THE BURDEN-BEARER by C. M. Snow

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 26, 1902

THE BURDEN-BEARER.

By C. M. Snow

WHEN the heart is chilled with a nameless dread, And the burden of sorrow unceasing grows, With an empty room in the aching heart For the one low lying under the snows, 'Tis well we learn that the biting smart In the inmost soul from that cruel dart Has a lotion sweeter than Gilead's balm, And the struggling soul may have sweetest calm, If we lift the heart and the drooping head To the light of God on our pathway shed.

'Tis a heavy load they are bearing here, In the heat of the day, who have never learned Of the cooling streams from the well of life, And the heart of love that has leaned and yearned Toward their troubled soul in the stress and strife That have cut their heart like a jagged knife, But that heavenly blessing has hung above That throbbing head like a shield of love; And heaven has noticed each comfortless tear That fell where we followed some fond hope's bier.

Man's Burden-Bearer is stooping low, And the load you carry He longs to bear. With a heart of love He is calling you Away from your grief and your cloud of care To those blossoming fields under skies of blue, Where hopes are bright, and where hearts are true, Why plant more flowers to droop and die Round the grave of our hopes where our idols lie, And add new weight to this old earth's woe, Where joy should have tenanted long ago?

If your heart would leap, and your tongue would sing, With a joy more rare than the rich can know, Then lift the load from your aching heart To His great, strong arms who will bear your woe, Who will heal the hurt of the sharpest dart, And the richest blessings of peace impart. O, it is not fancy's flickering breath That buoys our hope in this race with death; 'Tis the word of our risen, ransoming King That makes the halls of our glad heart ring. Oakland, Cal. C. M. SNOW.