The Mountain Spring and Other Poems

Excerpt

THE MOUNTAIN SPRING

And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.—Revelation 22:17.

I wandered down a mountain road,
Past flower and rock and lichen gray,
Alone with nature and her God
Upon a flitting summer day.
The forest skirted to the edge
Of Capon river, Hampshire's gem,
Which, bathing many a primrose ledge,
Oft sparkled like a diadem.
At length a silvery spring I spied,
Gurgling through moss and fern along,
Waiting to bless with cooling tide
All who were gladdened by its song.
Oh, who would pass with thirsting lip
And burning brow, this limpid wave?
Who would not pause with joy and sip?
Its crystal depths who would not crave?
This query woke a voice within—
Why slight the spring of God's great love,
That fount that cleanseth from all sin,
Our purchase paid by Christ above?
Whoever will may drink! Oh, why,
Worn toilers in this earthly strife,
Reject a mansion in the sky,
Reject heaven's bliss and endless life?
Go, wander, little book,
Nor let thy wand'ring cease;
May all who on these pages look
From sin find sweet release,
Through Christ, God's holy son,
Who left his throne in heaven
And e'en death's anguish did not shun
That we might be forgiven.
How should our thoughts and deeds
Exalt this mighty friend,
Who died, yet lives and intercedes
And loves us to the end!

LOVE

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.—Ephesians 2:8.

Christ might have called the angels down
To bear him safe above,
To shield his brow from sorrow's crown,
From death's cold blight, and bitter frown,
Had it not been for love.
Our glorious King, our Prince of Peace,
Has left his throne above
To give our souls from sin release,
To make our pain and anguish cease,
And all because of love.
By faith in him, we all may see
In realms of light above,
Through streams of blood on Calvary,
A joyful immortality;—
The purchase price was love.

Consider the lilies.—Luke 2:27.

Emblems of Christ our Lord,
Roses and lilies fair,
These flowers in His word,
His glory seem to share.
The lilies of the field,
Sweet teachers of the soul,
Which will their lessons yield
Long as the seasons roll,
They neither toil nor spin,
Exist without a care,
And yet no earthly king can win
A garb so chaste and rare.
Frozen, they burst to life,
To nature's minstrelsy—
A resurrection type
Of immortality.

TELL PETER

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.—John 18:25.

Peter, it was not outward cold
But inward chill thy bosom froze,
Made thee deny with falsehood bold
Thy Lord and Master to his foes.
When we find cheer at Satan's fires
The world is there to work us harm,
To deaden all our pure desires
With its deceitful lure and charm.
Peter, the voice of chanticleer
Fulfilled what Christ had prophesied;
And oh, that pitying look sincere
From him whom thou hadst just denied!
Thy burst of penitential grief!
Heaven those tears did surely send.
Tears give the burdened heart relief;
Dry anguish may its tendrils rend.
Sin soon will crucify our Lord,
Thy sin, and all the world's beside.
He gave himself, the Living Word,
Our shelter from God's wrath to hide.
Had all the seraphs pens to write
Such love upon the boundless sky,
Angelic powers could not indite
Its greatness while the ages fly.
The hour is hastening. God has willed
That Christ should through his own decree
Abolish death and have fulfilled
Our blood-bought immortality.
And when the awful tomb he rent,
When freed from every earthly thrall,
"Tell Peter" was the message sent;
"Tell Peter"—'tis love's tender call.
Peter was martyr to his faith;
His rock, God's son whom he denied;
This faith the key that unlocks death
To realms where joy and peace abide.
"Tell Peter!" Honey drops of love,
Awaking all the choirs of heaven!
"Tell Peter"—angels from above
Shout, "Hear, O earth, and be forgiven!"
Regal the earth seems with diamonds today,
Gemming all nature in blazing array;
A picture more fairy-like never could be
Than this wonderful icicle filigree....