SERVANT OF GOD! through fifty honoured years, With fears and hopes, with prayerful cries and tears, With watchful care and ever-active zeal, With loving skill that wounded but to heal, Thou led'st the flock committed to thy care By waters still, and pastures green and fair; Kept watch and ward, when danger was abroad, Upon thy towers. Church of the living God! Pillar and ground of truth! what time the cry, "Raze, raze her quite," went forth; when floods rose high; When schism foaming forth reproach, and hate Beat on her walls and thundered at the gate— Thou, with thy brother veterans, stemmed the tide, For God, in midst of her, was on our side. Even now, when thousand voices join to sing The hymn of jubilee, a jarring string Mars the grand symphony—a hostile tone Of vengeful meaning to our ears has gone. But God our refuge is, and strength, our aid— Though waters roar we will not be afraid. We greet thee well, we hail thee on thy road, Advanced far heaven-ward; oh! may Israel's God Remember and accept thine offerings still; Grant thy heart's wish, thy counsels all fulfil! Still may he hear thee from His holy heaven, With saving strength by His own right hand given. Our fathers' temple guard! her thou hast set Above thy chiefest joy; thine eyes shall yet, Ere God shall call thee to Himself from hence, On all her glory see a sure defence— So prays a friend; forgive, and grant the claim; Our God, our faith, our hope, our church, the same! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE CAPTAIN; AFTER READING HENLEY'S INVICTUS by DOROTHEA DAY GEORGE WASHINGTON by JOHN HALL INGHAM THAT HOLY THING by GEORGE MACDONALD CASEY AT THE BAT (2) by ERNEST LAWRENCE THAYER THE KING OF NORMANDY by PIERRE JEAN DE BERANGER |