He Knows. 113 HE KNOWS. I know not what will befall me! God hangs a mist o'er my eyes; And o'er each step of my onward path He makes new scenes to rise, And every joy He sends me comes as a sweet and glad surprise. I see not a step before me, as I tread the days of the year, But the past is still in God's keeping, the future His mercy shall clear, And what looks dark in the distance, may brighten as I draw near. For perhaps the dreaded future has less bitterness than I think; The Lord may sweeten the water before I stoop to drink, Or if Marah must be Marah, He will stand beside its brink. It may be there is waiting for the coming of my feet Some gift of such rare blessedness, some joy so strangely sweet, That my lips can only tremble with the thanks I cannot speak. O restful, blissful ignorance! 'Tis blessed not to know, It keeps me quiet in those arms which will not let me go, And hushes my soul to rest on the bosom that loves me So. So I go on not knowing! I would not if I might; I would rather walk on in the dark with God, than go alone in the light; I would rather walk with Him by faith, than walk alone by sight. My heart shrinks back from trials which the future may disclose, Yet I never had a sorrow, but what the dear Lord chose; So I send the coming tears back, with the whispered word, "He knows." Lord! at the closing of the year, For all Thy wondrous love. Throughout the year, we know that Thou Have crowned our peaceful days. And though in sinfulness we strayed, And brought us to the path. And when because of Thy great love, Thou wast Thyself the comforter, 116 A Christian's Triumph. So Lord throughout the coming year, O keep us near Thy side, Thou knows't we cannot go alone T. A CHRISTIAN'S TRIUMPH. The following lines almost literally embody the last words of that aged Christian, Dr. Richard Hopkins, of Elkridge, Maryland. "I know not I shall feel as now, Shall cast its shadow o'er my brow, "I only know I feel within The seal of peace And trust that, undefiled by sin When life shall cease, "My soul, now filled with joy and love, Shall rise from earth to heaven above, My Lord to see. 66 A Christian's Triumph. 'My sins were like the billowy tide, I had no light, no hope, no guide,- ""Twas then, even then, my Saviour's love Pure, full and free; Bright sunbeam from the courts above Shone over me. "And all my sins were washed away; Earth, trees, and flowers on that bright day "And God is love,' and I am His, It is no dream, Come, fellow-travellers, taste of this Life giving stream. "I feel no fear, a hero I Am surely now; This-this is Death-he draweth nigh, How cold my brow! 117 |