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If the path I travel Lead me to the cross, If the way Thou choosest Lead to pain and loss, Let the compensation Daily, hourly, be Shadowless communion, Blessed Lord, with Thee. |
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If there’s less of earth joy, Give, Lord, more of heaven. Let the spirit praise Thee, Though the heart be riven; If sweet earthly ties, Lord, Break at Thy decree, Let the tie that binds us, Closer, sweeter, be. |
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Lonely though the pathway, Cheer it with Thy smile; Be Thou my companion Through earth’s little while; Selfless may I live, Lord, By Thy grace to be Just a cleansed channel For Thy life through me. |
After clearing Miss Barber of the injustice, the mission board wanted to send her back to China. However, she felt that the time to leave the mission had arrived, so she resigned from the mission assignments, left the denomination, and came to China on her own by faith. She returned to Mawei outside of Foochow and settled there. She spent most of her time praying. She also preached the gospel and supplied life to the people who contacted her. She was a person who knew the Spirit and life. Several of the deep hymns in our hymnal were written by her and translated by Brother Nee, such as Hymns, #377, "If the path I travel / Lead me to the cross, / If the way Thou choosest / Lead to pain and loss," and hymn 506 in Chinese: "He faileth not, for He is God." From reading her hymns, we know that she was quite spiritual and that she knew how to pray.
Man's greatest suffering is finding his desires unfulfilled. When a person cannot satisfy his desires, he may rebel, disagree, or complain in his heart. But if he would lift up his head at that very moment and say to the Lord, "I thank You because this is Your will," his capacity would be increased. Without the cross, all spiritual blessings will stop. When harsh words, unkind expressions, or unhappy incidents happen at home, a person may weep. Yet if he would say to the Lord in tears, "I accept and am satisfied with the things You have permitted to come upon me," he would grow. Madam Guyon said, "Lord, even if You chastise me with a whip, I will still kiss that whip with my mouth." Miss Barber wrote in one of her hymns: "Let the spirit praise Thee,/Though the heart be riven" (Hymns, #377). This was spoken by one who truly knew God and who truly knew the cross.
This also is a very good hymn. The expressions and wording are very poetic, and the feeling is very deep. Everything about it belongs to a higher realm and is lofty and mature. It is rare for a hymn on fellowship to reach such a standard. There is not a tint of unnaturalness or extreme. It is a genuine expression of a genuine lover of the Lord toward Him. It is perfect submission borne out of perfect consecration. It is the voice of submission that comes from the heart of one who has no resistance toward the Lord.
"If the path I travel/Lead me to the cross,/If the way Thou choosest/Lead to pain and loss,/Let the compensation /Daily, hourly, be/Shadowless communion,/Blessed Lord, with Thee." This is full of consecration and submission.
Stanza two is the best stanza in the whole hymn. Here the feeling ascends still higher. "If there's less of earth joy"—the writer is contemplating—"Give, Lord, more of heaven." He is praying to God, not for deliverance or for change, but for more fellowship. "Let the spirit praise Thee, /Though the heart be riven." Here is a person who can differentiate between the heart and the spirit. The heart may be broken, but the spirit can praise. The heart may be riven, but the spirit is still fresh before God. He knows the difference between the heart and the spirit. He does not ask for enjoyment of the heart but for compensation of the spirit. He has begun the ascent, but the next line is still higher. The first line says, "If there's less of earth joy," while the fifth line says, "If sweet earthly ties, Lord,/Break..." These two lines are linked by the word earth. This is poetry. "If sweet earthly ties, Lord,/Break at Thy decree,/Let the tie that binds us,/Closer, sweeter, be." He seeks neither compromise nor escape. He asks only for better fellowship. He jumps from the "sweet earthly ties" in the fifth line to "the tie that binds us." This is lovely. The feeling is fine, the words are right, and the structure is wonderful. This is beautiful!
Since stanza two reaches the climax, stanza three turns into a prayer: "Lonely though the pathway,/Cheer it with Thy smile." "Cheer it with Thy smile"—this is so spiritual and poetic. "Selfless may I live, Lord,/By Thy grace to be/Just a cleansd channel/For Thy life through me." This means that he asks for nothing else except that he would be a selfless and holy vessel to carry out God's will. This is the prayerful finale of a consecrated person in suffering. If we read this hymn carefully, we will see that this is truly a fine hymn. We have to come to God to learn these hymns and the spirit of these hymns.
James 1:2 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, whenever you fall into various trials." First Peter 1:6 says, "In which time you exult." What is this? Verse 8 says, "Whom having not seen, you love; into whom though not seeing Him at present, yet believing, you exult with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory." In chapter four, verses 12 and 13 say, "Beloved, do not think that the fiery ordeal among you, coming to you for a trial, is strange, as if it were a strange thing happening to you; but inasmuch as you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice exultingly." These few passages tell us how we should behave in the days of tribulation. The book of James speaks of "various trials." This includes the trials that one should face as well as trials that one should not face; they come all at once. Enemies come, friends come, unbelievers come, brothers come, and reasonable as well as unreasonable things come. All kinds of trials come, but these things cannot take away our joy. Please remember that the Bible always qualifies joy with such adjectives as great and full. All of God's joys are great and full. First Peter 1:6 says that one greatly rejoices, while the grief is but for "a little while" (RSV). Can there be grief? Yes, there can; in fact, grief is unavoidable. While our eyes are here, tears will always come. As long as our tear ducts are here, tears will always come. But even though there may be tears, there is also rejoicing. Hence, 1 Peter 1:8 speaks of "joy that is unspeakable and full of glory." There is no way to describe this joy. Many times, while our tears are still wet, we are already shouting, "Hallelujah." Many times, while tears are still rolling, our mouths are thanking and praising God. Many people have tears that are mingled with their thanksgiving and praises. Miss M.E. Barber wrote a hymn with one line which says, "Let the spirit praise Thee,/Though the heart be riven" (Hymns, #377). While we live on earth today, our heart cannot help but be riven at times. The heart has its feelings, yet the spirit can still praise the Lord. First Peter 4:12 says that we should rejoice not only in the midst of trials, but also in anticipation of the trials. This means that we should welcome the trials and say, "Praise and thank the Lord, the trials are here again."
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Hag.
Alongwith every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, I cetrainly love: “NEVERTHELESS THE FOUNDATION OF GOD STANDETH SURE HAVING THIS SEAL: the Lord knoweth them that are his and Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and OF silver, but, also of wood and OF earth… If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master’s use; prepared unto every good work. ” -II. Timothy 2. 19-21
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
Today is August 13th, my mom passed away and I played this hymn by her bedside. It reminded me of her life full of difficulties but her faith never waining.
Margaret Emma Barber was a British missionary in China. She was born in 1866 in Suffolk, England, the daughter of Louis (a wheelwright—one who repairs or makes wooden wheels), and Martha (née Gibbs) Barber.
Miss Barber was an Anglican missionary sent by the Church Missionary Society to the city of Fujian, China, where she taught in the Tau Su Girls High School (a school founded and operated by the Church of England) for seven years. She became a peerless missionary so her co-missionaries became jealous of her and fabricated a serious charge against her which caused her to be recalled from the field. Barber was known for her faith. For this reason, Miss Barber decided not to vindicate herself concerning the charges made against her. She remained at home in Great Britain until years later when the chairman of the mission board became aware of the case against her and that it was misrepresented. Persuading her to tell the truth, Miss Barber told him the whole story. She was fully vindicated before the mission board.
While she remained in England, Barber came in contact with D. M. Panton, the editor of the Christian Magazine, the Dawn. Panton was both a student of the Bible and one who began to see that denominationalism was offensive in the sight of God. During 1907, Miss Barber became a member of Surrey Chapel, Norwich, and was also baptized at Surrey Chapel by full immersion. Through her relationship with Panton, Barber also began to see the denominations as something not approved in God’s eyes.
Before the board could send her back to China, Barber resigned from the mission, considering that it was the right time to do so, even though she felt led by God to return to China. She returned in 1909 along with Miss Ballord, another congregant member of Surrey Chapel, not in connection with any mission, settling in a suburb of Fuzhou, with the spiritual support of Panton and the Surrey Chapel Mission Board, Norwich, where Panton ministered. The two women rented a house in Pagoda, Anchorage where Barber lived until her death in 1930. Ballord continued to work in Pagoda Anchorage until 1950 when she returned to England.
Barber lived with little traveling, and no publicity, rather, she was content just to remain at home and pray. She helped those who sought her counseling in seeking after the Lord. One of them was Watchman Nee. Furthermore, Barber lived by faith. She was not guaranteed regular funds from the Surrey Chapel Mission Board and had no outward means of support. One of Barber’s well-known characteristics was her anticipation of the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is evident in the many poems she wrote on waiting for Christ’s return, some of which were later adapted into hymns.
In one account given by Watchman Nee concerning the eve of 1925:
Lord, would you really let the year 1925 pass away? Although it is the last day of the year, I still ask you to come today.
Barber died in 1930, in Anchorage Pagoda of Crohn’s disease. All of her belongings which include a little more than her old Bible with all her notes were left a to Watchman Nee. In the March 1930 issue of Watchman Nee’s periodical, “The Present Testimony, ” they made the following remarks concerning Miss Barber’s departure:
We feel most horrible concerning the news of Miss Barber’s passing away. She was one who was very deep in the Lord and in my opinion, the kind of fellowship she had with the Lord and the kind of faithfulness she expressed to the Lord, are rarely found on the earth.
Her small volume of poems (later changed into hymns) were published later by Miss BalLord (Miss BalLord was her niece) in China. These compositions demonstrate her striving to live “in the Lord‘s presence, “ as well as her eager anticipation of Christ’s coming back.
The first stanza of this hymn shows how she lived her life in the presence of the Lord.
(Angus Kinear ; James Reetzke; Watchman Nee)
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
This is an example of a very good hymn. The expressions and wording are very poetic, and the feeling is very deep. Everything about it belongs to a higher realm and is lofty and mature. It is rare for a hymn on fellowship to reach such a standard. There is not a tint of unnaturalness or extreme. It is a genuine expression of a genuine lover of the Lord towards Him. It is perfect submission borne out of perfect consecration. It is the voice of submission that comes from the heart of one who has no resistance towards the Lord.
Stanza two is the best stanza in the whole hymn. Here the feeling ascends still higher. “If there’s less of earth’s joy”— the writer is contemplating—“Give, Lord, more of heaven. ”She is praying to God, not for deliverance or for change, but for more fellowship. “Let the spirit praise Thee, / Though the heart be riven. “ Here is a person who can differentiate between the heart and the spirit. The heart may be broken, but the spirit can praise. The heart may be riven, but the spirit is still fresh before God. She knows the difference between the heart and spirit. She does not ask for enjoyment of the heart but for compensation of the spirit. She has begun the ascent, but the next line is still higher. The first line says, “If there’s less of earth’s joy, ” while the fifth line says “If sweet earthly ties, Lord, —break…”These two lines are linked by the word earth. This is poetry. “If sweet earthly ties, Lord, / Break at Thy decree/ let the tie that binds us, / Closer sweeter, be. ” She seeks neither compromise nor escape. She asks only for better fellowship. She jumps from the “sweet earthly ties“ in the fifth line to “the tie that binds us. ” This is lovely. The feeling is fine, the words are right, and the structure is wonderful.
Since stanza two reaches the climax, stanza three turns into a prayer: “Lonely though the pathway, /Cheer it with Thy smile. ”—this is so spiritual and poetic. Selfless may I live, Lord, / By Thy grace to be/ Just a cleansed channel/ For Thy life through me. ” This means that she asks for nothing else except that she would be a selfless and holy vessel to carry on God’s will. This is a prayerful finale of a consecrated person in suffering. If we read this hymn carefully, we will see that this is truly a fine hymn. We have to come to God to learn these hymns and the spirit of these hymns. (Christian Hymns and the Producing of a Hymnbook for Use in the Lord’s Recovery. Lesson 65.)
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
Today, 92 years ago, Margaret E. Barber passed away in China. This particular hymn shows her utter consecration and love for the Lord. In an excerpt titled “Yes Father” from a biography, it testifies of her ministry while living in a remote village in the South of China.
Why did the Lord so use Sister Barber? What was the secret of her work? Clearly her ministry corresponded to her life. Brother Watchman Nee later explained, “The Lord’s work is only the outflow of life. It is not a matter of working for the Lord, but of letting the Lord work in you. ” She could work for the Lord because she allowed the Lord to work on her and mold her.
She had a heart to love the Lord and live unto Him. Once she was facing a situation that was difficult because the price it demanded involved everything she had. In this situation she lifted up her eyes with tears and said, “Lord! in order to satisfy Your heart I am willing to have my heart broken. “
Another time, Brother Nee asked her about her experiences of obeying and doing the will of God. She said, “Whenever God delays in telling me His will, I find that I still have a disobedient heart and an improper motive within me. ” She learned this through many, many experiences. She often asked Brother Nee “Do you love God’s will? ” She did not ask, “Do you obey His will? ”
One time Sister Barber was disputing with the Lord concerning a certain matter. She knew what the Lord wanted, and in her heart she truly wanted the same thing, but it was too difficult for her. Brother Nee heard her pray, “Lord, I admit that I am not willing to learn this lesson. But please do not surrender to me. Lord, please wait! I will surrender to You. ”
She did not want the Lord to surrender to her and lessen His demands on her. She did not want anything other than to please the Lord. Several months after Sister Barber passed away, someone sent Brother Nee a box of her possessions. Among them was a note with the words: “Lord, thank you for this commandment: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind! ’”
She once said: “The secret to understanding the will of God is that 95% is a matter of submitting to the will of God, and only 5% is a matter of understanding. ” She herself proved to be a person who truly understood the will of God and knew God.
Once Brother Nee brought this question to her. “All in all, did the Lord request more from His disciples than they requested from Him? ” Brother Nee thought that the Lord requested more. Sister Barber answered, “No! we see the outward failures of men; the Lord sees their hidden victories. ” This kind of understanding must have been learned lesson by lesson before the Lord. No wonder she could be so confident and believe in God and could stand so firmly in rejecting the enemy!
One time she was sick for four days in a row. She had no coworkers with her and no money, and even the cook had gone home. She asked God why she was sick. The Lord showed her clearly that the sickness was not from God, but it was an attack from Satan. She told the Lord, “If I am wrong, then the sickness will continue. But if this is Satan‘s attack, then I shall not continue to be sick. “ She had already suffered with a high fever for four days, but she rose up immediately and wrote a hymn whose first line reads, “To the foe my word is always, “No. ” After finishing the hymn she went out to work; the sickness was gone. However God did not only teacher lessons through sickness; He also arranged many other environments to test whether she could always say “yes” to the Father.
Christian Website: The Story (p. 8)
Tirane, Albania
If the path I travel
Lead me to the cross,
If the way Thou choosest
Lead to pain and loss,
Let the compensation
Daily, hourly, be
Shadowless communion,
Blessed Lord, with Thee.
Corpus Christi, TX, United States
Early in my walk, almost 34 years ago, I was introduced to this song put to music by a blessed brother - Rudy Gutierrez. It helped sustain me as God stripped me of self, that He might increase. Today, He put it in my mind that I might worship Him and I then searched and found Rudy’s version as well as the lyrics here at this sight. Thank You Lord Jesus for Your Faithfulness in Bringing us to The Foundation and Cornerstone that You Are. Love You Lord.
Canada
Lord, lead me to the cross to see You, my blessed Lord.
Nairobi, Nyandarua, Kenya
Wonderful hymn, we need the cross to cross out all our negatives things in our life.
Cupertino, CA, United States
Great song. Beautiful
Culumbus, Ohio, United States
The Lord gave me this hymn at the beginning of this year when I was confronted with the realities of the loss of my mother and my strained ties to my sister over the course of our lives. it ministered to me in a multifaceted way and allowed me to let go of the natural love I had in my life and supplied me with an all sufficient grace to be able to put the past behind me and moved forward in my walk with Christ and my pursuit of His will and purpose for me in my relationships to family, others and Himself. Sister Barber has met my need in her releasing such a gem of a hymn. Praise the Lord!