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HE MADE US FREE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: As flame streams upward, so my longing thought
Last Line: And rise, -- be free!


As flame streams upward, so my longing thought
Flies up with Thee,
Thou God and Saviour, who hast truly wrought
Life out of death, and to us, loving, brought
A fresh, new world; and in Thy sweet chains caught,
And made us free!

As hyacinths make way from out the dark,
My soul awakes,
At thought of Thee, like sap beneath the bark;
As little violets in field and park
Rise to the trilling thrush and meadow-lark, New hope it takes.

As thou goest upward through the nameless space
We call the sky,
Like jonquil perfume softly falls Thy grace;
It seems to touch and brighten every place;
Fresh flowers crown our wan and weary race,
O Thou on high!

Hadst Thou not risen, there would be no joy
Upon earth's sod;
Life would be still with us a wound or toy,
A cloud without the sun, -- O Babe, O Boy,
O Man of Mother pure, with no alloy,
O risen God!

Thou, God and King, didst "mingle in the game,"
(Cease, all fears; cease!)
For love of us, -- not to give Virgil's fame
Or Croesus' wealth, not to make well the lame,
Or save the sinner from deserved shame,
But for sweet peace!

For peace, for joy, -- not that the slave might lie
In luxury,
Not that all woe from us should always fly,
Or golden crops with Syrian roses vie
In every field; but in Thy peace to die
And rise, -- be free!





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