An Ode

AN ODE

The spacious firmament on high ,
With all the blue ethereal sky ,
And spangled heavens ,a shining frame ,
Their great Original proclaim .
The unwearied sun from day to day
Does his Creator’s power display ,
And publishes to every land
The work of an almighty Hand .

Soon as the evening shades prevail ,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale ,
And nightly ,to the listening earth ,
Repeats the story of her birth ;
Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn ,
Confirm the tidings as they roll ,
And spread the truth from pole to pole

What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball ?
What though nor real voice nor sound
Amid their radiant orbs be found ?
In reason’s ear they all rejoice ,
And utter forth a glorious voice ,
For ever singing as they shine ,
“The Hand that made us is divine ! ”
Jan Bagwell

The Burial of Moses

The Burial of Moses

By Nebo’s lonely mountain ,on this side Jordan’s wave ,
In a vale in the land of Moab ,there lies a lonely grave ;
But no man dug that sepulcher ,and no man saw it e’er ,
For the angels of God upturned the sod ,and laid the dead man there .

That was the grandest funeral that ever passed on earth ;
But no man heard the tramping ,or saw the train go forth ;
Noiselessly as the daylight comes when the night is done ,
And the crimson streak on the ocean’s cheek grows into the great sun,-

Noiselessly as the spring-time her crown of verdure weaves ,
And all the trees on all the hills open their thousand leaves ,-
So , without sound of music ,or voice of them that wept ,
Silently down the mountain’s crown the great procession
swept .

Lo! When the warrior dieth , his comrades of the war,
With arms reversed ,and muffled drums, follow the funeral car
They show the banners taken ,they tell his battles won ,
And after him lead his masterless steed ,while peals the minute-gun .

Amid the noblest of the land men lay the sage to rest ,
And give the bard an honored place with costly marble
dressed ,
In the great minster transept ,where lights like glories fall ,
And the sweet choir sings ,and the organ rings ,along the emblazoned wall .

This was the bravest warrior that ever buckled sword ;
This the most gifted poet that ever breathed a word ;
And never earth’s philosopher traced , with his golden pen ,
On the dealthless page , truths half so sage ,as he wrote down for men .

And had he not high honor ,the hillside for a pall ;
To lie in state while angels wait with stars for tapers tall;
And the dark rock pines ,like tossing plumes ,over his bier to wave ;
And God’s own hand ,in that lonely land ,to lay him in the grave ?

O lonely tomb in Moab’s land !O dark Beth-peor’s hill ,
Speak to these curious hearts of ours, and teach them to
be still :
God hath his mysteries of Grace –ways that we cannot tell ;
He hides them deep ,like the secret sleep of him he loved so well .
Jan Bagwell

God of Life through all the cicling years :

GOD OF OUR LIFE THROUGH ALL THE CIRCLING YEARS:

God of our life ,through all the circling years,
We trust in Thee ;
In all the past ,through all our hopes and fears,
Thy hand we see .
With each new day ,when morning lifts the veil ,
We own Thy mercies , Lord ,which never fail .

God of the past ,our times are in Thy hand ;
With us abide .
Lead us faith to hope’s true Promised Land ;
Be Thou our guide .
With Thee to bless ,the darkness shines as light ,
And faith’s fair vision changes into sight .

God of the coming years ,through paths unknown
We follow Thee ;
When we are strong ,Lord ,leave us not alone ;
Our Refuge be .
Be Thou for us in life our Daily Bread ,
Our heart’s true Home when all our years have sped .
Jan Bagwell

The Heart of the Eternal

THE HEART OF THE ETERNAL

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy ,
Like the wideness of the sea ;
There’s a kindness in His justice ,
Which is more than liberty .

For the love of God is broader
Than the measures of man’s mind ;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind .

If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word ,
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord .
Jan Bagwell

Look Beyond

Look beyond your sufferings
Look beyond your fear
Look beyond your adversity
And find the Lord so near
Look beyond the problem
Look beyond the now
Look beyond the turmoil|
And before Him humbly bow
For, inlooking beyond and bowing,
You will find your normal sight...
Takes on spiritual vision
In God's sustaining light.
Jan Bagwell