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by L B Cowman
The Old Refiner
"He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver" (Mal. 3:3).
Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the
refiner's fire. It is with the most precious metals that the assayer takes the
most pains, and subjects them to the hot fire, because such fires melt the
metal, and only the molten mass releases its alloy or takes perfectly its new
form in the mould. The old refiner never leaves his crucible, but sits down by
it, lest there should be one excessive degree of heat to mar the metal. But as
soon as he skims from the surface the last of the dross, and sees his own face
reflected, he puts out the fire. --Arthur T. Pierson
"He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat,
He knew He had ore that could stand the test,
So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,
Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,
Can we think that it pleases His loving heart
So He waited there with a watchful eye,
As He watched by the precious ore,
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.
And He wanted the finest gold
To mould as a crown for the King to wear,
Set with gems with a price untold.
Tho' we fain would have said Him 'Nay,'
And He watched the dross that we had not seen,
And it melted and passed away.
But our eyes were so dim with tears,
We saw but the fire--not the Master's hand,
And questioned with anxious fears.
As it mirrored a Form above,
That bent o'er the fire, tho' unseen by us,
With a look of ineffable love.
To cause us a moment's pain?
Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross
The bliss of eternal gain.
With a love that is strong and sure,
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat,
Than was needed to make it pure."
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