Devotional Verses Founded on and Illustrative of select Texts of Scripture [by Bernard Barton] |
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RUTH'S LOVE. |
 | Devotional Verses |  |
RUTH'S LOVE.
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah
kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave to her.”
—Ruth, i. 14.
Though prouder names than thine may live
In history's richly blazon'd page,
Adorn'd with all that fame can give
To win the eye from age to age:
In history's richly blazon'd page,
Adorn'd with all that fame can give
To win the eye from age to age:
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Yet by no sweeter, purer fame
Hath joy been gladden'd, grief beguil'd,
Than that which brightly wreaths thy name,
And speaks thy worth, Naomi's child!
Hath joy been gladden'd, grief beguil'd,
Than that which brightly wreaths thy name,
And speaks thy worth, Naomi's child!
Thy story, 'mid the stormier deeds
The annals of thy time make known,
For humble truth and nature pleads
With grace peculiarly their own.
The annals of thy time make known,
For humble truth and nature pleads
With grace peculiarly their own.
And deep instruction yet is taught
By thy delightful simple tale,
Disclosing to attentive thought
The love which can and cannot fail.
By thy delightful simple tale,
Disclosing to attentive thought
The love which can and cannot fail.
There is a love, sincere, but weak,
Which has no high, or heaven-ward stay;
Thus Orpah kiss'd her mother's cheek,
Kiss'd her—and wept—yet turn'd away!
Which has no high, or heaven-ward stay;
Thus Orpah kiss'd her mother's cheek,
Kiss'd her—and wept—yet turn'd away!
Thy own, heroic and sublime,
Still to thy earthly parent clave,
And lives, triumphant over time,
For Heaven its holier courage gave.
Still to thy earthly parent clave,
And lives, triumphant over time,
For Heaven its holier courage gave.
And richly God vouchsaf'd to bless
A love devoted, pure as thine,
By making thee the ancestress
Of kingly David's royal line.
A love devoted, pure as thine,
By making thee the ancestress
Of kingly David's royal line.
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