Aspiration

THE UPWARD CALLING

A voice is calling me, a Hand has grasped me,

By cords unseen my soul is upward drawn;

My heart has answered to that upward calling,

I clasp the Hand that lifts and leads me on.

I’m turning from the past that lies behind me,

I’m reaching forth unto the things before;

I’ve caught the taste of life’s eternal fountains,

And all my being longs and thirsts for more.

A brooding Presence hovers o’er my spirit,

The Heavenly Dove my heart doth softly woo;

I catch bright visions of my heavenly calling

And all there is for me to be and do.

A mystic glory lingers all around me,

And all the air breathes out the eternal spring;

I feel the pulses of the New Creation,

And all things whisper of the Coming King.

And in my heart I hear the Spirit’s whisper,

“The Bridegroom cometh, hasten to prepare!”

And with my vessels filled and lamps all burning

I’m going out to meet Him in the air.

GOD’S BEST

God has His best things for the few

That dare to stand the test;

God has His second choice for those

Who will not have His best.

It is not always open ill

That risks the promised rest;

The better often is the foe

That keeps us from the best.

There’s scarcely one but vaguely wants

In some way to be blest;

’Tis not Thy blessing, Lord, I seek,

I want Thy very best.

And others make the highest choice,

But when by trials pressed,

They shrink, they yield, they shun the Cross,

And so they lose the best.

I want, in this short life of mine,

As much as can be pressed

Of service true for God and man;

Help me to be my best.

I want, among the victor throng,

To have my name confessed,

And hear my Master say at last,

“Well done, you did your best.”

Give me, O Lord, Thy highest choice,

Let others take the rest;

Their good things have no charm for me,

For I have got Thy best!

THE CLOUDLESS LIFE

The dove let loose in Eastern skies,

When hasting fondly home,

Stoops not to earth her wing, nor flies

Where idle warblers roam;

But high she soars through air and light

In realms of cloudless day,

Where nothing earthly stays her flight,

Nor clouds bedim her way.

So grant me. Lord, from every cloud

And strife of passion free,

Aloft through virtue’s purer air

To hold my course to Thee;

No cloud to dim, no clog to stay

My soul, as home she springs,

Thy sunshine on her glorious way,

Thy freedom in her wings.

TO GLORIFY MY GOD

To glorify my God, no lesser aim

My God-given life and powers shall henceforth claim;

My body, soul, and spirit. Lord, are Thine;

The joy to give them back to Thee be mine.

His Father’s glory Jesus ever sought;

To do His work and will His only thought;

About His Father’s business He must be:

Lord, may Thy business be as much to me.

How best can I my Father glorify?

Naught can be added to His majesty;

But I can let His glory through me shine

And shed on all around His light divine.

And like the legend that they tell of one

Who sought to build a temple to the sun,

And reared the chiseled stone and burnished gold,

But still the splendid walls were dark and cold,

Until another architect appeared;

A temple of transparent glass he reared;

And lo, the sun came down his work to own,

And with his glory through the temple shone;

So let my soul be flooded with Thy light;

So let my heart be open to Thy sight;

So glorify Thyself, O Lord, in me,

Till all my being answers, Lord, to Thee.

ON EAGLES’ WINGS

Mounting up with wings as eagles,

Waiting on the Lord we rise;

Strength receiving, life renewing,

How our spirit heavenward flies!

Then our springing feet returning

To the pathway of the saint,

We shall run and not be weary,

We shall walk and never faint.

Oh, we need these heights of rapture

Where we mount on eagles’ wings;

Then returning to life’s duties,

All our heart exultant springs.

This our every burden lightens

Till, with sweet, divine constraint,

We can run and not be weary,

We can walk and never faint.

Joy and Victory

I’M LIVING IN HEAVEN TO-DAY

They tell of the bliss of the ransomed above

In the Land that is far, far away;

But Jesus so fills my glad heart with His love

That I’m living in heaven to-day.

They tell of the pleasures that never decline

And the treasures that never decay;

But Jesus Himself and His riches are mine,

And I’m living in heaven to-day.

No sorrow e’er comes to that beautiful shore,

And their tears have been all wiped away;

But Jesus has taught me to sorrow no more,

And He fills me with heaven to-day.

For heaven is Jesus and Jesus is mine,

And His presence is with me alway;

He fills me so full of His glory divine

That I’m living in heaven to-day.

I now have a joy that they never can know,

In that Land that is far, far away;

I’m seeking and saving poor sinners below,

And this is my heaven to-day.

ALWAYS SPRING

The summer birds have ceased their singing,

The summer flowers have passed away,

The sunshine from the skies has faded,

The autumn clouds are cold and gray;

But still my happy heart is singing,

For Jesus is my Lord and King;

His peace to me a heaven is bringing,

And, where He dwells, ’tis always spring.

The sweetest joys of earth may fail me,

The fondest friendships pass away,

The brightest frames and feelings languish

As sinks the light of setting day;

But still my happy heart is singing,

For Jesus is my Lord and King;

His peace to me a heaven is bringing,

And, where He dwells, ’tis always spring.

The love of Jesus is my sunshine,

His presence is my joy and song,

His loving kindness floods my being

And keeps me gladsome all day long;

And so my happy heart is singing—

For Jesus is my Lord and King;

His peace to me a heaven is bringing,

And, where He dwells, ’tis always spring.

My day no more can sink in darkness,

My sun no more shall set in night;

Christ is my sunshine and my summer

And God, my everlasting light:

And so my happy heart is singing—

For Jesus is my Lord and King;

His peace to me a heaven is bringing,

And, where He dwells, ’tis always spring.

HOLDING ON THE WAY

’Tis the promise of God, and it never can fail,

Unto all who will trust and obey;

Though trials may press, and though foes may assail,

The righteous shall hold on his way.

I shall hold on my way for He holds my hand,

And He’ll not let me stumble or stray;

While I heed His voice and obey His command,

I surely shall hold on my way.

MY SECRET

Shall I tell you what it is that keeps me singing,

Never minding whether it be shade or shine?

’Tis because His own glad song is singing in me,

’Tis because the Saviour’s joy is always mine.

Shall I tell you what it is that keeps me springing,

With a strength that smiles at sickness and decay?

’Tis because the Life of Jesus fills my being,

And the Living Bread sustains me day by day.

Shall I tell you why my foes no longer vex me,

And my cares and fears and doubtings all are o’er?

’Tis because I’ve given my burdens all to Jesus,

And He leads me forth in triumph evermore.

Shall I tell you why my life is now so easy?

’Tis because this wretched self has ceased to be;

Once it caused me all my troubles, but it’s buried,

And it is no longer I, but Christ in me.

Shall I tell you why I love to work for Jesus?

’Tis because His blessed Spirit works in me;

I have but to let Him use me, His the power,

Mine the recompense to share, the fruit to see.

Shall I tell you why I love to tell of Jesus?

’Tis because there’s nothing else so good and true;

There’s no other name or story worth the telling;

Without Jesus what could helpless sinners do?

Shall I tell you why I’m watching for His coming?

’Tis because of all my future He’s the sum;

This will be my joy forever—Jesus only—

And I long, and look, and pray for Him to come.

The Christ Life

THE NEW LIFE

Life’s crisis has been passed,

And I have come at last

Into the Promised Land of Peace and Rest;

The crisis hour is o’er

And now forevermore

I’m dwelling in God’s blessing and God’s best.

It came, I know not how,

But this I know, that now

My life has found a new and...