"Higher and Higher!" by Thomas Spurgeon [son of C. H. Spurgeon]
|
|
Published in The Sword and The Trowel |
|
Year 1882, Pilgrim Volume 6, Pg. 548 . |
When the visitor asked how the invalid was, her anxious friends replied, "Oh, she's getting lower and lower." But when he grasped her trembling, transparent hand, and enquired if that were so, she said sweetly, "Oh, no; higher and higher!"
The condition of her poor body may be thus described —
| "Lower and lower the pulse-beats sink, |
| Lesser and lesser the life-cords shrink, |
| Looser and looser the vital link, |
| Little by little she nears the brink." |
But she, thinking more of her near approach to glory and to Jesus than of the sinking of her body, would not have it so: not lower and lower, but higher and higher.
| "Higher and higher, not lower and lower, |
| Each pain proves a lever to lift; |
| Brighter and brighter, not darker and darker, |
| Each cloud has its light-letting rift!
"Nearer and nearer, not farther and farther, |
| I'll soon reach the harbour of peace; |
| Calmer and calmer, not rougher and rougher, |
| For I'm nearing the happy release!" |
And this was not mere fancy, nor the expression of a hope; it was a glorious, bright reality —
| "Nearer and nearer her Saviour drew, |
| Clearer and clearer the glory grew, |
| Dearer and dearer the promise true, |
| Minute by minute, as minutes flew.
"Slighter and slighter her pain she deemed, |
| Lighter and lighter the burden seemed, |
| Brighter and brighter the vista gleamed, |
| Daily and nightly of Jesus she dreamed.
"Deeper and deeper the flow of grace, |
| Sweeter and sweeter the Lamb-lit face, |
| Meeter and meeter the heavenly place, |
| Hourly enjoying her Lord's embrace." |
Ere long she fell on sleep. She had been gradually rising "higher and higher" — she was suddenly lifted into the highest.
| "Higher, and nigher, and better — nay, best! |
| When Jesus said, 'Friend, come up higher, and rest |
| Thy poor weary head, like John, on my breast! |
| Precious Saviour, vouchsafe we may each thus be blest!" |
.
- PILGRIM PUBLICATIONS INTERNET
- PILGRIM PUBLICATIONS MAGAZINE
- PILGRIM PUBLICATIONS HOME PAGE
- PILGRIM SPURGEON BIOGRAPHY PAGE
E-Mail: CATALOG REQUEST or FEEDBACK
http://www.pilgrimpublications.com/higher.htm |
LAST MODIFIED September 2 - 2004 |
. |
