Poems (Shipton)/The Prayer Vessel
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THE PRAYER VESSEL.
1 Peter ii. 5.
"He that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents."—Matt. xxv. 16.
Of God's divinest blessings,
O child, thou art the steward.
Send forth thy prayer-girt vessel,
By faith's strong hand secured;
Chartered by Christ's own promise,
Thy frail bark ne'er shall fail,
And if becalmed it tarry,
Thy breath may swell the sail.
O child, thou art the steward.
Send forth thy prayer-girt vessel,
By faith's strong hand secured;
Chartered by Christ's own promise,
Thy frail bark ne'er shall fail,
And if becalmed it tarry,
Thy breath may swell the sail.
Bear thou thy brother's burden;
The tear by pity stirred
Begets the sigh for succor,
The cheering wayside word.
Fast are the seasons passing;
Each garnered grain may be
Seen in the Land of Glory,
In some celestial tree.
The tear by pity stirred
Begets the sigh for succor,
The cheering wayside word.
Fast are the seasons passing;
Each garnered grain may be
Seen in the Land of Glory,
In some celestial tree.
If the red gold thou hast not,
Nor precious things of earth,
Thou hast unfailing riches
Where gold is nothing worth;
Thou'lt have some garden spices,
Though thy land seem bleak and bare,
For 'mid the many mansions
There blooms a garden fair.
Nor precious things of earth,
Thou hast unfailing riches
Where gold is nothing worth;
Thou'lt have some garden spices,
Though thy land seem bleak and bare,
For 'mid the many mansions
There blooms a garden fair.
Send forth thy heart-store bravely,
No prayer hath e'er been lost;
Thy tears and sighs are numbered;
Thy Father knows the cost.
"With loving heart devising
Burdens for every breeze,
Trust thou the wealth to meet them
In God's rich granaries.
No prayer hath e'er been lost;
Thy tears and sighs are numbered;
Thy Father knows the cost.
"With loving heart devising
Burdens for every breeze,
Trust thou the wealth to meet them
In God's rich granaries.
Send it! In worldly blindness
If men should mock thy trade,
God's blessings rest upon thee,
Lade on! be not afraid;
Mean unto them thy measure,
The prayer of patient years,
Or thy heart's secret service,
That Jesus' smile endears.
If men should mock thy trade,
God's blessings rest upon thee,
Lade on! be not afraid;
Mean unto them thy measure,
The prayer of patient years,
Or thy heart's secret service,
That Jesus' smile endears.
Thy track may seem all shadow,
And hope be lost to sight;
Fear not—trust on: the darkness
To Christ, the Lord, is light.
He guards thy love-sent vessel,
And rich He counts thy store;
Thy cargo bears no sorrow
Back from the unseen shore.
And hope be lost to sight;
Fear not—trust on: the darkness
To Christ, the Lord, is light.
He guards thy love-sent vessel,
And rich He counts thy store;
Thy cargo bears no sorrow
Back from the unseen shore.
Thy wealth upon the waters
Cast thou, and tremble not;
In angel habitations
No prayer will be forgot:
So speed—speed for thy vessel
Upon the trackless main!
The breeze that wafts thy treasures
Will blessings brine; again.
Cast thou, and tremble not;
In angel habitations
No prayer will be forgot:
So speed—speed for thy vessel
Upon the trackless main!
The breeze that wafts thy treasures
Will blessings brine; again.
When from the safe "hereafter"
Thou ponderest o'er the past,
Thou'lt own Who ruled the waters
On which thy bread was cast;
For never yet confounded,
Since flowed time's changeful flood,
Was the merchantman who trusted
His goodly store to God.
Thou ponderest o'er the past,
Thou'lt own Who ruled the waters
On which thy bread was cast;
For never yet confounded,
Since flowed time's changeful flood,
Was the merchantman who trusted
His goodly store to God.