The Mercy Seat

From every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat;
Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

There is a place where Jesus sheds
The oil of gladness on our heads,
A place that all besides more sweet;
It is the blood-bought mercy seat.

There is a scene where spirits blend,
Where friend holds fellowship with friend;
Tho' sundered far, by faith they meet
Around one common mercy seat.

Ah! Whither could we flee for aid,
When tempted, desolate, dismayed;
Or how the hosts of hell defeat,
Had suffering saints no mercy seat?

There, there on eagles wings we soar,
And sin and sense molest no more;
And heaven comes down our souls to greet,
While glory crowns the mercy seat.

- Hugh Stowell

Praise God for the mercy seat!  I am so thankful for that calm and sure retreat, a place to find renewment and strength in Christ to meet the storms of life. A place to flee from the pressures of the world around me. A place to cry my heart out, to find healing, to find comfort, and to find joy and gladness. A place where friend holds fellowship with friend, and though miles may span the distance, their spirits still blend. A place of peace, a place of rest, and a place of drinking deeply of the Living Water that gives life to the weary and fainting heart - the blood-bought mercy seat!