Gather Jewels for the King

O ea­ger hand

what are you seek­ing?

For the gold the rug­ged mount­ains keep?

For the pure white pearls

their beau­ty ly­ing

’Neath the tan­gled sea­weed of the deep?

Do you search the sands of dist­ant river

Where the pre­cious star-like dia­monds hide?

Do you wait be­side some ocean ev­er

For the ships that left with morn­ing tide?

O rest­less brain

what keeps you burn­ing?

Is it sec­rets hid in an­cient lore?

Or the mys­tic leaves of na­ture turn­ing

Reading where so ma­ny failed be­fore?

Do you strive that ere the strug­gle clos­es

Laurel crown at last may grace your head?

For a glo­ri­ous name en­wreathed with ros­es

To live on when oth­ers are all dead?

O ran­somed soul

for what the liv­ing?

For what your la­bors

pray­ers and tears?

Oh

what is worth the price­less giv­ing—

Time pre­par­ing for im­mor­tal years?

Do you ga­ther flow­ers that fade while blow­ing

All their sweet­ness on the air of June?

Do you rest where rip­ened grain is grow­ing

Though the night-time com­eth all too soon?

The gold of mount­ain

gems of ocean

Were worth strug­gling if life meant much less;

But what re­pays a soul’s de­vo­tion

But that which eter­nal years will bless?

Can the gold and gems of earth be tak­en

When the King comes for His jew­els bright?

When the crowns of earth are all for­sak­en

And the spir­it takes it up­ward flight?

There are jew­els worth a life’s hard toil­ing

Lost in sin and shame’s dark ocean waves

And gems that world­ly rust is spoil­ing

And gold bur­ied deep in liv­ing graves;

Gather them

though bil­lows cold are break­ing

And the tem­pest bit­ter­ness may bring;

Save those pre­cious gems

though heart be ach­ing;

O

ga­ther jew­els for the King!

There is not a soul so black with sin­ning

That the Lamb’s pure blood can­not re­store;

Then let all your strength be spent in win­ning

The lost to lov­ing arms once more.

Then will life be like a peace­ful riv­er

And then death Well done! and crown will bring

While in His bright homes will shine for­ev­er

All the jew­els you ga­thered for the King.