 | [Poems by Cary in] The Poetical Works Of Alice and Phoebe Cary |  |
COUNSEL.
Though sin hath marked thy brother's brow
Love him in sin's despite,
But for his darkness, haply thou
Hadst never known the light.
Love him in sin's despite,
But for his darkness, haply thou
Hadst never known the light.
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Be thou an angel to his life,
And not a demon grim,—
Since with himself he is at strife,
Oh be at peace with him.
And not a demon grim,—
Since with himself he is at strife,
Oh be at peace with him.
Speak gently of his evil ways
And all his pleas allow,
For since he knows not why he strays
From virtue, how shouldst thou?
And all his pleas allow,
For since he knows not why he strays
From virtue, how shouldst thou?
Love him, though all thy love he slights,
For ah, thou canst not say
But that his prayerless days and nights
Have taught thee how to pray.
For ah, thou canst not say
But that his prayerless days and nights
Have taught thee how to pray.
Outside themselves all things have laws,
The atom and the sun,—
Thou art thyself, perhaps, the cause
Of sins which he has done.
The atom and the sun,—
Thou art thyself, perhaps, the cause
Of sins which he has done.
If guiltless thou, why surely then
Thy place is by his side.—
It was for sinners, not just men,
That Christ the Saviour died.
Thy place is by his side.—
It was for sinners, not just men,
That Christ the Saviour died.
| [Poems by Cary in] The Poetical Works Of Alice and Phoebe Cary | |