March 3
ORDEAL OF FIRE
“It shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's
work of what sort it is.”—1 Cor. iii. 13.
“He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”—
Mal. iii. 3.
God willeth us to pass through fire
And keepeth those who do,
Because He dwells there too;
And purges in the flames desire,
For souls His mercies woo;
We win His love in lonely places
Though far from old and friendly faces,
Because He dwells there too.
God launcheth us out in the deep
To swim His Jordan swell,
Because He there doth dwell;
But He who loves us never sleeps,
And with Him all is well:
He bids us stand in lonely places
Though fruit with thorn He interlaces,
Because He there doth dwell.
God bids us offer with our blood
Service nought else can teach,
Because He dwells with each;
And life, save taken at the flood,
Hath not a royal reach;
He sets the Cross in lonely places
And sorrows with the suffering races,
Because He dwells in each.
