Changing Chimes

It was not warning that our fathers lacked, It is not warning that we lack to-day. The Voice that cried still cries: “Rise up and act: Watch alway,—watch and pray,—watch alway,— All men.”

Alas, if aught was lacked goodwill was lacked; Alas, goodwill is what we lack to-day. O gracious Voice, grant grace that all may act, Watch and act,—watch and pray,—watch alway.— Amen.

“Thy Servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

Sorrow of saints is sorrow of a day, Gladness of saints is gladness evermore: Send on thy hope, send on thy will before To chant God’s praise along the narrow way. Stir up His praises if the flesh would sway, Exalt His praises if the world press sore, Peal out His praises if black Satan roar A hundred thousand lies to say them nay. Devil and Death and Hades, threefold cord Not quickly broken, front thee to thy face; Front thou them with a face of tenfold flint Shout for the battle, David I never stint Body or breath or blood, but proof in grace Die for thy Lord, as once for thee thy Lord.

Thro’ burden and heat of the day How weary the hands and the feet That labour with scarcely a stay, Thro’ burden and heat!

Tired toiler whose sleep shall be sweet, Kneel down, it will rest thee to pray: Then forward, for daylight is fleet.

Cool shadows show lengthening and grey, Cool twilight will soon be complete: What matters this wearisome way Thro’ burden and heat?

“Then I commended Mirth”

“A merry heart is a continual feast.” Then take we life and all things in good part: To fast grows festive while we keep at least A merry heart Well pleased with nature and well pleased with art; A merry heart makes cheer for man and beast, And fancies music in a creaking cart. Some day, a restful heart whose toils have ceased, A heavenly heart gone home from earthly mart: To-day, blow wind from west or wind from east, A merry heart.

Sorrow hath a double voice, Sharp to-day but sweet to-morrow Wait in patience, hope, rejoice, Tried friends of sorrow.

Pleasure hath a double taste, Sweet to-day but sharp to-morrow: Friends of pleasure, rise in haste, Make friends with sorrow.

Pleasure set aside to-day Comes again to rule to-morrow: Welcomed sorrow will not stay, Farewell to sorrow!

Shadows to-day, while shadows show God’s Will. Light were not good except He sent us light. Shadows to-day, because this day is night Whose marvels and whose mysteries fulfil Their course and deep in darkness serve Him still. Thou dim aurora, on the extremest height Of airy summits wax not over-bright; Refrain thy rose, refrain thy daffodil. Until God’s Word go forth to kindle thee And garland thee and bid thee stoop to us, Blush in the heavenly choirs and glance not down: To-day we race in darkness for a crown, In darkness for beatitude to be, In darkness for the city luminous.

“Truly the light is sweet.”

Light colourless doth colour all things else: Where light dwells pleasure dwells And peace excels. Then rise and shine, Thou shadowed soul of mine, And let a cheerful rainbow make thee fine. Light, fountain of all beauty and delight, Leads day forth from the night, Turns blackness white. Light waits for thee Where all have eyes to see: Oh, well is thee, and happy shalt thou be!

“Are ye not much better than they?”

The twig sprouteth, The moth outeth, The plant springeth, The bird singeth: Tho’ little we sing to-day Yet are we better than they; Tho’ growing with scarce a showing, Yet, please God, we are growing.

The twig teacheth, The moth preacheth, The plant vaunteth, The bird chanteth, God’s mercy overflowing Merciful past man’s knowing. Please God to keep us growing Till the awful day of mowing.

“Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house.”

Wisest of sparrows that sparrow which sitteth alone Perched on the housetop, its own upper chamber, for nest; Wisest of swallows that swallow which timely has flown Over the turbulent sea to the land of its rest: Wisest of sparrows and swallows, if I were as wise! Wisest of spirits that spirit which dwelleth apart Hid in the Presence of God for a chapel and nest, Sending a wish and a will and a passionate heart Over the eddy of life to that Presence in rest: Seated alone and in peace till God bids it arise.

“I am small and of no reputation.”

The least, if so I am; If so, less than the least, May I reach heaven to glorify the Lamb And sit down at the Feast.

I fear and I am small, Whence am I of good cheer; For I who hear Thy call, have heard Thee call To Thee the small who fear.

O Christ my God Who seest the unseen, O Christ my God Who knowest the unknown, Thy mighty Blood was poured forth to atone For every sin that can be or hath been. O Thou Who seest what I cannot see, Thou Who didst love us all so long ago, O Thou Who knowest what I must not know, Remember all my hope, remember me.

Yea, if Thou wilt, Thou canst put up Thy sword; But what if Thou shouldst sheathe it to the hilt Within the heart that sues to Thee, O Lord? Yea, if Thou wilt.

For if Thou wilt Thou canst purge out the guilt Of all, of any, even the most abhorred: Thou canst pluck down, rebuild, build up the unbuilt.

Who wanders, canst Thou gather by love’s cord? Who sinks, uplift from the under-sucking silt To set him on Thy rock within Thy ward? Yea, if Thou wilt.

Sweetness of rest when Thou sheddest rest, Sweetness of patience till then; Only the Will of our God is best For all the millions of men.

For all the millions on earth to-day, On earth and under the earth; Waiting for earth to vanish away, Waiting to come to the birth.

O foolish Soul! to make thy count For languid falls and much forgiven, When like a flame thou mightest mount To storm and carry heaven. A life so faint,—is this to live? A goal so mean,—is this a goal? Christ love thee, remedy, forgive, Save thee, O foolish Soul.

Before the beginning Thou hast foreknown the end, Before the birthday the death-bed was seen of Thee: Cleanse what I cannot cleanse, mend what I cannot mend, O Lord All-Merciful, be merciful to me. While the end is drawing near I know not mine end; Birth I recall not, my death I cannot foresee: O God, arise to defend, arise to befriend, O Lord All-Merciful, be merciful to me.

The goal in sight! Look up and sing, Set faces full against the light, Welcome with rapturous welcoming The goal in sight.

Let be the left, let be the right: Straight forward make your footsteps ring A loud alarum thro’ the night.

Death hunts you, yea, but reft of sting; Your bed is green, your shroud is white: Hail! Life and Death and all that bring The goal in sight.

Looking back along life’s trodden way Gleams and greenness linger on the track; Distance melts and mellows all to-day, Looking back.

Rose and purple and a silvery grey, Is that cloud the cloud we called so black? Evening harmonizes all to-day, Looking back.

Foolish feet so prone to halt or stray, Foolish heart so restive on the rack! Yesterday we sighed, but not to-day Looking back.