Waiting
I wait for Him when in the early morn
I rise to meet the duties of the day;
I think of Him, and in my heart I say—
“How long, O Lord, ere I the shout shall hear
Which tells me He for whom I wait is near
And I from earth be borne?”
I wait for Him, the noontide hours are o'er,
And still I listen for His blessed voice
Whose tender tones will make my heart rejoice,
When He shall speak the word that calls me hence
To be with Him; and things of time and sense
Shall cease for evermore.
I wait for Him, fast cometh on the night,
And ere another morn these eyes of mine
May look upon His loveliness divine,
I, who have never yet beheld a face,
May gaze unhindered on the King of Grace
In that unsullied light.
I wait for Him, and when the path is rough,
And of the darkness I have weary grown,
I find sweet rest in Him, and Him alone,
Whose loving hand each bitter tear doth dry,
And every need of mind to satisfy,
In Him I find enough.
I wait for Him, and should I fall asleep
Ere He doth come, all will be well, I know,
For I can trust my Lord who loves me so;
Sleeping or waking, I to Him am dear,
And till the moment when He doth appear,
He will His loved one keep.
I wait for Him, and, oh, it is so sweet
To wait, not for the streets of glittering gold,
But Christ in all His glory to behold;
I know His love, I trust His blessed word,
I long to be with Thee; come quickly, Lord,
And make my joy complete.
Learning
Teach me, my Lord, how little do I know
Of all Thou hast for me and all Thou art;
Yet in Thy knowledge I would gladly grow,
And learn the deeper depths of Thine own heart;
A full salvation Thou hast purchased me,
And for that gift I love Thee and adore,
Yet there is more that I would learn of Thee,
O teach me more
Longings, immeasurable and intense,
Rise like a flood and bear me up to Thee:
Thy love and wisdom, Lord, are so immense,
That Thou canst understand; wilt succor me:
Thoughts that are far too deep for human speech,
Desires that only unto Thee are known;
These, and my every need Thy power can reach,
Thy power alone!
My soul is all aquiver, all aglow,
While sitting, blessed Master, at Thy feet;
For Thou dost long to teach and I to know;
'Tis thus in wondrous intercourse we meet;
O bliss unspeakable! O joy divine
O light in which unhindered I may bask!
Yes! Thou canst give me from that store of Thine
More than I ask.
While occupied with Thee, what need I fear
From all the changing, shifting scenes around,
The world's confusion falls upon mine ear,
But all is peace for me while with Thee found;
Thy beauty, blessed Lord, hath won my heart,
Thy love hath wooed me to Thy tender breast;
Here would I stay, and never more depart,
For this is rest.
Soon, soon shall I behold Thee face to face,
When from this house of clay my soul is free;
Then shall I sing the wonders of Thy grace,
And magnify Thy mighty love to me;
Then shall I fully know as I am known,
Then all my longings shall be satisfied;
And in Thy blessed presence, peerless One,
I shall abide.
I Shall See
Oh! the day has been a long one,
And a little trying too:
Hand and brain alike are weary,
They have had so much to do;
But the night brings rest and silence,
Not a sound falls on my ear,
Save the gentle, even ticking
Of the old clock standing near.
I have fetched my precious Bible
From its place upon the shelf,
Feeling glad that with my finger
I can read it for myself;
And I turn its sacred pages
With a tender, reverent touch,
I am searching for a promise
I have learned to love so much;
'Tis a sweet and blessed promise,
And 'tis doubly sweet to me:
For it says the time is coming
When these eyes of mine shall see.
It was written by the prophet
In the ages long ago;
It was God who bade him write it,
Every word is true I know.
These my eyes shall look on Jesus,
That is what the promise tells;
I shall see Him in His beauty,
In the fair land where He dwells.
I who never in my lifetime
Gazed on any lovely thing,
With a clear and perfect vision
Shall behold my Lord and King.
Christ, the altogether lovely;
Christ, our Shepherd good and true;
Christ, my ever blessed Savior,
And my mighty keeper, too.
He will only need to whisper
What He wants to say to me;
I shall be so very near Him
When these eyes of mine shall see.
Oh, the joy this promise brings me
What unutterable bliss I
I shall then be safely folded
In those loving arms of His.
Never more shall I be weary,
When I rest in His embrace,
All the darkness will be banished
By the light of His dear face;
For His eyes will beam upon me,
Bright with love-light all divine;
What a large full cup of blessing
In that moment will be mine;
I shall see Him crowned as Monarch,
I shall see Him on His throne;
I shall yield Him all the homage
That is due to Him alone;
What a blessed revelation,
What a wonder it will be,
When the glory bursts upon me,
And these eyes of mine shall see.
I shall keep so close to Jesus,
There will be so much to tell,
I shall talk about the dear ones
I have learned to love so well.
I will tell Him how they cheered me,
How they helped me in my need,
I will lovingly remember
Every kindly little deed.
Many will be there to greet me,
I shall see their faces bright;
We shall all rejoice together
In the glory of that light.
And the dear Lord will reward them
For the kind things they have done,
For their tender ministrations
To His much tried suffering one.
I shall praise Him for their friendship,
Which was always sweet to me;
I shall see 'twas all His mercy
When these eyes of mine shall see.
'Tis a little weary waiting,
For I long to reach my home;
But I must not be impatient,
For it may be He will come
Very soon. Perhaps at midnight,
Or at dawn of morning fair,
Bidding all His blood-bought children
Rise to meet Him in the air.
Oh! it would indeed be glory
All at once to flit away,
From the darkness and the shadows
Into realms of endless day.
Yet it may be He will guide me
Through death's valley's awful shade!
But I know He will not leave me,
So I shall not be afraid.
I can trust my precious Savior,
For whichever it may be,
He will surely keep His promise,
And I know that I shall see.
His Loving Hand
His hand hath sealed mine eyes: I may not see
The light that makes this world look bright and fair;
Its radiant beaming cannot gladden me,
Though shining all around me everywhere.
His hand hath sealed mine eyes: yet day by day,
Although His way I do not understand,
He gives His grace, and from my heart I say,
“It is His loving hand.”
His hand hath sealed mine eyes these many years,
And I have longed the light of earth to see,
And in past days have shed such bitter tears,
Knowing this boon could not be granted me.
But now I wait to see a better light,
That shineth ever in the glory-land,
And I confess while hope within is bright
That 'tis His loving hand.
His hand hath sealed mine eyes: 'tis better so,
The darkness will but last a little space;
Then that same hand will open them I know
And I shall gaze upon His blessed face;
Oh, then! what joy, what rapture will be mine,
When in the presence of my Lord I stand
And magnify Him for His grace divine,
And bless His loving hand.
His hand hath sealed mine eyes: but ah! how sweet
To know that He is with me all the way,
And that His hand will safely guide my feet
Until I reach the land of endless day.
Lord Jesus, in Thy tender love I rest,
Whose wisdom all my life for me hath planned;
I know Thy way is right, Thy will is best,
And Thine a loving hand.
A Little While
Only a little while, when I am weary,
How often I repeat it o'er and o'er;
Only a little while of patient waiting,
And I shall be with Christ for evermore.
Only a little while to bear the darkness,
And I shall be where eyes are never dim;
A little while to tread the dreary desert,
And then heaven's golden streets to walk with Him.
Only a little while my Lord to follow,
And, for His sake, the world's reproach to bear;
For Him, like Him, to be despised, rejected,
And then His everlasting glory share.
Only a little more of pain and sorrow,
A few more trials in this world below,
And then to be with Christ, which is far better,
And all the fullness of His joy to know.
Only a little longer here to serve Him,
As I may never serve Him when above;
A little while to yield Him heart devotion,
And then to revel in His changeless love.
Lord, I would go where Thy blest hand may lead me,
Helped by Thy grace, cheered by Thy loving smile,
Oh teach me how my life may best express Thee,
And glorify Thee in this little while.
Far Better
“To be with Christ," how blessed is the thought
That I, who tread this dreary desert way,
In virtue of the work His love hath wrought,
Shall be with Him through an eternal day:
That I should be to Him so deeply dear,
And that His heart of love should yearn for me,
That He should fit me for that heavenly sphere,
And make me suited to His company:
O Lord! what untold rapture will it be.
That sweet "far better" to enjoy with Thee.
"To be with Christ," and to be like Him then,
How I adore my Lord who wills it so;
I cannot grasp it, 'tis beyond my ken,
Yet 'tis the purpose of His heart I know:
Illimitable ocean of delight!
Unfathomable breadth and depth of bliss,
Where hope will vanish, faith be lost in sight,
The poor, vain world hath naught to give like this:
It is amazing, Lord! Thy love divine,
That makes the sweet "far better" wholly mine.
"To be with Christ," how softly should I walk,
And in that lowly attitude be found;
Not joining in unprofitable talk,
Not lingering on the world's polluted ground,
Not seeking in earth's joys to take a part,
Time flies apace, ah, how can I afford
E'en for a moment to engage my heart
With things that do not suit my absent Lord?
The sweet "far better," oh, I shall be blest
To spend it with the Friend my soul loves best.
"To be with Christ," I would with patience wait
Until His love and wisdom set me free,
It will not be too soon, nor yet too late,
His time will surely be the best for me;
Awhile to tread the desert path alone,
Guarding His interests just this tiny space,
Content to be unnoticed and unknown,
And then forever to behold His face;
O Lord, how bright the prospect is for me,
The sweet "far better" and the home with Thee.
Thy Way
Lord, I would know Thy way, my soul doth tire
Of ways that I in bygone years have known,
And with an irresistible desire
I long to know Thy way, Thy way alone:
The world allured me by its subtle power,
I chose a way that was not good for me;
Alas, O Lord! it was an evil hour
In which I turned my steps away from Thee:
But Thou didst seek me when I went astray,
When from behind me Thy sweet voice I heard,
My footsteps were arrested by the word,
“Turn ye, this is the way.”
Lord, I would know Thy way, with purpose set
I seek to follow Thee, my Guide, my Friend,
'Tis little distance I have gone as yet,
But Thou canst keep me faithful to the end:
I shall not fear the dangers of the road
If through the desert Thou wilt with me walk;
And of the beauty of that fair abode
To which I journey, Thou wilt sweetly talk:
All will be good to hear what Thou wilt say,
And time that would be long will swiftly glide,
With such a blest Companion at my side,
And I shall learn Thy way.
Lord, I would know Thy way, though I must be
Into the furnace for a season cast,
The fiery trial will be hard for me,
But Thou wilt strengthen me till all is past:
As the refiner Thou wilt sit near by
The heat to temper, not to hurt my soul;
All will be well beneath Thy watchful eye,
For Thou of all wilt take entire control;
I would not have it otherwise, but pray
That I like gold may be of dross bereft,
So that Thy heart can treasure what is left;
Thine is a perfect way.
Lord, I would know Thy way, e'en though I drink
Of Marah's bitter waters for a while,
My heart may fail me, coward flesh will shrink,
But Thou wilt woo me onward with Thy smile;
Thy loving hand will smooth the path I tread,
The desert into rosy blossom burst,
And Thou wilt show me Elim just ahead,
And Eshcol's clusters bring to slake my thirst:
I lean on Thee, Thou art my strength and stay,
My soul adores Thee for Thy faithful love,
Which daily, hourly, Thou dost make me prove,
While teaching me Thy way.
Lord, I would know Thy way, though I may find
I cannot sometimes do my daily task,
Yet Thou art so compassionate and kind,
Thou wilt afford me all the help I ask;
And when at length the knowledge I shall gain,
That shall for Thy blest presence make me meet,
I shall forget the sorrow and the pain,
Because my joy in Thee will be complete;
And when at last I see Thee in display,
My Lord divine in heaven's unsullied light,
I shall confess with rapture infinite,
How perfect is Thy way.
The Secret
A secret there will be so passing sweet
'Twixt Thee and me,
When in the glory (blessed Lord) we meet:
And it will be
Such joy to hear from gracious lips divine
The thrilling story
Of the sweet secret that is Thine and mine,
Told in the glory.
Then I shall hear Thee whisper my new name,
And with delight
Take that which none from me can ever claim,
The stone of white:
I shall receive it from Thy bounteous hand,
Dazzling in splendor;
And then appreciate and understand
Thy love so tender.
O blessed, precious Lord! Thou art so good!
And my poor heart
Is filled to-day with joy and gratitude
For what Thou art:
Attracted by Thy loveliness I bow,
With soul all ravished,
And marvel at the mighty love that Thou
On me hast lavished.
How faithful I have ever found Thee, Lord,
Through all my days;
How perfect is Thy work, how true Thy word,
How grand Thy ways;
How good it is Thy blessed heart to trust I'm daily proving;
I love Thee, precious Lord, because I must,
Thou art so loving.
How longs my soul to leave this house of clay
And come to Thee;
Yet while it is Thy will that I should stay,
'Tis best for me:
And when it pleases Thee, my Lord, to close
My life's brief story;
Then shall my raptured soul find sweet repose
With Thee in glory.
"Thou Remainest.”
When my feet are growing weary,
And the path seems steep and rough,
Comes the precious thought to cheer me
Christ can give me strength enough:
Thou remainest, Lord, the same,
And though weakness may assail me,
Thou art God; Thou canst not fail me;
Glory to Thy name.
When the tempter comes to test me,
And the fight is fierce and long,
Come, this precious thought to rest me,
Christ will shield my soul from wrong;
Thou remainest, Lord, the same,
Thou hast power to quell temptation,
So I sing in adoration,
Glory to Thy name.
When the links of life are breaking,
And I drink of sorrow's cup,
Thou for me art undertaking,
This assurance bears me up;
Thou remainest, Lord, the same,
Scenes may change, and friends may falter,
But Thy love can never alter,
Glory to Thy name.
When desire is strong within me,
And my soul doth thirst for Thee,
Thy soft accents woo and win me,
To Thy blessed company;
Thou remainest, Lord, the same,
With Thy banner bright above me,
Storm or calm, Thou still dost love me,
Glory to Thy name.
Soon I know that Thou wilt call me
Evermore with Thee to dwell,
Till that hour, whate'er befall me,
I am safe, and all is well;
Thou remainest, Lord, the same,
I shall sing it in the glory,
What a prospect lies before me,
Glory to Thy name.
The Children's Song
I was waiting, I remember,
All impatient to be gone,
For I saw the light was waning,
And the night was coming on;
And while wearily I questioned,
Would the waiting time be long?
I was gladdened by the music
Of a sweet and happy song.
It was all so unexpected,
Such a welcome sound to me,
But I could not see the singers,
Though I strained my eyes to see;
And they said it was the children,
Passing on their homeward way,
That they always heard them singing
At the closing of the day.
They were in the lane, they told me,
'Twas a darksome lane, and long,
So they made the way seem shorter,
With their sweet and joyous song;
And the people always listened
For the singing in the lane,
For it cheered their hearts and helped them,
When they heard the pleasant strain.
Ah, I thought, if we as pilgrims
Were to sing a happy song,
As we journey through the desert,
It would help us all along;
Yes, our footsteps would be lighter,
And our hearts be lighter, too,
If we sang as did the children,
When they passed the long lane through.
Let us sing how good the Lord is,
And unite His name to praise,
Let us tell of all His glory,
Let us chant His mercy's ways
And perhaps when others hear us
They will join our pilgrim throng;
Thus our Father will be honored,
By His children's happy song.
Where is the way? this world is but a maze,
Where millions wander without help or light;
I am aweary of the world's false ways,
Show me the way, for I would walk aright.
Be still, my soul, a sweet voice speaks to thee,
“I am the way, look up, and follow Me.”
Where is the truth? I cannot find it here,
All is confusion in this world below;
Oh, tell me who will make it plain and clear,
Show me the truth, for I the truth would know;
Be still, my soul, a sweet voice speaks to thee,
“I am the truth, look up, confide in Me.”
Say, where is life? it is not here, I know,
Oh, who hath power the priceless boon to give?
All here is sorrow, sin, and death, and woe;
Say, where is life? for surely I would live;
Be still, my soul, a sweet voice speaks to thee,
“I am the life, look up, find life in Me.”
All that I sought, Lord, I have found in Thee;
Thou art the way, the truth, the life Thou art;
All that I asked for Thou hast given me,
Well may I trust Thee, trust Thy constant heart;
Low at Thy feet adoring do I fall,
Own Thee, my Lord, my best-beloved, my all.
The Close of the Day
The day is ended and I come to Thee,
So thankful that the hours of toil are past,
I have been longing that I might be free,
And now rejoice that I am free at last.
I said "Good-night" to those my heart holds dear;
On them and all things else I shut the door;
Now, all expectant I am waiting here,
To meet Thee as I oft have done before.
I ask for naught, it is Thyself I seek,
Thy company, my Lord, is all I need;
To sit at Thy blest feet, to hear Thee speak,
Is bliss unspeakable, is rest indeed.
No friend however dear may come between
My soul and Thee, this is our trysting spot;
I dwell a season in a blessed scene,
Where earth-stains cannot come, where pain is not.
I would be so accustomed to Thy speech,
So learn Thy voice, that every change of tone
May tell me something that Thy love would teach,
Some sweet thing I as yet have never known.
And I shall listen to Thee with delight,
And all Thy revelations ponder o'er,
Because I love Thee better, Lord, to-night,
Than I have ever loved in days of yore.
The purpose of the Father's sovereign grace,
It is Thy will that I should understand;
I read His goodness in Thy blessed face;
How marvelous! how altogether grand!
My soul is overwhelmed, and would respond
To all Thy love and give Thee joy of heart;
I bow before Thee, and I bless the bond
That binds us, so that we shall never part.
I know my love is cold compared with Thine,
Yet surely Thou art precious, Lord, to me,
My soul is glad to know that Thou art mine,
That we are one, through all Eternity.
I said I wanted nothing, Lord, to-night,
Yet this one thing I would Thou should'st bestow
So fill me with Thy Love, and with Thy light,
That all I come in contact with may know.
O, let me live to Thee, so very near,
So magnify Thy blessed self in me;
So that Thy beauty in my life appear,
That souls may be attracted, Lord, to Thee.
Then shall these meetings be divinely blest,
For through them Thou, Thyself, shalt be made
known; I shall have gained a season of sweet rest,
And all the glory, Lord, will be Thine own.
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