THE CREATION

BY

ANNIE L. BURTON

    The earth, the firmament on high,
    With all the blue ethereal sky,
    Were made by God’s creative power
    Six thousand years ago or more. 
    Man, too, was formed to till the ground;
    Birds, beasts, and fish to move around;
    The fish to swim, the birds to fly,
    And all to praise the Love most high. 
    This world is round, wise men declare,
    And hung on nothing in the air. 
    The moon around the earth doth run;
      The earth moves on its center, too;
    The earth and moon around the sun
      As wheels and tops and pulleys do. 
    Water and land make up the whole,
      From East to West, from pole to pole. 
    Vast mountains rear their lofty heads,
      Rivers roll down their sandy beds;
    And all join in one grand acclaim
      To praise the Lord’s almighty name.

MY FAVORITE HYMNS

The Ninety and Nine

    There were ninety and nine that safely lay
      In the shelter of the fold,
    But one was out on the hills away,
      Far-off from the gates of gold—­
    Away on the mountains lone and bare,
    Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

    “Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine: 
      Are they not enough for Thee?”
    But the Shepherd made answer:  “This of mine
      Has wandered away from me,
    And, although the road be rough and steep,
    I go to the desert to find my sheep.”

    But none of the ransomed ever knew
      How deep were the waters crossed;
    Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through
      Ere he found His sheep that was lost. 
    Out in the desert he heard the cry—­
    Sick and helpless, and ready to die.

    “Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way
      That mark out the mountain’s track?”
    “They were shed for one who had gone astray
      Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.” 
    “Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”
    “They are pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

    But all through the mountains, thunder-riven,
      And up from the rocky steep,
    There arose a glad cry to the height of heaven,
      “Rejoice!  I have found my sheep!”
    And the angels echoed around the throne: 
    “Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

My Faith looks up to Thee

    My faith looks up to Thee,
    Thou Lamb of Calvary,
       Saviour divine! 
    Now hear me while I pray,
    Take all my guilt away,
    O, let me from this day
       Be wholly Thine.

    May Thy rich grace impart
    Strength to my fainting heart,
       My zeal inspire;
    As Thou hast died for me,
    O, may my love to Thee
    Pure, warm, and changeless be,
       A living fire.