Poems with Power to Strengthen the Soul Part 42

Lord, in the strength of grace, With a glad heart and free, Myself, my residue of days, I consecrate to Thee.

Thy ransomed servant, I Restore to thee thine own; And from this moment live or die To serve my G.o.d alone.

--Charles Wesley.

In full and glad surrender we give ourselves to thee, Thine utterly and only and evermore to be!

O Son of G.o.d, who lovest us, we will be thine alone, And all we are and all we have shall henceforth be thine own.

--Frances Ridley Havergal.

G.o.d IS EVERYWHERE

A little bird I am, Shut from the fields of air; And in my cage I sit and sing To him who placed me there; Well pleased a prisoner to be, Because, my G.o.d, it pleaseth thee.

Naught have I else to do; I sing the whole day long; And He whom most I love to please Doth listen to my song; He caught and bound my wandering wing, But still he bends to hear me sing.

My cage confines me round, Abroad I cannot fly; But though my wings are closely bound My heart's at liberty.

My prison walls cannot control The flight, the freedom of my soul.

Oh, it is grand to soar These bolts and bars above To Him whose purpose I adore, Whose providence I love!

And in thy mighty will to find The joy, the freedom of the mind.

--Madame Guyon.

A CONSECRATED LIFE

Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to thee.

Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move At the impulse of thy love.

Take my feet and let them be Swift and "beautiful" for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect, and use Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine; It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart; it _is_ thine own; It shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour At thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be Ever, _only_, ALL for Thee.

--Frances Ridley Havergal.

UNION WITH G.o.d

Strong are the walls around me, That hold me all the day; But they who thus have bound me Cannot keep G.o.d away: My very dungeon walls are dear, Because the G.o.d I love is here.

They know, who thus oppress me, 'Tis hard to be alone; But know not One can bless me Who comes through bars and stone.

He makes my dungeon's darkness bright And fills my bosom with delight.

Thy love, O G.o.d! restores me From sighs and tears to praise; And deep my soul adores thee Nor thinks of time or place: I ask no more, in good or ill, But union with thy holy will.

'Tis that which makes my treasure, 'Tis that which brings my gain; Converting woe to pleasure.

And reaping joy from pain.

Oh, 'tis enough, whate'er befall, To know that G.o.d is All in All.

--Madame Guyon.

DEDICATED

O Lord, thy heavenly grace impart, And fix my frail, inconstant heart; Henceforth my chief desire shall be To dedicate myself to thee.

Whate'er pursuits my time employ, One thought shall fill my soul with joy: That silent, secret thought shall be That all my hopes are fixed on thee.

Thy glorious eye pervadeth s.p.a.ce; Thy presence, Lord, fills every place; And wheresoe'er my lot may be Still shall my spirit cleave to thee.

Renouncing every worldly thing, And safe beneath thy spreading wing, My sweetest thought henceforth shall be That all I want I find in thee.

--Jean F. Oberlin.

LEAVING ALL

Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow thee; Naked, poor, despised, forsaken, Thou, from hence, my all shalt be: Perish every fond ambition, All I've sought, and hoped, and known; Yet how rich is my condition, G.o.d and heaven are still my own!

Let the world despise and leave me, They have left my Saviour too; Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue; And while thou shalt smile upon me, G.o.d of wisdom, love, and might, Foes may hate, and friends may shun me; Show thy face, and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure!

Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!

In Thy service, pain is pleasure; With thy favor, loss is gain.

I have called thee, "Abba, Father"; I have stayed my heart on thee: Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, All must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, 'Twill but drive me to Thy breast; Life with trials hard may press me, Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.

O 'tis not in grief to harm me, While thy love is left to me; O 'twere not in joy to charm me, Were that joy unmixed with thee.

Know, my soul, thy full salvation; Rise o'er sin, and fear, and care; Joy to find in every station Something still to do or bear.

Think what Spirit dwells within thee; What a Father's smile is thine; What a Saviour died to win thee: Child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Haste thee on from grace to glory, Armed by faith, and winged by prayer; Heaven's eternal day's before thee, G.o.d's own hand shall guide thee there.

Soon shall close thy earthly mission, Swift shall pa.s.s thy pilgrim days, Hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.