He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Mal.
Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner's fire. It is with the most precious metals that the assayer takes the most pains, and subjects them to the hot fire, because such fires melt the metal, and only the molten mass releases its alloy or takes perfectly its new form in the mould. The old refiner never leaves his crucible, but sits down by it, lest there should be one excessive degree of heat to mar the metal. But as soon as he skims from the surface the last of the dross, and sees his own face reflected, he puts out the fire.━Arthur T. Pierson
He sat by at fire of seven-fold heat
As He watched by the precious ore
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.
He knew He had ore that could stand the test
And He wanted the finest gold
To mould as a crown for the King to wear
Set with gems with a price untold.
So He laid our gold in the burning fire
Tho ' we fain would have said Him 'Nay
And He watched the dross that we had not seen
And it melted and passed away
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright
But our eyes were so dim with tears
We saw but the fire-not the Master's hand
And questioned with anxious fears.
Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow
As it mirrored a Form above
That bent o'er the fire, tho'unseen by us
With a look of ineffable love.
Can we think that it pleases His loving heart
To cause us a moment's pain
Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross
The bliss of eternal gain.
So He waited there with a watchful eye
With a love that is strong and sure
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat
Than was needed to make it pure.