by
This was Mrs. Cowman’s first book. It was published in 1925. 2 years after her husband‘s death and 13 years after Dr. Miller‘s death.
In the index she lists Miller as being quoted on 1/26 3/11 3/15 5/28 6/19 7/8 9/19 12/13 12/21. At ten quotes Miller was one of her best source of material, yet she missed January 2.
I want to scale the utmost
height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I‘ll pray,
till heaven I‘ve found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground!
Not many of us are living at our best, We linger in the low because we are afraid to climb the mountains. The steep and ruggedness discourage us, so we stay in the midst of the valls and never learn the mysteries of the hills, We do not know what is lost by our self-indulgence, what glory awaits if we only have the courage to climb, or what blessings we will find if we only ascend the mountains of God! J.R.M.
The four lines above came from the hymn Higher Ground
Higher Ground (1899)
words: Johnson Oatman, Jr.
music: Charles H. Gabriel
I’m pressing on the
upward way,
New heights I‘m gaining every day;
Still praying as
I onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts
arise and fears dismay;
Tho’ some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim is higher ground.
I want to live above the world,
Though
Satan‘s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful
sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a
gleam of glory bright;
But still I‘ll pray till heav‘n I‘ve
found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground.
CHORUS
Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith, on
heaven‘s table-land,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord,
plant my feet on higher ground.
Johnson Oatman, Jr., was a businessman who wrote 3,000 gospel songs in his leisure time. Oatman was ordained by the Methodist Episcopal denomination but never pastored a church. His hymns were always well received, even though he was paid no more than $1 for any of his texts.