I know not why, though nature craves to know,
That all my dreams of happiness below
Should be thus blighted, yet the time is near
When I, poor voyager, often shipwrecked here,
Shall reach the port, and safely moored at last
Review the scenes and sufferings of the past,—
Beholding where the shadows darkest lay
The dawning glory of immortal day,
And all along the path that seemed so drear
Leaving this one memorial—God was here!
“THINE EYES SHALL SEE THE KING IN HIS BEAUTY.”
The thought is ever present, Shall these eyes indeed
see the Maker of the universe? shall these feet indeed
walk the Golden City? shall these hands wave the palm
of victory and strike the chords of the glorious harp
whose music shall be sweeter than that of David’s?
Can this be possible, and do I weep and mourn because
of present affliction? Oh, the future, the future!
what has it not in reserve for me? Glories of
which mortal never dreamed: eternal life—eternal
happiness—perpetual youth—knowledge
unbounded, yet ever increasing! Fly, fly, fly,
days of pain and sorrow! Hail, all hail! bright
morn of deliverance. It will come; and
I—oh, the thought overpowers me—I,
poor and wretched and sinful, shall be blessed forever,
forever, FOREVER.
Dark the future yawns before me,
Bitter griefs my bosom swell;
But a light is breaking o’er me,
And a voice—“All, all
is well!”
Sad and lone has been my journey,
Sad and lone my way must be:—
Care and sorrow, pain and sickness,
Long have been allotted me.
Sunshine—that o’er youthful bosoms
Flings a bright and magic spell,
Seldom breaks upon my pathway,
Yet I know that all is well!
If the Hand that guides the planets
Feeds the ravens when they cry,
Can it be that I’m unnoticed
By a Father’s loving eye?
He has thoughts of mercy toward me,
His designs I cannot tell;
’Tis enough for me to trust Him,
He knows best—and all is well!
Many doubts and many shadows
Oft have flitted through my mind,
And I’ve questioned, sadly questioned,
But no answer could I find.
Earth was silent to my pleading,
Nature taught me to rebel;
But when I recall the promise
“I am with thee”—all
is well!
Many things I can’t unravel;
Many winding mazes see;
But I’ll go with faith unshaken,
For the Lord is leading me.
And when beams of endless glory
The mysterious clouds dispel,
Grateful shall I tell my story,
Grateful say that all was well!
We have wandered oft together
At the hour of setting sun;
Shall we wander thus together,
When the toils of life are done?
