CHRISTIAN’S DELIGHT – C. T. Studd

Now Christ’s command is simple,
And meant to be obeyed,
“Go ye and preach My Gospel
In every land,” He said.

Christ hadn’t any favourites;
He lived and died for all!
So all should know the Message,
And hear His gracious call.

So I’ll go and face the music
In some dark far off land,
Where no one’s ever been before
For Christ to make a stand.

I’ll leave the ninety-nine behind,
And seek the wandering sheep,
To bring it back to Jesus Christ,
And lay it at His feet.

The way may not be easy,
The grub not over good,
The climate may be treacherous,
The men a devil’s brood.

But what of that? My Jesus
Suffered torture and the cross
For me the chief of sinners,
Lest I should suffer loss.

It may mean death or poverty,
Or grief—or pain—or shame,
But what of that? The martyrs lived
And suffered just the same.

I wouldn’t want to live at all
Unless it was to fight
For Jesus Christ and sinful men,
Morning, noon and night.

And in some fierce, hot battle,
Fighting I’d love to die,
Watching for Jesus’ coming,
To carry me home on high.

But when I walk the golden street.
I’ll blush a scarlet red,
And hide my face in shame until
The crown drops off my head.

The crown that Jesus won and gave
To His unworthy son,
Who’d done so little, and badly, too,
Even the things he’d done.

And if it won’t drop off I’ll cast
My crown at Jesus’ feet,
Then run and seek the lowest place
Upon the lowest seat.

And then I think I’ll weep and weep
Till Jesus dries my eyes,
As I realise at last the depth
Of His great sacrifice.

And that I can’t go back to earth,
And have another try
To serve Him better than before,
To suffer and to die.

And then I’ll shout with rapture
With all the heavenly host,
“Glory to God, the Father,
The Son and Holy Ghost.”

And then the joys of meeting
The loved ones gone before,
And watching for the others
To enter at the door!

My word! what introductions
To all God’s family,
And leave to ask them questions
With impunity.

I’ll want to hear from Jonah
Of his time inside the fish,
And how John Baptist laughed to see
His head upon the dish.

How Daniel felt descending
Into the lion’s den;
What Gideon thought when marching out
With but three hundred men.

What Nebby thought about the three
Who nearly caught a cold,
When thrown into the fire because
They wouldn’t worship gold.

And what they felt like when they found
That they had merely come
To have a walk with Jesus,
Who Had just arrived from Home.

We understand that Nebby got
Converted on the spot,
And right away for infidels
Began to make it hot.

We need a few like Shadrach, Meshach,
And Abednego
To pay a little visit now
To Christendom, I trow.

They’d say we were behind the times,
And just as much demented,
As poor old Uncle Nebby was
Before he had repented.

The image then was on the plain,
But now it’s come to town,
And has as many votaries
To worship and bow down.

Elijah’s thoughts on Carmel
When he faced the mighty throng-
My! how he chaffed the Baalites,
Laughing loud and long.

And what the Apostles felt and thought,
And what the women said,
When first they gazed on Jesus Christ
Risen, from the dead.

The comical grimaces of
Philippi’s magistrates,
When they had to beg Paul’s pardon
And escort him to the gates.

The thoughts of Simon Peter
When he felt the chains drop off;
And the gates began to open
Like a lion going to cough.

And why poor Rhoda’s mistress thought
She’d gone stark, staring mad,
Because she said that Peter stood
Outside the door. Too bad!

The faces of the Sadducees,
When the fishermen declared
In future they’d obey the Lord,
Not men! They must have stared.

For well they knew that Peter
Had so late denied the Lord,
In mortal fear of women, too,
Though neither had a sword.

It must have been as though they saw
A Baa-lamb on its legs;
Deploring their pernicious taste
For eating addled eggs.

Their nonplussed looks, when Peter told
The godless Roman soldiers,
“Kindly crucify me, with
My head below my shoulders.”

And when the oil began to boil,
The aspect of the crowd,
As John within began to sing,
And thank the Lord aloud.

In heaven no amusement?
I venture to declare
There’s never been such fun on earth
As we shall have up there.

The joy will be without alloy
Within our home above,
A perfect Father’s family
And every soul in love.

Enthusiastic service for
A perfect Master too,
And every servant singing,
“I want more work to do.”

All hearts will glow with rapture,
As we gaze on Jesus’ face,
While we sing the wondrous story,
Of the Father’s matchless grace.

C. T. Studd