E.H. Hamilton, a Presbyterian missionary to China, wrote the poem below to reflect upon and commemorate the martyrdom of his fellow missionary J.W. Vinson (1880-1931). In October 1931, as Vinson visited some believers 18 miles from his mission station, the area was overwhelmed by a group of 600 bandits. Vinson was taken hostage along with […]
I think oft times as the night draws nigh Of an old house on the hill, Of a yard all wide and blossom-starred Where the children played at will. And when the night at last came down, Hushing the merry din, Mother would look around and ask, “Are all the children in?” […]
Albert Midlane (1825-1909) wrote hundreds of hymns. Among his better known compositions are “Revive Thy work O Lord”, “There’s a Friend for Little Children”, “Passing Onward, Quickly Passing” and “When the Saviour said ‘Tis Finished”. Two of his hymns, below, are particularly rich in their soteriological content. Hymns like these are simply not being written […]
I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day; I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t have time to pray. Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task. “Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered. He answered, “You didn’t ask.” I wanted to see joy and beauty, but […]
Samuel Whitelock Gandy (1780-1851) I hear the accuser roar, of ills that I have done; I know them well, and thousands more; Jehovah findeth none. Sin, Satan, death, press near, to harass and to appall; Let but my risen Lord appear, backward they go and fall. Before, behind, around, they set their fierce array, To […]
Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), missionary to India, penned these challenging lines, borne out of her own experience of sacrifice and suffering: From prayer that asks that I may be Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee, From fearing when I should aspire, From faltering when I should climb higher; From silken self, O Captain, free Thy […]
Evangelist James George Deck (1807–1884) is best known for his numerous deeply spiritual hymns. “Lamb of God our Souls Adore Thee”, “O Lord When We the Path Retrace” and “The Veil is Rent Lo Jesus Stands” are representative of many other worthy compositions. He also wrote a poem describing his own conversion to Christ, which […]
The Courts of Common Sense, by Scottish poet Isaac Y. Ewan, is a critique, in verse, of the ancient Greek poet Homer (circa 7th Century BC). Homer’s influence on Western civilisation has been incalculable. He inspired many of its most famous works of literature, music, and visual art. The Homeric epics, the Iliad and the […]
The Prophet, by Scottish poet Isaac Y. Ewan, retells in vivid and poignant tones the story of the courage of a lonely faithful prophet (Micaiah) and the death of a scheming corrupt monarch (Ahab). It would pay you to become familiar with the story in 1 Kings Chapter 22 to really appreciate the way in […]
I cannot but God can, Oh balm for all my care! The burden that I drop, His hand will lift and bear. Though eagle pinions tire, I walk where I once ran, This is my strength to know, I cannot, but He can. I see not but God sees; Oh all sufficient light! My dark […]
Be master of thyself, and hold The earth-born team in hand, Possessed and ordered and controlled, Subdued at thy command. Swiftly your heritage they’ll wreck If once their heads get free. Hold then the lawless brood in check Lest they hold you in fee. Their restless impulses restrain, Safe harnessed to thy will. Apply with […]
He will come; surely come; quickly come; And His praise will rise from lips no longer dumb. For the weeping in the night Oft has dimmed the vision bright, But He’ll come; yes, He’ll come; quickly come. We’ll be glad; O so glad; ever glad. Ne’er again the hearts that love Him shall be sad. Every […]
The Potter’s Wheel, by Scottish poet Isaac Y. Ewan, paints a gripping picture of a murderer on death row contemplating being hanged “at the stroke of eight” the following morning. Sobered by the thought of eternity beyond death, the condemned man recalls his godly upbringing and, in particular, the Scripture verse that hung on his […]
In The Caravanserai, a collection of poems by the early 20th Century Scottish poet Isaac Y. Ewan, there is an impressive and unique composition entitled “The Sexton”. A sexton is a religious official charged with taking care of a church building and its contents, organising the ringing of its bell and sometimes burying the dead in its graveyard. Ewan portrays his […]
Albert Ramsay, evangelist from Prince Edward Island, Canada (1913-1993): “I was only a worthless pebble upon the beach of time, Yet He stooped and declared to heaven “I have made this pebble mine”! And this is why I serve Him as I think of that crowded beach, And shudder: that when He was passing I […]
Charitie Lees Bancroft (1841-1923) is best known, and rightly so, for her hymn “Before the Throne of God Above”.* Mrs. Bancroft, widowed twice in her lifetime, wrote some exquisite poems all of which are available in Within the Vail published in 1867 in Omagh, Northern Ireland. At that time her initials were C.L.S. – Charitie Lees Smith. Sadly, […]
Fierce was the wild billow, Dark was the night; Oars laboured heavily, Foam glimmered white; Trembled the mariners, Peril was nigh; Then said the Son of God, “Peace! It is I!” Ridge of the mountain-wave, Lower thy crest! Wail of Euroclydon, Be thou at rest! Peril can never be, Sorrow must fly, When, saith the Light […]
“The Atonement” by William Blane (Selected excerpts) Penned in Scotland somewhat prior to 1883 The Atonement was no business act in which the Saviour did contract To undergo so many pains that He might cleanse so many’s stains. He gave His all – His life’s blood flowed to reconcile the world to God. ‘Twixt God […]
Philip Bliss (1838-1876) More holiness give me, More strivings within; More patience in suff’ring, More sorrow for sin; More faith in my Saviour, More sense of His care. More joy in His service, More purpose in prayer. More gratitude give me, More trust in the Lord; More zeal for His glory, More hope in His […]
Until I learned to trust, I never learned to pray; And I did not learn to fully trust Till sorrows came my way. Until I felt my weakness, His strength I never knew; Nor dreamed till I was stricken, That He could see me through. Who deepest drinks of sorrow, Drinks deepest too of grace; […]
Hail, sovereign love that first began, The scheme to rescue fallen man; Hail matchless free eternal grace, That gave my soul a hiding place. Against the God who rules the sky, I fought with hand uplifted high, Despised the mention of His grace, Too proud to seek a hiding place. Enwrapped in thick Egyptian night, […]
People are often unreasonable, Illogical, and self-centered; Love them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, You will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you; Be honest and frank […]
Timeless eternity, Shoreless infinity, Measureless, limitless, fathomless sea! Incomprehensible, Vastness extensible, Ever and ever and ever to be! Life’s perpetuity, Love’s continuity, Ceasesless and sinless, in fulness and free! Joyous futurity, Blessed security, Ever and ever and ever to be! Judgement’s immensity, Torment’s intensity, Fearful finality, changeless decree! Conscious nonentity, Sinful identity, Ever and ever […]
The maker of the universe, as man for man was made a curse: The claims of laws which He had made, unto the uttermost He paid. His holy fingers made the bough which grew the thorns that crowned His brow: The nails that pierced His feet were mined in secret places He designed. He made […]
Pain knocked at my door and said she’d come to stay. Though I would not welcome her but bade her go away, Still she entered — And like my shade she followed after me, And from her stabbing stinging sword No moment was I free. And then one day another knocked most gently at my […]
When God wants to drill a man and thrill a man and skill a man, When God wants to mould a man to play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart to create so great and bold a man That all the world shall praise…watch His methods; watch His ways! How He […]
My life is but ‘a weaving’ Between My Lord and me, I cannot choose the colours He worketh steadily. Oft times He weaveth sorrow, And I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, And I, the underside. Not ’till the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas […]
It is only a tiny rosebud A flower of God’s design; But I cannot unfold the petals With these clumsy hands of mine The secret of unfolding flowers Is not known to such as I, The flower God opens so gently In my hands would fade and die If I cannot unfold a rosebud, This […]
My waking dreams are best concealed, Much folly, little good they yield; But now and then I gain when sleeping, A friendly hint that’s worth the keeping. Lately, I dreamt of one who cried, “Beware of self, beware of pride; When you are prone to build a Babel, Recall to mind this little fable.” Once […]
Sometimes we come to life’s crossroads We view what we think is the end; But God has a much wider vision And He knows that it’s only a bend The road will go on and get smoother And after we’ve stopped for a rest, The path that lies hidden beyond us Is often the path […]
Thus far did I come laden with my sin; Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in Till I came hither: What a place is this! Must here be the beginning of my bliss? Must here the burden fall from off my back? Must here the strings that bound it to me crack? […]
Introduction When selfish, narrow minded man the mighty works of God would scan He’s sure to estimate the whole in keeping with his narrow soul, Till he, by truth divine, advance into the infinite expanse That lies beyond his shallow thought, and face to face with God be brought To measure, by Jehovah’s strength, the […]
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door, And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime; Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor, Old hammers, worn with beating years of time. “How many anvils have you had,” said I, “To wear and batter all these hammers so?” “Just one” said he, and then, with […]
Thou hast no tongue, O Christ, as once of old, To tell the story of Thy love divine: The story still as strange, as sweet, as true; But there’s no tongue to tell it out, but mine. Thou hast no hands, O Christ, as once of old To feed the multitudes with bread divine; Thou […]
Desperate and helpless and longing I cried. Patiently, lovingly my Lord replied. I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate; And the Master so gently said, “Child, you must wait.” “Wait? You said wait?” my indignant reply. “Lord, I need answers. I need to know why. Is Your hand shortened or have […]
I asked the Lord that I might grow, In faith, and love, and every grace; Might more of His salvation know, And seek, more earnestly, His face. ‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray And He, I trust, has answered prayer! But it has been in such a way, As almost drove me to […]
Is this the right road home, O Lord? The clouds are dark and still. The stony path is hard to tread, Each step brings some fresh ill. I thought the way would brighter grow, And that the sun with warmth would glow, And joyous songs from free hearts flow. Is this the right road home? […]
I asked God to take away my pride, And God said, “No.” He said it was not for Him to take away, But for me to give up. I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, And God said, “No.” He said her spirit already is, While her body is only temporary. I asked […]
Beneath an eastern sky, Amid a rabble’s cry, A Man went forth to die For me. Thorn-crowned His lovely head, Blood-stained His every tread; Cross-laden, on He sped For me. Pierced through His hands and feet, Three hours there on Him beat Fierce rays of noontide heat For me. Thus wast Thou made all mine: […]
I supposed I knew my Bible, Reading piecemeal, hit or miss, Now a bit of John or Matthew, Now a snatch of Genesis, Certain chapters of Isaiah, Certain Psalms (the 23rd), Twelfth of Romans, first of Proverbs Yes, I thought I knew the Word! But I found that thorough reading Was a different thing to […]
Hast thou no scar? No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand? I hear thee sung as mighty in the land, I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star; Hast thou no scar? No wound? No scar? Yet as the Master shall the servant be, And pierced are the feet that follow Me; But […]
Loved ones will weep o’er my silent face, Dear ones will clasp me in sad embrace, Shadows and darkness will fill the place, Five minutes after I die. But the faces that sorrow I will not see, The voices that murmur will not reach me, But where, O where will my spirit be, Five minutes […]
Bold infidelity, turn pale and die. Beneath this stone four sleeping infants lie. Say, are they lost or saved? If death’s by sin, they sinned for they are here. If Heaven’s by works, in Heaven they can’t appear. Ah, reason how depraved! Turn to the Bible’s sacred page, the knot’s untied. They died for Adam […]
I said, I will forget the dying faces, The empty places will be filled again; O, voices mourning deep within me cease! Vain, vain the word – how vain! – Not in forgetting lieth peace. I said, I will crowd action upon action, The strife of action will stir my spirit; O tears that drown […]
I will not doubt, though sorrows fall like rain, And troubles swarm like bees above a hive, I will believe the heights for which I strive Are only reached by anguish and by pain; And though I groan and writhe beneath my crosses, I yet shall see through my severest losses, The greater gain. I […]
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown,” and he replied, “Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light, and safer than a known way.” So I went forth, and finding the hand of God, trod […]
I cannot say beneath the pressure of life’s care to-day, “I joy in these”; But I can say that I had rather walk this rugged way, if Him it please. I cannot feel that all is well when darkening clouds conceal the shining sun; But this I know God lives and loves; and I can […]
I cannot give it up, the little world I know! The innocent delights of youth, the things I cherish so! It’s true, I love my Lord, and want to do His will, But may I not enjoy the world, and be a Christian still? I love the hour of prayer, I love the hymns of […]
Pray don’t find fault with the man that limps Or stumbles along the road. Unless you have worn the shoes he wears Or struggled beneath his load. There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt Though hidden away from view. Or the burden he bears, placed on your back Might cause you to stumble […]
First days for God, Before Thy life is moulded, And God is given Second place – or none. Give Him thy time, And see His plan unfolded; Find in thy years Eternity begun. First hours for God; The day will not be wasted If thou dost tarry In His presence till. Strength from His strength […]
Day of judgment! Day of wonders! Hark! the trumpet’s awful sound, Louder than a thousand thunders, Shakes the vast creation round! How the summons wilt the sinner’s heart confound! At His call the dead awaken, Rise to life from earth and sea; All the powers of nature shaken By His look, prepares to flee. Careless […]
If you can rest from all self-righteous working, As having died with Him Who died for you, To walk in light where evil things are lurking, And stamp integrity on all you do; If you can weigh the worth of public praising, And be a gentleman behind the scenes, And meet unmoved the purblind people’s […]
With holy awe and reverent pace, The Priest approached the Holy Place; Attired in garments that became The Place where God had set His Name. His ephod shone with gold and gems, While softly from the wreathen hems The mellow music rose and fell, From ‘a pomegranate and a bell’, ‘A pomegranate and a bell’. […]