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THE BORDER OF HIS SANCTUARY

Is. xxxiii. 17.

               Glorious and solemn hour,
                    Thus at last to stand,
                                    All behind us the great desert,
                    All before, the land!
                                    Past the shadow of the valley,
                    Past the weary plain;
                                    Past the rugged mountain pathway,
                    Ne'er to be again.
                                    
               And before us, ever stretching
                    In its golden sheen,
                                    Lies the fair, the blessed country
                    Where our hearts have been--
                                    Where our hearts have been whilst wandering
                    Through the desert bare;
                                    For the soul's adored, beloved One,
                    He abideth there.
                                    
               Clad in love and glory stands He
                    On that glowing shore,
                                    There to speak the blessed welcome,
                    All our journeyings o'er.
                                    Now at last our eyes behold Him,
                    At His feet we fall;
                                    Two and three have we adored Him,
                    Now are gathered all.
                                    
               All His saints from all the ages,
                    Every clime and tongue,
                                    All together now we worship
                    In a faultless song.
                                    In the song no discord troubles
                    And no weakness mars,
                                    Sound we loud His Name beloved
                    Far beyond the stars.
                                    
               That blest song, first sung in glory
                    By His lips divine,
                                    Now, in chorus deep and endless
                    All his ransomed join.
                                    Glorious and solemn hour,
                    On the verge to stand
                                    Of that endless day of worhsip,
                    Of that blessed land!
                                    
               Not our sorrow we remember,
                    All is lost in bliss--
                                    But our shame gives deeper sweetness
                    To the Father's kiss.
                                    Shame--that all that desert journey
                    Nothing more could prove
                                    Than the marvels of His patience,
                    How divine His love.
                                    
               Tale of weakness, sin, and folly,
                    Tale of wandering feet--
                                    Tale of strength, and grace, and wisdom,
                    Victory complete.
                                    Sin and death and Satan trodden
                    'Neath those feet at length,
                                    In the glory of His triumph,
                    Greatness of His strength.
                                    
               Solemn hour--thus on the margin
                    Of that wondrous day,
                                    When the former things have vanished,
                    Old things passed away.
                                    Nothing but Himself before us,
                    Every shadow past--
                                    Sound we loud our word of witness,
                    For it is the last.
                                    
               One last word of solemn warning
                    To the world below--
                                    One loud shout, that all may hear us
                    Hail Him ere we go!
                                    Once more let that Name be sounded
                    With a trumpet tone--
                                    Here, amidst the thickening darkness,
                    Then, before the throne.
                    

G. W.


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