Poems of Purpose and Sketches in Prose of Scottish Peasant Life and Character in Auld Langsyne, Sketches of Local Scenes and Characters, With a Glossary. By Janet Hamilton |
 |
 | SACRED PIECES. |
|
 | Poems of Purpose and Sketches in Prose |  |
154
SACRED PIECES.
THE GARDEN OF GOD.
In a vineyard where grape-laden boughs
To the trellised wall heavily cling,
Where the voice of the turtle is heard,
And the song bird ne'er ceases to sing.
The dark purple clusters I pressed,
And drank of the soul-cheering wine,
To the voice of the turtle replied,
And the song on my lips was Divine.
To the trellised wall heavily cling,
Where the voice of the turtle is heard,
And the song bird ne'er ceases to sing.
The dark purple clusters I pressed,
And drank of the soul-cheering wine,
To the voice of the turtle replied,
And the song on my lips was Divine.
In a garden of spices I walked,
Inhaling the sacred perfume,
'Mongst beds of white lilies I strayed,
And roses perennial in bloom.
In the apple trees' shadow I sat,
How great was my love and delight,
How pleasant the fruit to my taste,
How mellow and golden to sight.
Inhaling the sacred perfume,
'Mongst beds of white lilies I strayed,
And roses perennial in bloom.
In the apple trees' shadow I sat,
How great was my love and delight,
How pleasant the fruit to my taste,
How mellow and golden to sight.
155
On a mount of green olives I stood,
Where oft my Beloved had been,
And poured out His spirit to God
By all but the angels unseen.
What holy communings and high
Were there between Father and Son,
As the words ever came from His lips—
My Father, thy will shall be done.
Where oft my Beloved had been,
And poured out His spirit to God
By all but the angels unseen.
What holy communings and high
Were there between Father and Son,
As the words ever came from His lips—
My Father, thy will shall be done.
Gethsemane, garden of woe,
'Twas low on thy blood-sprinkled sod
My Beloved in His agony lay,
And prayed to His Father, His God.
Of darkness the hour and the power
Had come, He was sold and betrayed;
They bound Him and led Him away
Through the green olives' deepening shade.
'Twas low on thy blood-sprinkled sod
My Beloved in His agony lay,
And prayed to His Father, His God.
Of darkness the hour and the power
Had come, He was sold and betrayed;
They bound Him and led Him away
Through the green olives' deepening shade.
Come now to Golgotha, oh come!
No vineyard, no garden in bloom,
'Tis only “the place of a skull”
Where criminals suffer their doom.
The fruits that have grown on the tree
That stood in that garden of death,
Have life and salvation bestowed
On perishing millions beneath.
No vineyard, no garden in bloom,
'Tis only “the place of a skull”
Where criminals suffer their doom.
The fruits that have grown on the tree
That stood in that garden of death,
Have life and salvation bestowed
On perishing millions beneath.
156
Would'st know of the vineyard of wine,
The garden of spice and perfume,
The mount where the green olives grow,
The garden of woe and of doom.
A Christian thou and not know
Thou oft must have travelled the road,
And looked at the place where they stand—
The Bible, the garden of God.
The garden of spice and perfume,
The mount where the green olives grow,
The garden of woe and of doom.
A Christian thou and not know
Thou oft must have travelled the road,
And looked at the place where they stand—
The Bible, the garden of God.
157
SHEW US THY GLORY.
“And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.”—
Exodus xxxiii. 18.
Exodus xxxiii. 18.
Shew us thy glory, Lord:
From Sinai's mount of flame,
With trumpet thunder-toned,
The fiery law proclaim.
Arraign the sinner's soul
For judgment and for doom,
Let conscience say, Amen,
Nor speech nor plea presume.
From Sinai's mount of flame,
With trumpet thunder-toned,
The fiery law proclaim.
Arraign the sinner's soul
For judgment and for doom,
Let conscience say, Amen,
Nor speech nor plea presume.
Shew us thy glory, Lord,
In Christ the Saviour's face.
By Moses came the law,
By Jesus truth and grace;
The law He hath fulfilled
For who on Him believe—
He bore the curse that we
The blessing might receive.
In Christ the Saviour's face.
By Moses came the law,
By Jesus truth and grace;
The law He hath fulfilled
For who on Him believe—
He bore the curse that we
The blessing might receive.
Shew us thy glory, Lord!
Oh send us from above
The Comforter Divine,
The Co-eternal Dove!
He only can apply,
He only can reveal
The Saviour's blood and name,
And every promise seal.
Oh send us from above
The Comforter Divine,
The Co-eternal Dove!
158
He only can reveal
The Saviour's blood and name,
And every promise seal.
Shew us thy glory, Lord,
That in our lives may shine,
Reflected from thy face,
The character Divine.
Renewed and reconciled,
We, Abba, Father, pray
For grace, till glory shine
In heaven's eternal day.
That in our lives may shine,
Reflected from thy face,
The character Divine.
Renewed and reconciled,
We, Abba, Father, pray
For grace, till glory shine
In heaven's eternal day.
Shew us thy glory, Lord!
With rays of love illume
The gloomy vale of death—
The passage to the tomb.
Unfold the gates of bliss:
We come, we come to Thee,
Thy love for ever sing,
Thy glory ever see.
With rays of love illume
The gloomy vale of death—
The passage to the tomb.
Unfold the gates of bliss:
We come, we come to Thee,
Thy love for ever sing,
Thy glory ever see.
159
THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.
Spirit Divine! Eternal! Holy Dove!These sacred fruits are thine,—peace, joy, and love,
Even peace with heaven, and peace on earth; a joy
Earth cannot give, nor, leagued with hell, destroy.
Love! 'tis the love thy presence sheds abroad
In hearts renew'd, the love supreme of God;
Long-suffering, when assailed by wrong or scorn;
Calm gentleness, though tried and spirit-worn;
True goodness, flowing from its source Divine;
And faith, that whispers, Saviour, Thou art mine!
Mild tranquil meekness, with her lowly grace;
And temperance, ruling measure, mood, and place,
In words, in deeds, in meats, in drinks, in all,
In every phase of life her warning call
Observ'd, obey'd; 'gainst such no law is found,
With heaven-born graces richly robed and crown'd.
Spirit of God! o'er the dark waters move,
That whelm our souls, where light, nor life, nor love,
Stir the dull chaos: come with life and power,
Creating light, and beauty, fruit, and flower!
160
THE SERVANT OF THE LORD.
Servant of God! thy soul's pure spring of lifeDisturb, defile not, with unholy strife;
Gentle to all, as it becomes thee well;
For what wert thou, ere dews of mercy fell
Upon thy lifeless soul? From gracious heaven
To thee were life, and power, and pardon given;
“Freely thou hast received,” oh “freely give.”
Be ever apt to teach; why should'st thou live
Alone aloof, when vice and ignorance stalk
Abroad with blushless cheek, crossing thy walk
With frequent horrors? Teach, and pray, and strive,
And work with heaven in saving souls alive;
Patient with men, and patient 'neath the rod,
For He who chastens is thy Father, God.
Meekly instruct; God will thy work approve,
And haters of the truth shall learn to love
And own her sway, while bright through contrite tears,
Hope, smiling, points to heaven's eternal years.
How high the honour! how supreme the joy!
How great the gain! How blessed to destroy
The snares of Satan, teach the slaves of sin
To break their chains, and life and freedom win;
Thy slaves no more, dread author of all ill!
No more thy captives, taken at thy will.
161
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS.
Yea, they who fear the Lord will often speakTo kindred souls their heavenward thoughts, and seek
That balm of heaven, a sympathy Divine
With hearts which golden cords of love entwine
In sweet communion. Yea, their tears and sighs,
Their prayers and praises, pierce the upper skies.
Jehovah, listening, hears. At His command
In heaven's bright records fair inscribed they stand,
Whose thoughts, with reverent love and filial fear,
Dwell on His name and feel Him ever near.
O blest assurance! hear the words Divine,—
“Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, they shall be mine;
For ever mine: fair jewels, to adorn
My sovereign crown when dawns the eternal morn!
As sons belov'd who serv'd me shall they share
My watchful love, my own peculiar care.”
Father in heaven, how far beyond, above
An earthly father's thy paternal love.
162
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
An eager, youthful voice I hearAsking for bread a father dear;
For he had strayed into the wild,
And wandered far, the thoughtless child,
Till hunger gnawing in his breast
Had sent him home with this request.
And will his father give instead
A stone to him that asks for bread?
If for a fish a venomed snake
Will he persuade his child to take?
Ah, no! the father will arise
With love and pity in his eyes,
And fill the suppliant hand outspread
With bounteous store of finest bread.
And will not God, our God, much more
Give from His love's unbounded store
All needful things—the Spirit's grace
Our souls to bless, instruct, solace.
Oh! let His children haste to prove
Their Heavenly Father's yearning love;
163
And ask in earnest, pleading prayer,
That to their needy souls be given
The bread of life, sent down from heaven;
That living bread His grace supplies,
And whoso eats of never dies.
Oh, Father, give thy children bread,
Our souls are waiting to be fed;
From Thee we would not longer roam,
Our Father Thou and “heaven our home.”
Thy love we crave, thy Word believe;
We ask, we hope we will receive.
164
VERSES
Inscribed to my dear little friend M. Fairlie, jun., aged four years,1863.
Listen, dearest, you must know,
One there was, long, long ago,
Came from heaven on earth to dwell,
Loving little children well.
One there was, long, long ago,
Came from heaven on earth to dwell,
Loving little children well.
Jesus was His blessed name.
Mothers with their babies came,
Praying Him that He would shed
Blessings on each little head.
Mothers with their babies came,
Praying Him that He would shed
Blessings on each little head.
There were men who did not care
For young children standing there;
When they bade the mothers go,
Blessed Jesus answered, no!
For young children standing there;
When they bade the mothers go,
Blessed Jesus answered, no!
Suffer them to come to me,
Forbid them not, whoe'er they be;
'Tis to little children given
To see their Father's face in heaven.
Forbid them not, whoe'er they be;
'Tis to little children given
To see their Father's face in heaven.
165
With a kind and loving look,
In His arms dear Jesus took
The little ones, and blessed them there;
May you, dear one, the blessing share.
In His arms dear Jesus took
The little ones, and blessed them there;
May you, dear one, the blessing share.
Would my dearest one be blessed,
Come to Jesus, come and rest;
You will be within His arms,
Safe from dangers, griefs, and harms.
Come to Jesus, come and rest;
You will be within His arms,
Safe from dangers, griefs, and harms.
166
LINES
Inscribed to my dear young friend W. Logan, jun., aged ten years, 1864.
My love to you, my youthful friend—
'Tis not to dear papa I send
These lines. For you I them intend,
Dear Willie.
'Tis not to dear papa I send
These lines. For you I them intend,
Dear Willie.
I hope you're getting well again,
Quite free from languor and from pain;
And thanks to God you'll not restrain,
My Willie.
Quite free from languor and from pain;
And thanks to God you'll not restrain,
My Willie.
You now are all your parents' joy—
A good, obedient, loving boy,
Who never will their peace destroy,
Good Willie.
A good, obedient, loving boy,
Who never will their peace destroy,
Good Willie.
With tender care and loving fear
They watch o'er you, my Willie, dear,
Lest danger, grief, or sin come near
Their Willie.
They watch o'er you, my Willie, dear,
Lest danger, grief, or sin come near
Their Willie.
167
They pray for you in hope and love,
That you in duty's path may move,
And shelter you like nestling dove,
Blest Willie.
That you in duty's path may move,
And shelter you like nestling dove,
Blest Willie.
They saw from their fond bosom spring
To heaven, a dove on snow-white wing:
Soft “words of comfort” you will bring,
Kind Willie.
To heaven, a dove on snow-white wing:
Soft “words of comfort” you will bring,
Kind Willie.
To youth the world seems very fair,
And they would fondly linger there,
Its pleasures and its joys to share,
Young Willie.
And they would fondly linger there,
Its pleasures and its joys to share,
Young Willie.
But you have been well taught to know
That time is short for all below,
And boys as well as men must go,
My Willie.
That time is short for all below,
And boys as well as men must go,
My Willie.
Then, come to Jesus, come to-day;
And, if in youth you're called away,
A home in heaven you'll have for aye,
Dear Willie.
And, if in youth you're called away,
A home in heaven you'll have for aye,
Dear Willie.
P.S.—Dear Willie, come to me when spring
Wakes up the little birds to sing,
When trees are green and flow'rets spring,
Come Willie.
Wakes up the little birds to sing,
When trees are green and flow'rets spring,
Come Willie.
| Poems of Purpose and Sketches in Prose | |