W. Garrett Horder, comp. The Poets’ Bible: New Testament. 1895.
St. James, the Apostle
John Samuel Bewley Monsell (18111875)T
Her blessings and her work doth share
With all, both high and low;
Her holiest is her highest place,
No rank but that of growth in grace,
Her loving heart doth know.
Stands blessing all his simple store,
And finds, in his abode,
Oftimes the fairest gifts that can
Be offer’d, by unworthy man,
To an all-holy God.
Hath grown in stature and in truth,
His parents’ prop and pride,
Hath stoop’d his shoulder to the cross,
Hath gain’d a life of worldly loss,
And for his Saviour died.
Dash’d from his eye the starting tear,
And bade a long farewell
To the low roof, and creeping vine
That round that blessed spot doth twine,
Where home’s beloved ones dwell.
O’er frozen seas and burning sands,
He bade its banner wave;
There, with the sword of God’s good word,
Won souls, by thousands to the Lord,
Then found a martyr’s grave.
Poor home! poor parents! they were all
His sum of earthly bliss!
The rough, but old familiar spot
Can never be by him forgot,
In the next world or this.
Through all its changeful calm and strife,
That memory did come
Like a soft breath of summer air,
And the last words he breathed in prayer,
They were of Heav’n and home.
His home doth hold as much endear’d
As do the richest theirs;
The scene of all his early years,
Hallow’d alike by smiles and tears,
By pleasures, and by cares.
To God this free-will offering,
The firstling of his store;
Tho’ richer men may deem it small,
Yet, if he give to God his all,
What can he offer more?
In cottage homes affection claims,
When in some poor abode,
The child of many hopes and prayers,
Despite of added household cares,
Is offer’d up to God.
To Christ obedient shows the way
The poor for God may take;
How England’s cottage-homes may yield
Strong labourers for the harvest field
To toil for Jesus’ sake.
And palace-homes, all that we want
For the great work is found;
Bold soldiers of the Cross, and true,
Amongst the very humblest too,
With willing hearts abound.
In cottage-home, and palace-hall
Is wanting, to supply
Those, who, like James, their fisher’s net,
Or Paul, their learned lore forget,
For Thee to live and die.