonely aisle
Comes the clear music: ‘Most blessed for ever!’
From the great anthems of the Crystal Sea,
Through the far vistas of Eternity,
Grand echoes of the word peal on for thee,
Sweetest and fullest: ‘Most blessed for ever!’
Through the far vistas of Eternity,
Grand echoes of the word peal on for thee,
Sweetest and fullest: ‘Most blessed for ever!’
‘And they sung as it were a new song before the
throne.’—
| The Poetical Works of Frances Ridley Havergal | |