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Title: Precious Things
Author: Frances Ridley Havergal [
More Titles by Havergal]
I.
OH what shining revelation of His treasures God hath given!
Precious things of grace and glory, precious things of earth and heaven.
Holy Spirit, now unlock them with Thy mighty golden key,
Royal jewels of the kingdom let us now adoring see!
II.
['Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious.'! PET. ii. 7.]
Christ is precious, oh most precious, gift by God the Father sealed;
Pearl of greatest price and treasure, hidden, yet to us revealed;
His own people's crown of glory, and resplendent diadem;
More than thousand worlds, and dearer than all life and love to them.
III.
['Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious.'--i PET. ii. 6.]
Marvellous and very precious is the Corner Stone Elect;
Though rejected by the builders, chosen by the Architect;
All-supporting, all-uniting, and all-crowning, tried and sure;
True Foundation, yet true Headstone of His temple bright and pure.
IV.
['Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot'--i PET. i. 18, 19.]
Now, in reverent love and wonder, touch the theme of deepest laud,
Precious blood of Christ that bought us and hath made us nigh to God!
His own blood, O love unfathomed ! shed for those who loved Him not;
Mighty fountain always open, cleansing us from every spot.
V.
['How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!'--Ps. cxxxix. 17.]
Oh, how wonderful and precious are Thy thoughts to us, O God!
Outlined in Creation, blazoned on Redemption's banner broad;
Infinite and deep and dazzling as the noontide heavens above;
Yet more wonderful to usward are Thy thoughts of peace and love.
VI.
['Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature.'--2 PET. i. 4.]
Then, exceeding great and precious are Thy promises Divine;
Given by Christ, and by the Spirit sealed with sweetest 'All are thine!'
Precious in their peace and power, in their sure and changeless might,
Strengthening, comforting, transforming; suns by day and stars by night
VII.
[To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.'--2 PET. i. i.]
Precious faith our God hath given; rich in faith is rich indeed!
Fire-tried gold from His own treasury, fully meeting every need:
Channel of His grace abounding; bringing peace and joy and light;
Purifying, overcoming ; linking weakness with His might.
VIII.
['The precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard ; that went down to the skirts of his garments.'--Ps. cxxxiii. 2.]
Precious ointment, very costly, of chief odours pure and sweet,
Holy gift for royal priesthood, thus for temple-service meet;
Such the Spirit's precious unction, oil of gladness freely shed,
Sanctifying and abiding on the consecrated head.
IX.
['How excellent (marg. precious) is Thy loving kindness, O God I therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.'--PS. xxxvi. 7; ISA. liv. 8, 10.]
Who shall paint the flash of splendour from the opened casket bright,
When His precious loving-kindness beams upon the quickened sight!
Priceless jewel ever gleaming with imperishable ray,
God will never take it from us, though the mountains pass away.
X.
['It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.'--JOB xxviii. 16, 18.]
Far more precious than the ruby, or the crystal's rainbow light,
Valued not with precious onyx or with pearl and sapphire bright,
Freely given to all who ask it, is the wisdom from above,
Pure and peaceable and gentle, full of fruits of life and love.
XI.
['Blessed of the Lord be his land for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth.
'--DEUT. xxxiii. 13-16.]
Norwithhold we glad thanksgiving for His mercies ever new,
Precious things of earth and heaven, sun and rain and quickening dew;
Precious fruits and varied crowning of the year His goodness fills,
Chief things of the ancient mountains, precious things of lasting hills.
XII.
['If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shall be as My mouth.' JER. xv. 19.]
Such His gifts! but mark we duly our responsibility
Unto Him whose name is Holy, infinite in purity;
Sin and self no longer serving, take the precious from the vile,
So His power shall rest upon thee, thou shalt dwell be neath His smile.
XIII.
[The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold.'--LAM. iv. a.]
Sons of Zion, ye are precious in your heavenly Father's sight,
Ye are His peculiar treasure, ye His jewels of delight;
Sought and chosen, cleansed and polished, purchased with transcendent cost,
Kept in His own royal casket, never, never to be lost.
XIV.
['That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.'--I PET. i. 7.]
Precious, more than gold that wasteth, is the trial of your faith,
Fires of anguish or temptation cannot dim it, cannot scathe!
Your Refiner sitteth watching till His image shineth clear,
For His glory, praise, and honour, when the Saviour shall appear.
XV.
[Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.'--Ps. cxvi; 15.]
Precious, precious to Jehovah is His children's holy sleep;
He is with them in the passing through the waters cold and deep;
Everlasting love enfolds them softly, safely to His breast,
Everlasting love receives them to His glory and His rest.
XVI.
['He showed me that, great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious; even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.' REV.
xxi. 10, ii.]
Pause not here, the Holy City, glorious in God's light, behold !
Like unto a stone most precious, clear as crystal, pure as gold;
Strong foundations, fair with sapphires, sardius and chrysolite,
Blent with amethyst and jacinth, emerald and topaz bright.
XVII.
['A city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.'--HEB. xi. 10.]
Glorious dwelling of the holy, where no grief or gloom of sin
Through the pure and pearly portals evermore shall enter in:
Christ its Light and God its Temple, Christ its song of endless laud!
Oh what precious consummation of the precious things of God!
[The end]
Frances Ridley Havergal's poem: Precious Things
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