| Through Jordan back to 'William Booth - Famous Words'
The following is a transcript of the audio clip featuring William Booth reciting the poem The Swelling of Jordan.
The Swelling of Jordan
"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" - Jeremiah XII 5.
Poor Christian, look up to the joys set before thee,
And haste on thy way to the regions of glory.
A crown and a kingdom thy faith may discover,
Thy troubles are great, but they soon will be over,
For Jesus hath suffered, thy soul to deliver,
And light up thy passage through Jordan's dark river.
The world, flesh, and Satan their forces are sending.
With footmen and horses thy soul is contending;
But dost thou grow weary and faint with thy burden,
Then what wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
O cry unto Jesus thy soul to deliver,
And he will support thee while crossing the river.
Christ is a sure help to the children of Zion,
But if thou hast any false props to rely on,
Thy soul is deluded; think what thou art doing;
O cast them away ere they sink thee to ruin;
For none but Jehovah has power to deliver
And bear up thy soul in the midst of the river.
The clouds gather blackness, the night is fast coming,
The river swells high and the billows are foaming;
On what wilt thou lean when thy strength is all wasted;
Thy reeds will all fail and thy hopes will be blasted;
O cry unto Jesus thy soul to deliver,
Or soon thou must sink in the midst of the river.
But in thy true character am I mistaken?
Hast thou by thy conduct thy Saviour forsaken?
Then come again to him, for peace and for pardon,
And ask for his aid in the swelling of Jordan:
Thy soul from all danger he then will deliver,
And nothing shall harm thee in crossing the river.
But if in His mercy thy soul is relying,
Thou never need'st fear, neither living nor dying;
The footmen and horses shall fall down before thee,
And Jordan shall open thy passage to glory;
Then when thou art landed safe over the river,
When time is no more, thou shalt praise him
for ever.
Reproduced from the Christian Mission Magazine - 01 Nov 1868 page 30
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