Glory to God, in highest Heaven, Good-will to men, and peace on earth, To us a Saviour-king is given;Our God is come to claim His own, And Satan's power is overthrown!
A sinless God, for sinful men, Descends to suffer and to bleed;Hell MUST renounce its empire then;The price is paid, the world is freed, And Satan's self must now confess That Christ has earned a RIGHT to bless:
Now holy Peace may smile from heaven, And heavenly Truth from earth shall spring:
The captive's galling bonds are riven, For our Redeemer is our king;And He that gave his blood for men Will lead us home to God again.
STANZAS.
Oh, weep not, love! each tear that springs In those dear eyes of thine, To me a keener suffering brings Than if they flowed from mine.
And do not droop! however drear The fate awaiting thee;For MY sake combat pain and care, And cherish life for me!
I do not fear thy love will fail;Thy faith is true, I know;But, oh, my love! thy strength is frail For such a life of woe.
Were 't not for this, I well could trace (Though banished long from thee)
Life's rugged path, and boldly face The storms that threaten me.
Fear not for me--I've steeled my mind Sorrow and strife to greet;Joy with my love I leave behind, Care with my friends I meet.
A mother's sad reproachful eye, A father's scowling brow--
But he may frown and she may sigh:
I will not break my vow!
I love my mother, I revere My sire, but fear not me--
Believe that Death alone can tear This faithful heart from thee.
IF THIS BE ALL.
O God! if this indeed be all That Life can show to me;If on my aching brow may fall No freshening dew from Thee;If with no brighter light than this The lamp of hope may glow, And I may only dream of bliss, And wake to weary woe;If friendship's solace must decay, When other joys are gone, And love must keep so far away, While I go wandering on,--
Wandering and toiling without gain, The slave of others' will, With constant care, and frequent pain, Despised, forgotten still;Grieving to look on vice and sin, Yet powerless to quell The silent current from within, The outward torrent's swell While all the good I would impart, The feelings I would share, Are driven backward to my heart, And turned to wormwood there;If clouds must EVER keep from sight The glories of the Sun, And I must suffer Winter's blight, Ere Summer is begun;If Life must be so full of care, Then call me soon to thee;Or give me strength enough to bear My load of misery.