Prepare Ye The Way Poem by Della Hodgson James

When John came from the wilderness
  Crying, "Prepare ye the way"
The gospel of the kingdom,
  He preached both night and day.
By faith unto repentance
  He preached in one accord,
He knew not yet the mission
  Of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

He was followed by the savior
  Whence he had gone to pray,
To meditate, and ponder o'er
  The things he had to say.

He, who had come from heaven
  Who knew all things as one,
He knew the past and present
  And things that were to come.

But did he preach of heaven?
  Of the glories there, untold,
Did he tell of all his greatness?
  Or act at all bold?

He started from John's gospel
  To speak of natural things,
Saying, "He hadn't come to conquer,
Or live like earthly kings."

But to draw all men unto him
  By love and meek control,
He was to be our shepherd
  And we, sheep of his fold.

"No man comes to my Father
  Except by me, " He said,
And again, "No one comes to me
  Except by the father led."

We could not understand at first
  From this wilderness of sin,
But John had come to blaze the trail
  The Savior ruled within.

We were of the earth earthly
  We knew ought of heavenly things,
By earthly things he taught us
  By faith, to believe in him.

By the parable of the sower
  His words were to us the grain,
To fall upon the hearts of men
  He made the lesson plain.

And when he said, "I am the vine
  And you are the brances" see,
He said, "His kingdom here on earth
  Was like a mustard tree."

His righteous words fall on the heart
  By his Fathers creative power,
It soon springs up like a plant
  To grow and become a tower.

His kingdom then, is in the heart
  And o'er our hearts he reigns,
We come to him by God's own power
  When messengers sow the grain.

Jesus is our King, our judge
  The Father said was so,
But it's God who creates the love
  His words, the seeds to sow.

The spiritual seeds our hearts receive
  Of Jesus infinite love,
By faith, are sprung into new life
  By the power of God above.

Therefore we are born again
  By a regenerate birth,
And we are heirs unto the kingdom
  Which Jesus rules on earth.

We need more John the Baptist
  In this wilderness of sin,
To prepare for the gospel messenger
  Some heart-sick soul to win.