Poems by Rebekah Smith Part 12

Deliverance will be found ere long, And then will come the conquerer's song.

If I am favored here to share An answer to my Saviour's prayer, We shall be one, his voice I'll hear, When in the clouds he shall appear.

Oh! glorious day to those who're found In Him when the last trump shall sound; Their sorrows and their sufferings o'er, And prayer to praise turned evermore.

The Warfare.

Temptations are presented, and we yield e'er we're aware, And again become entangled in the tempter's subtle snare; Our warring pa.s.sions raging, with the sound of battle din, Though outward foes in arms array, this warfare is within.

There's hatred, pride and unbelief, and many evils there, And our besetting sins oft battle faith and humble prayer; Thus wasted are our energies, our strength and n.o.bler powers, And we ourselves deprive of joys, which otherwise were ours.

Poor, wretched, miserable and blind, how vain our boastings all; Our misspent moments, worse than lost, we never can recall.

The good we might have done, had we obeyed each precept given, Will be a blank, and less will be our crowns of joy in Heaven.

Why wound our souls? Why take the gall perverted tastes to please, When nought but Jesus' dying blood, G.o.d's anger can appease?

Like Peter we deny our Lord, and spurn his tender care; Such base ingrat.i.tude as this, who but a G.o.d could bear?

Most deeply must we feel and weep, ere Christ will on us look, And bless us with the a.s.surance, that our names are in life's book; He knows our frailties and is touched with penitential tears; 'Tis just like Jesus to forgive, and banish all our fears.

Such depths of love, such pity, too, should make us prostrate fall Before our King whom we should crown forever "Lord of all;"

And when we're freely justified, continued help we crave, Our strength is weakness, and ourselves from sin we cannot save.

Thy mission here was, Lord, to save thy people from their sins, And here if e'er we overcome, is where our hope begins.

Through Christ alone the victory's gained, and nothing can we merit; If we are overcomers, we in him all things inherit.

Not unto us, but Lord to thee, the glory shall be given; It is the n.o.blest song on earth, 'twill n.o.blest be in Heaven; No warring pa.s.sions to unstring the holy, heavenly lyre, At the loss of all things here, would I be one in that blest choir.

Always Rejoicing.

If our heart do not condemn us, we have confidence in G.o.d, We can bear the world's reproaches, we can bear affliction's rod; If we suffer with the Saviour, we shall also with him reign, Here we cast our burden on him, with the promise, he'll sustain.

What though false reports are started, and believed by those we love?

We can love though they turn from us; we can plead for them above; Lord, impart the Holy Spirit; for the want of this they erred; Had they waited for thy teachings, they the Shepherd's voice had heard;

Would have known thy stately steppings, when thy glory was displayed; Would have felt the holy influence, and thine urgent call obeyed.

Oh! withhold no blessing from them, for the wrong dealt out to me, But for Jesus' sake have mercy; mercy, Lord, is all our plea.

Jesus has p.r.o.nounced a blessing on those falsely here accused, Who for his sake are derided, persecuted and abused; He has said, Rejoice, in that day ye may be exceeding glad, Greater still our joy in Heaven, when in robes of glory clad.

He will hide in his pavilion; there we're safe from every foe, Under the Almighty's shadow we can through disasters go; Well can we bear wrongs and censure, while G.o.d knows our innocence, While he justifies us freely; is our s.h.i.+eld and our defense.

Glory to the Lord, my Saviour! glory to his holy name!

Oh! for his sake I can suffer, bear reproach and grief and shame!

Who, with such a friend as Jesus, can be troubled or dismayed?

Who while on the waters walking, said, 'Tis I, be not afraid.

He can still the raging tempest; him the winds and waves obey; While we sail these seas of trouble, he will smooth and calm the way.

Soon the s.h.i.+p will be in harbor, storms and tempests all be o'er; Oh! how blest the glorious landing, tossed with sins and griefs no more!

The Work of Reform.

The dearest joys of earth can ne'er One solid pleasure give; We're only blest when we can know That 'tis for G.o.d we live.

We love by nature what he hates; We shun ourselves to see; We love our appet.i.tes and pride, Ease and carnality.

The strife must come, and self must die, Our idols all be slain; How sad should they o'er us at last Their cruel victory gain!

Too soon we cannot overcome Our every sin and wrong.

Through Jesus let us conquer self, And join the blood-washed throng.

Our wings of strength and zeal we plume, And rouse the dormant will, To yield our hearts to Nature's laws, And all their claims fulfill.

This move in heavenly wisdom made, To fit for trouble's hour, Has blessings for the willing heart, Of health and strength and power.

That all around may see the light, Let's raise our banner high, And be epistles known and read By all who may come nigh.

The platform for us now is laid; Reform is on the sign; We'll rally round, resolving each, It's blessings shall be mine.

Live for G.o.d.

The offering has been made, The ransom has been paid; On one full strong to save Has help for us been laid.

Behold, O G.o.d, our s.h.i.+eld, On thine Anointed look, And blot, for his dear sake, Our sins from out thy book.

Sins now of deepest dye, Can all be washed away; G.o.d just, and justify Those who his laws obey.

"Glory to G.o.d on high; Good will to men on earth:"-- Such was the rapturous cry, That told a Saviour's birth.

The Saviour's life and death, "Has ruined Satan's throne;"

His mighty arm, alone, Can crush his empire down.

Though G.o.d now of this world, His triumph soon is o'er.

We hail the dawning day When he shall reign no more.

Salvation's wondrous plan, Has made all Heaven rejoice; 'Tis wisdom now in man To make this boon his choice.

By this can he o'ercome, And when each sin's forgiven, Be found at last an heir Of glory and of Heaven.