MASTER

How sweetly doth, "My Master sound, my Master";
   When sin appeared to overwhelm
And wreak disaster
   The Saviour deftly seized the helm,
And I rejoice to voyage with such a master.

Sin made me out of sorts and out of key
   And death loomed like a gloomy cell
To harrow me;
   His victory makes praises well,
Knowing that Christ now holds the master key.

If Satan seemed to gain the victory
  Through power, despair, defeat and loss,
With enmity
   In love and weakness on the cross
The Lord of glory gained the mastery.

As His disciple needing to be taught
   I need to hear the Master speak
And to be brought
   To One so glorious and meek
That it is of Himself I'm taught. 

As His apprentice I set out to piece
   Pieces together in His way:
What poor increase!
   Yet when my dust is cleared away
I shall stand by Him as His masterpiece.



How sweetly doth, "My Master sound, my Master", is the first line of The Odour 2 Cor 2: 15 by George Herbert.

THE SON AND THE SPIRIT

Firstly, a woman,

In whom that which was begotten in her,
As power of the Highest overshadowed her,
Was of the Spirit of God.
 

Then an ambience of receptors,

Like pistils for pollen,
Prepared for Him in the temple
By the Holy Spirit of God.
 

About thirty years progressed

Till the substance of divine approval
Anointing a praying Man
Was the Holy Spirit.
 

An active life followed

Each word, step or touch
Blessing to men
By the Spirit of God.
 

Qualified for glory, qualified

For rule - He was qualified
To offer Himself to God
By the eternal Spirit.

Risen, elevated, honoured,

At the Father’s right
He acted as Minister of grace
Giving His Holy Spirit.
 

He has His church now

Integrated and vital,
Welled by the love of God,
Through the One Spirit.

JOSEPH'S HOUSE

Over his house there was a man
Who knew the secrets of his mind
And worked to implement his plan
Till Joseph’s brethren were refined.

Within Christ’s house the Spirit acts
Administering Christ’s affairs,
And bringing in Christ’s peace attracts
To Christ the hearts of Christ’s co-heirs.

Blest Holy Spirit, we delight
To know Thy mind is life and peace;
Thy workings make our hearts unite,
And make our love for Christ increase.

JOSEPH IN EGYPT

As Joseph’s wisdom’s words were proved,
Telling how Egypt should begin
The Pharaoh’s admiration moved
To say God’s Spirit dwelt within.

No doubt the Spirit guided, for
Whatever Joseph’s place or role;
As brother, slave or governor
He showed an equal self-control.

And now, in truth, God’s Spirit dwells
Within the faithful hearts of saints
To exercise the power that wells
In praises, and in sin’s restraints.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

Nothing else is ever needed
But the blood of Christ
That salvation may be pleaded:
Nothing else.

Nothing less gives satisfaction
To God's rights or heart
In the face of sin's infraction;
Nothing less.

Nothing more has been demanded,
Nothing we can add;
In His love God has commanded
Nothing more.

 

THE ROCK

THE ROCK

Free to be bound for where I willed

I tramped; by-ways, cross-paths, bent

My footsteps; what turned my campaign?

What stumbling-block hampered me;

What damped? No end appeared,

However long my feet stamped

Or my muscles struggled. With no lamp

To lead, nothing in which to confide,

What tampered with my will? Justice, that Rock,

Broke me, blocked me, drove me from my own way.

But where to hide? Where I ventured

Storms mock and shafts of lightning

Deride meagre strivings. That Sinai

Cannot provide a shelter. Yet truth

Is my only Rock and Refuge:

Oh grace and truth deploys

The cleft in which, safe, I abide;

Mercy was guide up to this haven.

Blood poured, a saving tide

From the stricken side of the Son of God.

After these ways and such protection

Rescued by mercy and by God's grace,

Saved, sustained and nobly elevated.

From being cock of my own dunghill,

Set among nobles, one stone

In its place; with a princely people.

These feet once grazed now prancing,

Hinds feet, firm on the Rock.

What power to convey a lofty degree:

Co-heirs with the pre-eminent Man!

From my new stance, seeking sweetness

For enhancement of fresh modes of love,

Joy to my countenance, power to make me

Dance, where should I go? The Rock,

Sublime answer to each circumstance,

Seemed to unlock - the honey poured.

No time or chance will now meet me

For which there is no solution: Christ -  

For me to gather, His undeviance,

His loveliness, my model, my way of advance.

So long deplored, the old structure

Lies shattered, not to be restored

Nor rebuilt. Where can I Build? The Rock

Rejected once, now adored, constitutes

The only Foundation. Here God has worked - 

This sure place. Knock and chisel

The stones till their curbed forms afford

Virtue of the bed-rock; ignore no fault

But relish quality, a good hoard

In each exploring consonances of Christ.

Fruits flourish; the tree sprouts

By the pure spring whose attributes derive

From its source, the struck Rock; psalms

Erupt from hearts; bruiting with joy

Clear compositions. The Spirit's flow

Contributes the music. By still waters

The bright flock, rested in safety,

Imbibes what distributes health,

Fresh responses. Through water free

From pollution or harm the purity wells.

Oil exudes; sucking from the Rock

Let us exploit what God provides

From It to employ our hearts in praise

As anointed servants; let light shine

From us who walk in the Spirit's power

To express God's goodness in voice

And ways. Employ priests lips,

Priest's members in all our days.

From our Rock towards our God loose

Rejoicing, admiration, adoration, love!

SELFLESSNESS

Selflessness: always the sheep,

All wanderers and all in need,

Brambled, fallen, or sickening,

Occupied His days. Touching,

Searching and healing He cared for them;

Whatever the distance, the hour, the depths,

Like the urgent benighted fisher

He was on call and on duty. Tenderly

He bore the lambs; patiently

Led the sheep; constantly was door

To their fold: both in metaphor and fact

He laid down His life for the sheep.

LOVE

Love worked to form a universe

That Men with Love should dwell therein;

Love worked in grandeur to reverse

The early ravages of Sin;

Love made, in wisdom from above,

A place where it could work in Love.

Love saw the depths to which Man fell

When he rejected Love for lust;

Love took the action to repel

The fallen Man Love could not trust;

But Love had purposed long before

To bring Man's soul to Love once more.

Love came to Earth to show to Man

Love's perfect way bring Man back;

Love, that had first conceived the plan,

Was subjected to Man's attack;

Love, that endured Man's works of shame,

Went willingly to bear the blame.

Love found some answer to the way

In which, through Love, it had come near;

Where Love had been in full display

The Few found Love cast out their fear;

Here though the many might deride

Love has where it may now abide.

From an ascended place on high

Love sent the power to link the Few

To its abode and draw them nigh

In Love whose touch is always new.

And Love has come to shed abroad

Within their hearts the Love of God.

Love welcomes us to its domain;

Paternal Love surrounds us there,

With Love to lead, Love to sustain,

Love for Love's own with whom we share.

Love finds its perfect rest above,

Enjoying those secured by Love.

And every day Love shows the way

By which the Few may humbly go;

And Love rejoices to display

Itself to them that they may grow.

Till with the saints Love takes above

We glory in eternal Love.

WORK

I sought to answer to the Lord's command

To work for Him; immediately Pride

Came puffing up and told me, "Make it grand

So that your reputation will abide".

But what was said by Simpleness-of-eye?

"Look steadfastly on Christ who is on high."

Now Self came rushing forward to agree

With Pride; and fearful, said "Don't be a fool

And risk there being any harm to me:

Beware you do not use a two  edged tool!"

But what was said by Simpleness-of-eye?

"Look steadfastly on Christ who is on high."

Stiff-necked Legality next sought my ear

Suggesting, with stentorian demand,

That I should labour only in his fear

And let his iron talon guide my hand.

But what was said by Simpleness-of-eye?

"Look steadfastly on Christ who is on high."

Ease yawned and said, "Forget the word of truth,

Or maybe leave it for another day",

While Pleasure called to me, with Lusts-of-Youth,

To try to show a more convenient way.

But what was said by Simpleness-of-eye?

"Look steadfastly on Christ who is on high."

O Holy Spirit, help that I may be

A workman who has not to be ashamed,

Without distraction as empowered by Thee

And building so that Jesus is acclaimed;

Help me to say with Simpleness-of-eye,

"Look steadfastly on Christ who is on high."