Classic Poem

The air of heaven, the changeful breeze
That stirs the life of land and seas,
The crystal of the sunlit sky,
The world of cloudland scenery,
The stars that tell us more by night
Than all the blazonry of light,
The snows and rills, the dews and showers,
That ripen countless fruits and flowers—
Of all things nature deems her best,
Of all things earth receives from heaven,
The largest and the loveliest
Are freest and most freely given.

The choicest links of human life,
The unison of man and wife,
A father's tender thoughtfulness,
A mother's matchless power to bless,
The love of parent and of child
Which makes an Eden of a wild,
Brothers and sisters trusted in,
Hearts reaching forth to kith and kin;—
These are no narrow gifts that come
To very few, or great or small:
Nay, man himself was made for home,
And home was made for one and all.

And shall not He, whose open Hand
Pours wealth on ocean and on land;
He, whose compassion intertwined
The thousand bonds that knit mankind;
He who Himself is Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One;
And form'd us with His grace endued
To image His similitude;—
Shall He not give us, freely give
The gift that cometh from above,
The love that makes it life to live?
He will, He will; for God is Love.

Not only love to loving men
And gifts to those who give again:
There are who speak with angel tongues,
There are who sing seraphic songs,
Who with illuminated eyes
Interpret heavenly mysteries,
Who pluck up mountains by their faith,
And dare to die a martyr's death,—
And yet to His all-searching gaze,
That sees as man can never see,
Whose glory is but empty praise,
Because they have not charity.

O Thou, Eternal Love Divine,
Pour love into this heart of mine,
That Christlike love which suffers long
The injuries of wrath and wrong,
Which envies not this vain world's pride,
But turns to lowliest tasks aside,
Content to bear her daily load
Beneath the secret eye of God.
Enough, dear Lord: love cannot fail,
Though darkly all things here are known,
But this we know, within the veil
Who truly love shall share Thy throne.