When He walked the fields, He drew
From the flowers, and birds, and dew
Parables of God;
For within his heart of love
All the soul of man did move,
God had his abode.
Lord, be ours thy power to keep
In the very heart of grief,
And in trial, love;
In our meekness to be wise,
And through sorrow to arise
To our God above.
Fill us with thy deep desire,
All the sinful to inspire,
With the Father's life:
Free us from the cares that press
On the heart of worldliness,
From the fret and strife.
And when in the fields and woods
We are filled with nature's moods,
May the grace be given
With thy faithful heart to say,
'All I see and feel to-day,
Is my Father's heaven.'
Of such is the kingdom of God.
It fell upon a summer day,
When Jesus walked in Galilee,
The mothers of the village brought
Their children to his knee.
He took them in his arms, and laid
His hands on each remembered head;
'Suffer these little ones to come
To Me,' He gently said.
'Forbid them not; unless ye bear
The childish heart your hearts within,
Unto my kingdom ye may come,
But may not enter in.'
Master, I fain would enter there;
O let me follow Thee, and share
Thy meek and lowly heart, and be
Freed from all worldly care.
Of innocence, and love, and trust,
Of quiet work, and simple word,
Of joy, and thoughtlessness of self
Build up my life, good Lord.
All happy thoughts, and gentle ways,
And loving-kindness daily given,
And freedom through obedience gained,
Make in my heart thine heaven.
And all the wisdom that is born
Of joy and love that question not,
The child's bright vision of the earth,
Be mine, O Lord, unsought.
O happy thus to live and move;
And sweet this world, where I shall find
God's beauty everywhere, his love,
His good in all mankind.
Then, Father, grant this childlike heart,
That I may come to Christ, and feel
His hands on me in blessing laid,
So pure, so strong to heal.
So when, far fled from earth, I come
Before Thee, happy and forgiven,
The heavenly host may cry with joy,
'A child is born in heaven.'
BESIDE the shore of Galilee,
A voice was heard athwart the sea-
A voice at once of tender tone,
Yet grave, with meaning all its own:
And humble fishers as they heard,
Forgot their nets, obeyed its word,
Left all, disciples true to be,
For Christ had uttered-'Follow Me.'
When, seated at the custom's board,
The faithful Levi saw the Lord,
Then in his heart the bell was rung
For worship from that fruitful tongue :
He left his trade, he left his gold;
His heart grew large, his breast was bold;
He went disciple true to be,
For Christ had uttered-' Follow Me.'
Christ calls us not to come by creed,
But by the truthful faith of deed;
And we who would obey his call,
Must make his teachings lord of all,
Must learn his love, and cease from strife,
And mould our minds to his through life,
If we disciples true would be,
For Christ has uttered-'Follow Me.'
And still e'en now we hear that voice:
Hark, silvery strains, rejoice, rejoice;
Above the clouds, beyond the air,
Up highest heaven's sapphire stair,
Beyond life's gate of mortal bar,
From sky to sky, from star to star,
It quivereth, echoeth, floweth free,
For Christ still calleth-'Follow Me.'
G. Barmby.
'Come unto Me, ye weary,
And I will give you rest.'
O blessed voice of Jesus,
Which comes to hearts opprest:
It tells of benediction,
Of pardon, grace, and peace,
Of joy that hath no ending,
Of love which cannot cease.
'Come unto Me, ye wanderers,
And I will give you light.'
O loving voice of Jesus,
Which comes to cheer the night;
Our hearts were filled with sadness,
And we had lost our way;
But He has brought us gladness
And songs at break of day.
'Come unto Me, yc fainting,
And I will give you life.'
O cheering voice of Jesus,
Which comes to aid our strife;
The foe is stern and eager,
The fight is fierce and long;
But He has made us mighty,
And stronger than the strong.
'And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out.'
O welcome voice of Jesus,
Which drives away our doubt;
Which calls us, very sinners,
Unworthy though we be
Of love so free and boundless,
To come to God with Thee.
I HEARD the voice of Jesus say,
'Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon my breast.'
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
'Behold, I freely give
The living water, thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.'
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
I am this dark world's Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright :'
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I'll walk
Till travelling days are done.
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