Words From His Servant

WORDS FROM HIS SERVANT

 

Elizabeth Cecelia Douglas Clephane was a believer who was born and lived in Scotland. She was known parochially as a faithful servant of Christ who not only lived a modest life, but sold much of what she had in order to minister to the poor. She wrote 8 sets of words to hymns which would later be put to music. But these hymns were only discovered after her death. Can you imagine such a thing today? This humble servant of our Lord and Savior wrote them only for Christ.

Are two hymns about which she is well known. There is one in particular which moves and convicts and break me into an unworthy vessel of worship. Besides the Word of God, there are few words without music which make my cry openly and without shame, and when added to music this hymn releases me from all my pride and leads me into realms of glory about which there are no words. Please do not gloss over them, but set aside a time where His eternal shadow can cast itself upon your earth bound frame, and let the glory of where “Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet” thrill your soul and imprison your heart!

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.

There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

 
I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.