Out from the furnace’s glowing heat,

With beautiful refining,

God takes His jewels, all complete,

That for His crown are shining.

Drawn from the depths of human woe,

In dust and darkness sifted,

How sweet eternal morn will glow

For stricken hearts uplifted!

Then in the shadow of the cross,

Though never strewn with flowers,

Oh, let me aid the poor and lost

To Eden’s lovely bowers!

How sweet to find, when time has flown,

And we are saved in glory,

Some little stars within our crown,

We’ve won among the lowly!

Behind the cloud I’ll quiet rest

To Jesus all resigning,

Maybe I’ll find the inside best,

With all its silver lining:

With stricken hearts to weep and wait,

Through the dark night of sorrow,

Till called to pass the pearly gate,

Into the bright tomorrow.

—Author Unknown