Poems by my Greatgrandfather, W.W. Embree

Be Not Dismayed
By W.W. Embree

Be not dismayed, for I will guide you,
In the way that you must go—
I will never leave or forsake you
While you’re walking here below.
Be not dismayed, that trials beset you,
They must come to one and all;
But if you cast your care upon me,
I will never let you fall.

Be not dismayed, though friends forsake you—
This you know they did to me,
But in spite of all that did it,
I went on to Calvary’s tree.
Be not dismayed, for I have paid the ransom—
Redeemed your soul from sin and shame,
That you might have that blessed knowledge;
That you, in me, shall live again.

Be not dismayed, for I am with you—
To see that you shall never fall,
For I bought you with my life’s blood,
And now be ready for the call.
Be not dismayed, the trumpet’s sounding—
To call the dead from out their graves;
And the living shall come with them
In the clouds they shall be raised.

Be not dismayed, oh glorious morning—
When I shall receive my own,
And present them, to the Father;
Hear them sing around the throne.
There, always to be with me—
Never more from me to part,
Always to rejoice and praise me,
There to always cheer my heart.



Be Not Troubled
W.W Embree

Let not your heart be troubled,
For I must now go home—
But very soon you shall see me
Sitting upon my throne.
I go to prepare a place for you—
Where you shall ever be,
And where the joy that overflows—
Is like a mighty sea.

I know your hearts are troubled now,
But yet, you’ll have to stay,
But I will send the comforter—
To lead you on the way.
Just watch and pray and do your best—
For me and men below
For I shall soon be coming back,
And then you all shall know:

Just why I went to the Father
To present before the throne—
My blood as the atonement—
That you might be coming home.
Home with God the Father,
And Jesus Christ His Son—
There to ever love and serve Him,
And there to be made one.



DUTY
by W.W. Embree

If you cannot be the watchman,
Standing on Mt Zion’s hill,
You can in the lover valley
Always do the Master’s will.
As you speak to those about you—
Pointing them to realms above,
You may feel your heart is burning
With His eternal love.

Love that sent our Lord to sacrifice,
His life on Calvary’s tree.
There he paid the debt we owed to God,
He died to make us free.
Free from sin and free from sorrow,
Free from pain and free from care,
That in that eternal glory,
We may in His glory share.


Faith in God
by W.W. Embree

If you have not the Faith of Peter
Walking on the angry waves,
You can tell the world around you—
That our Jesus came to save.
Save us from sin and folly,
That besets on every hand—
And when life’s work is ended,
We shall see the promised land.

There to see that blissful morning—
Wrought for those redeemed from Earth—
There to have an understanding
What is meant by second birth.
So we’ll keep our lamps all burning,
Filled with oil and power and love,
When the call comes from the Father—
We’ll be taken up above.

There to always be with Jesus,
Never more to go astray—
There to feast our souls upon Him—
There to see the Perfect Day.
There to listen to the angels,
As they sing around the throne—
There to satisfy our longing,
In that bright eternal HOME.


God’s Promise of Care
(see Psalm 37)
by W.W. Embree

Fret not thyself, because of evil—
For you will find it on every hand,
But I am with you to protect you—
Till you reach the promised land.
Trust in the Lord, and walk before Him—
Lay every burden at his feet,
Do not trust to self for strength,
Nor to the friends that you shall meet.

Delight thyself, in God your savour,
And always try to do His will;
Remember that He ever loves you—
And will speak the words “Be still.”
Commit thy way unto the Lord,
And He will surely bring to pass;
The great desire that fills your heart—
You’ll never need to say alas.

Rest in his grace, and wait on Him—
For He will always faithful be,
He never will forget a friend—
That’s why He went to Calvary.
There to redeem poor sinful man—
And teach him what is best to do—
That in the end he may find peace,
And have a home in Heaven too.


Hard to See
by W.W. Embree

‘Tis hard for sinful man to know
Why it is God loved them so,
And harder still for them to see,
Why Jesus should go to Calvary.

To that cruel cross on high,
There to suffer and to die.
Shed his blood and bore their sin;
That sinful man might live again.

There he took the sinner’s place,
And took the curse from the human race.
All this is hard for man to see,
Why Jesus dying on the tree,
Could satisfy and make him free.

But when they are born again from above,
They then are filled with God’s love,
Love that makes them see and know,
Why it is God loves them so.


Humbleness
W.W. Embree

If you cannot preach like St Paul,
Who the nobles gladly heard,
You can always preach like Jesus—
You can always preach the word.
Preach the word to those about you,
Never falter, never fear;
For we know that God will help you,
And will bring you good cheer.
Fill your life with loaves and fishes,
Feed the hungry, help the poor;
And you’ll find a welcome awaits you,
At every humble door.

Gather treasures for the Heavens;
Seek to know and do God’s will,
Then when Christ shall call to bless you,
He will say, “Oh peace be still.”
Peace be still—Oh wondrous blessing,
From the Father and the Son,
And at last when life is ended;
You will hear the Voice: “Well done.”
“Well done, good and faithful servant,
Enter into joys unknown,
For I’ve come to take you with me,
Into that eternal home.”



I Do Not Know

I do not know why I should grow,
And understand God’s will—
And while I wait and meditate—
My heart is saying, “Peace, be still.”

I do not know why I should seek
To know thy will,
Or why I long to be like thee;
But when the clouds are cleared away,
And I shall enter into thy day,
I then shall know.

He knows, He bids me take my cross
And follow Him—
Forsaking self, and those I love,
That I may have a home above with Him.
And while I do not understand;
But if he leads me by the hand,
I then shall know.

He knows the way I take, and when
I’ve borne my cross,
Through this dark night, and planted
It on Calvary’s height;
I then shall see the blessed light,
And be like Him, and know as I am known.




I Love Thy Word
By W.W. Embree

Lord I know that thou dost love me,
For you have proven that to me;
By the sending down of Jesus,
For to die on calvary.

In my helpless, lost condition,
Thou didst mercy to me give;
By the death of my dear savior,
Through His death that I might live.



I Love thy Word (2)
by W.W. Embree

Lord, I love thy word and ways,
Keep me in these darkening days;
Keep my lamp all shining bright,
Lest I stumble in the night.

Lead me to that fountain deep,
Safely fold me with thy sheep.
Lord, I want that thou shall be,
All and more than life to me.

So I bring myself to thee,
Soul and body yhine to be,
Teach me Lord, that I may see,
All that thou would have me to be.


Lord, Teach Us
by W.W. Embree

Lord, teach us how to pray,
That we may always do our best,
Lord, keep us ever at thy side,
And lead us into perfect rest.

Teach us Lord, to know thy will,
That we may ever faithful be—
Lord, lead us to understand, just why
You died to make men free.

Lord teach us, to ever see—
The way in which we here below,
Must travel while we are here,
For we are weak, that thou doest know.

Teach us Lord, to know thy word,
And use us in thy glorious way—
That we may more than conquers be,
And brought into that perfect day.

Fill us with power to overcome,
And lead us in the way that’s best—
That more than victors we may be,
That we may stand through every test.

Teach us Lord to humble be
And fill our hearts with love,
That we may always ready be
To come to you above.


Meditation
by W.W. Embree

As I looked upon the mountains,
Dressed in white and gold, and bleak—
Then I listened for my Savior
For I knew that he would speak.
Speak to cheer the lonely prospect,
And make me look beyond
To that hope that’s set before me,
When the winter days are gone.

How it fills my heart with wonder
As I gaze upon the view,
As I see the power and wisdom
That was given Him to do.
When I think that in the future,
those great hills must pass away,
And in the mind and purpose,
Shall bring in the new day.

A day of joy and gladness—
For there will be no sin
For in the mind of Jesus,
New things shall then begin.
A new place for his people,
Who loved and served him well—
Where cold and storm can’t reach them,
For in it they shall dwell.

How steep the path and cold the way,
That we have traveled in;
But soon we’ll be rejoicing
Because there will be no sin.
Then we shall reign with Jesus,
No Devil to molest
There we may serve our Jesus,
And give to Him our best.


My Walk with Jesus
by W.W. Embree

I went through the valley of Baca,
I stood on Mt Carmel’s height—
I heard there the voice of my Savior,
As he called me as out of the night.
I heard his blessed voice as I wandered—
Through the valley of sorrow and tears,
I heard him speak peace to the billows,
I heard Him say, “Child, do not fear.”

I walked then with Jesus my savior—
I heard Him speak peace to my soul,
As He bade me march on in the battle,
Till I reached that Heavenly goal.
I heard His command, “Go Ye ever
And seek out the lost of my sheep,
They are helpless to find the way homeward,
Though the way will be rugged and steep.”

“Yet, with all the care and the sorrow—
Remember, I have traveled the way:
So gird on thy sword and be marching,
And I will lead in the way.
The way that will lead you to victory--
If you’ll follow in my command,
For I will never leave nor forsake you;
But will always hold onto your hand.”


Puzzled
by W.W. Embree

I am puzzled and I am worried,
And I don’t know what to say,
But I’ll keep on in dead earnest
Till the closing of the day.

Then at evening by the fireside,
In the quiet of the night,
I will do my best to study what is
Best for me and right.

In the Book of Books I study—
As I walk the pilgrim way,
And I know that God will teach me,
What I ought to do and say.

For he knows just what is best,
And will lead me in this vale,
Till I reach that place in heaven,
At the ending of the trail.

So, I’ve just surrendered to Him,
And obey Him all the way,
And I know I shall be with Him—
In that blissful, endless day.


Quandary
by W.W. Embree

I sometimes wonder, and it seems to me—
That perhaps the Lord has placed us,
Where he wanted us to be;
Yet, it is hard to understand—
Just what is His way and will;
But if we do our best
We will hear Him say “Be still.”

Be still, the hardest thing
That man ever tried to do,
Yet, if we cast our care upon him—
He will take you through.
Through to victory and to joy—
In His will and way,
And when at last the journey’s ended—
We shall see the perfect day.

Yet, sometimes we fret and worry,
And we think we ought to be—
Brought into the larger fields,
In this mighty rolling sea.
But then we know that God Father,
Always knows what is best,
So we yield to Him our all,
And will see His perfect rest.







Poem to baby Mercy Onida Morris
by W.W. Embree

Dear Mercy Onida, thou dear child of God,
How I hope that you ever will be—
True and faithful to God as you walk,
Through this broad open sea.

May you ever grow stronger,
And be true to God—
Be a credit to the name tat you bear,
And be a true witness while walking the sod
And ready the burdens to bear.
That when the call comes—
To return home to God
Many sheaves of fine wheat you may bring,
As a proof of your life’s work
While walking below
and hearing the angels sing.


This poem was written and dedicated to Little Mercy Onida Morris, infant daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Morris of Enterprise Oregon.



Story of Jesus
by W.W. Embree

I stood upon Mount Olive,
And my gaze did reach afar—
There I heard the cry of the wise men—
Have you seen the kingly star?

I followed it to Bethlehem—
As the wise men oft have said,
There we found the little Christ Child--
Cradled in a lowly manger bed.

I went with Him to Egypt—
Where He tarried for a while,
Till the Lord could deal with Herod,
Who would slay the little child.

Then God spake again to Joseph,
And bid him to come home
For they that would do harm to him,
Was not upon the throne.

I saw Him at Jerusalem
With the wise men of that day,
I hear Him ask, and answer
Their questions without delay.

I saw him as He walked
on the shores of Galilee,
I heard Him as he called to Peter,
Leave your nets and follow Me.

I went with him to Cana—
Where He made the water wine,
I marveled at His wondrous power,
And the beauty of His mind.


I saw Him heal the leper—
I saw Him raise the dead,
I heard him tell the Pharisses,
“I AM THE LIVING BREAD.”

I saw Him feed the multitude,
And cause the blind to see,
I heard him preach repentance,
And I knew that that meant me.

I saw Him in the judgment hall—
Where the Jews dared not to be,
I heard them cry to crucify
When Pilot would set Him free.

I saw Him on the cruel cross—
The day was black as night,
I heard him cry “My God! My God!”
Then His soul would take its flight.

I saw Him placed within the tomb:
My heart was sad with pain,
Yet I knew that he had promised,
That he would raise again.

So on that third day morning—
According as He said,
The angel rolled away the stone,
And He rose from the dead.

Again He walked in Galilee,
Instructing those He loved—
That they might carry on the work
When He went home above.

I heard him tell the apostles,
To preach Him far and wide,
And tell to lost humanity
A savior lived and died.
He died that man might live—
He took the curse away,
And now all all who will accept Him,
Shall see His perfect day.

He then arose to Heaven
While the apostles steady gazed,
There to become their High Priest,
Till the closing of the days.

Now, we are looking for Him,
To come to get His bride,
And this will end our pilgrimages
We’ll be ever at His side.


Take Up Thy Cross
by W.W. Embree

Take up thy cross for you must travel,
In the vale of sin and shame;
Till I call you from the valley,
In His holy, precious name.

Take up thy cross, I have gone before you,
Marked the way with Blood I shed,
Then I went to Calvary’s mountain;
And gave my life as Living Bread.

Take up thy cross, and be not faithless;
I will take you all the way,
When at last the journey’s ended,
You shall see the perfect day.

Take up thy cross, and raise the banner;
That the world may know and see,
Preach the word, and tell the sinner,
Jesus died to make men free.

Take up thy cross, the Master calls you,
Do not wait another day,
Let Him lead and guide your footsteps,
In the dark and dreary day.

“Take up thy cross, Oh, weary pilgrim;
Do not falter you can’t fail,
For I am with you, to protect you,
Till you pass within the veil.”


Your Duty is Always Near
by W. W. Embree

If you cannot be the Admiral sailing
With the conquering fleet,
You can always on the shore land
Lend a hand to those you meet.
You can help the poor and needy,
You can speak a word of cheer—
You can tell them how God loves them,
And for them does always care.

You can always find your duty,
As you pass along the vale—
Helping those who need the helping,
To find the better trail.
The trail that leads to heaven,
With the Father and the Son—
Where a welcome always awaits you,
And you’ll hear the voice well done.

So you see my weary pilgrim friend;
That rewards are not to be,
Just to those who climb the mountain steep,
Or sail the boundless sea,
But to those who in the toils of life,
Have faithful to Him stood--
Were you faithful to the trust I gave you,
Did you do the best you could.