Poetry

Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art

High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all

The Spirit Filled LIfe

O the Spirit filled life; is it thine, is it thine?
Is thy soul wholly filled with the Spirit Divine?
O thou child of the King, has He fallen on thee?
Does He reign in thy soul, so that all men may see
The dear Saviour’s blest image reflected in thee?

Has He swept through thy soul like the waves of the sea?
Does the Spirit of God daily rest upon thee?
Does He sweeten thy life, does He keep thee from care?
Does He guide thee and bless thee in answer to prayer?
Is it joy to be led of the Lord anywhere?

Is He near thee each hour, does He stand at thy side?
Does He gird thee with strength, has He come to abide?
Does He give thee to know that all things may be done
Through the grace and the power of the Crucified One?
Does He witness to thee of the glorified Son?

Has He purged thee of dross with the fire from above?
Is He first in thy thoughts, has He all of thy love?
Is His service thy choice, and is sacrifice sweet?
Is the doing His will both thy drink and thy meat?
Dost thou run at His bidding with glad eager feet?

Has He freed thee from self and from all of thy greed?
Dost thou hasten to succour thy brother in need?
As a soldier of Christ dost thou hardness endure?
Is thy hope in the Lord everlasting and sure?
Hast thou patience and meekness, art tender and pure?

O the Spirit filled life may be thine, may be thine,
In thy soul evermore the Shekinah may shine;
It is thine to live with the tempests all stilled,
It is thine with the blessed Holy Ghost to be filled;
It is thine, even thine, for thy Lord has so willed.

FOLLOW THOU ME
Annie Flint

Follow – not go ahead at thine own pleasure,
Nor turn aside at thine own wayward will,
Nor stray afar in search of other treasure,
But close at hand, where I can aid thee still;
Across the sea and through the desert places,
Onward and upward by the one sure way,
Till thou shalt sit with me in heavenly places
Amid the splendours of eternal day.

And – follow thou; for thee my call is sounded;
All that I suffered – was it not for thee?
For thee my soul was bruised, my body wounded,
I died, from sin and death to set thee free;
No other hand could write thine own life-story,
No other make thy choice of gain or loss,
No other win and wear thy crown of glory,
No other lift and bear thy destined cross.

Follow thou me – though stranger voices hail thee,
I am the way and there is none beside;
There is no other staff that shall not fail thee,
There is no other eye than mine to guide;
There is no other shepherd who can fold thee
By such still waters, in such pastures fair;
There is no other arm can safely hold thee
In doubt and danger, darkness and despair.