MORE OF A STORNOWAY EVENING

 LIGHT

If life around seems grim

With all-embracing dark;

If Christians’ light grows dim

And gutters to a spark

Lift up your eyes and see afar

The shining of the Morning Star.

Among His faithful saints

The love of Christ gives light

Excluding Satan’s feints

To lead them into night;

Within the heart of every one

Shines gloriously the risen Sun.

His sweetness does not cloy

But makes our spirits full;

He makes our souls enjoy

The principle of rule;

His warmth surrounds with its embrace

Suffusing all our hearts with grace.

And His assembly shines

With God’s own glory’s rays:

The Spirit’s wise designs

Will soon appear in day

But in the night she rules for Him

Whose light towards her is never dim.

Where Light which has no taints

Has once, in beauty, been

Now all Christ’s chosen saints

Are lights in a dark scene:

While patiently His people wait

With variant lights they scintillate.

LAND iii

We will come to a land
Whose stones are iron, we
Escaped from the iron furnace.
For God will have a house fixed
By iron without weight:
Iron for things of iron.

He has given us what is best
From the ancient mountains; precious
From the everlasting hills.  He only
Placed them there before:
Up, let us mine these stores,
Let us dig copper.

SMITH

In red intensity of heat
Sweat pouring in great drops
Among the hiss of steam
I myself forged these nails,
Rough, rugged, brutal.

With my consummate skill
Toiling before the furnace
I formed this spearhead,
Sharp, jagged, brutal.

This iron will savour flesh
To liberate rare blood
And loose lustrant water.