Light of a Stone Most Precious

God in heaven hath a treasure,

Riches none may count or tell;

Hath a deep eternal pleasure,

Christ, the Son He loveth well.

God hath here on earth a treasure,

None but He its price may know—

Deep unfathomable pleasure,

Christ revealed in saints below.

Christ, the light that fills the heavens

Shining forth on earth beneath,

Through His Spirit freely given

Light of life ‘midst shades of death;

Down from heaven's unclouded glory

God Himself the treasure brought,

Closing thus His love's sweet story

With His sweetest, deepest thought.

God, in tongues of fire descending,

Chosen vessels thus to fill

With the treasure never ending,

Ever spent—unfailing still.

Still unwasted, undiminished

Though the days of dearth wear on,

Store eternally unfinished—

Fresh, as if but now begun.

Earthen vessels, marred, unsightly,

But the treasure as of old,

Fresh from glory, gleaming brightly,

Heaven's undimmed, unchanging gold.

God's own hand the vessel filling

From the glory far above,

Longing hearts for ever stilling

With those riches of His love.

Thus, through earthen vessels only,

Shining forth in ceaseless grace,

Reaching weary hearts and lonely,

Beams the light in Jesu's face.

Vessels worthless, broken, bearing

Through the hungry ages on,

Riches given with hand unsparing,

God's great gift, His precious Son.

Thus, though worn, and tried, and tempted,

Glorious calling, saint, is thine;

Can the Lord but find thee emptied,

That is all He seeks to find.

Vessels of the world's despising,

Vessels weak, and poor, and base,

Bearing wealth God's heart is prizing,

Glory from Christ's blessed Face.

Oh to be but emptier, lowlier,

Mean, unnoticed, and unknown,

And to God a vessel holier,

Filled with Christ, and Christ alone!

Nought of earth to cloud the glory,

Nought of self the light to dim,

Telling forth His wondrous story,

Emptied—to be filled with Him!